Perissa and Fira

After 2 days on Santorini, I’ve relocated from the uber-touristy Fira to Parissa. I’ve realized that my plans for this trip are very very different than those of Stephanie and her group, so I’ve broken off from the pack and am going it alone. Every day my planned time in Mykanos gets shorter and shorter. I subtract party time and replace it with exploring time. Ruins, ancient cities, beaches, national parks…

Greece is amazing, I just have to say that. Each day I find another reason to not go back to Spain. Yesterday’s reasons were the sunset in Oia (ee-ah) and the job offers to be a bartender or waitress over the summer because I can speak English. Today it’s the black sand beaches and the view from my hostel window.

I keep running into people I know or should know here. After a day of many a near-heart attacks (I just get so excited by the architecture!) I had the fun task of finding a place to stay. The hostel I was at the day before was filled up so full that the roof and all the couches were claimed. Stephanie’s friends were being moody brats and refused me their floor after Steph had offered it. So we went on the fun task of finding another hostel near their hotel. IN the end we ran into a bunch of guys from California who went to high school with one of the guys in SUPERB. So I joined them at their hostel for the night and caught my ferry out to Santorni in the morning. In Santorni I’ve run into a fellow Cal architecture student (Becca) as well as people in Carrie’s arch program in Denmark. Travelers are so friendly here, and I’ve met a bunch of really nice/interesting people doing things on my own. Last night I wandered Oia with two grad students studying in Madrid (we spoke Spanish the entire time). Today I ate at a café next to a mother and daughter from Virginia and traded travel tips with them. This afternoon some Australian boys told me which bar is the best to go to in Perissa.

But back to Santorni and Greece as a whole. The more time I spend here the more I can see why this was the start of Western Civilization, as we know it. These islands are so beautiful that it would be shocking if nothing came from them. I could just gawk and stare at the sea for days. I’ve never seen water so clear and blue. I’m so glad I brough my sketch book and travel watercolors.

And after I recharge my batteries here at the beach for a couple days, I’m onto Crete to explore the Palace of Knossos! Everything from arch170 is coming to life!

(greetings from Oia)

(Kalimera from Fira)

(mmmm gyros)