Even though it may not seem like it, today was a pretty relaxed day. Started the day off with a trip downtown to Fira, to rebook our tickets to Mykonos. We decided to add another night to our stay in Santorini; how could we not? The island's already stolen our hearts and it was impossible not to prolong our visit here.
Then, it was off for a drive down to Kamari beach. Since the picturesque village of Pyrgos was in close proximity, we took a scenic drive around it. Pyrgos is actually located on the highest point of Santorini, so one can only imagine what the view from up there was like. I have such a penchant for quaint towns just like this one, so it was a real treat.
As one might think it likely, Santorini is jam packed with beaches, one of which is Kamari Beach. Seeing that we had already witnessed the beauty of Red Beach, we couldn't resist doing the same with Kamari.
Now, let's get things straight. In the spirit of promoting Philippine tourism, I will go out on a limb here and say that Kamari beach doesn't even compare to Boracay, Palawan, even Batangas, or anything else of the like. The sand? Well, not quite. Instead of sand, the shore was covered in pebbles. Despite having my shoes on, these pebbles managed to get in them. They nipped and poked the soles of my feet. Yet, a weird sense of giddiness washed over me because I am a massive fan of beaches, pretty or not. Kamari Beach may not be the creme de la creme of all the beaches of Santorini, but I'm grateful nonetheless.
Little did we know that there is a long, winding road that leads you down to Athinios Port. Long, winding, and did I mention mind-blowingly stunning? We halted our journey, stopped the car and enjoyed the view.
We then headed back to Oia, and mum and I had lunch in Lotza, a restaurant that boasts its own views of the caldera. We actually had feta cheese wrapped in what seemed like philo pastry and drizzled with honey, which mum really enjoyed. Since this day was pretty much a do-nothing day, we basically relaxed in the restaurant (whilst people -- I meant, tourist-watching, I must add) and lazed around for a good two hours or so. There's no doubting this was a pretty great mother-daughter date.
Back to this day being a semi non-event, slightly do-nothing day. We walked back to our villa in the afternoon and bumming around seemed like our agenda for the time being. The parents decided to go out on our patio so as not to let a single moment with the celebrated Santorini view.
Even with the winter chill steadily coming upon the island, we decided to brave the elements and bring out a bottle of wine (for the parents) and a glass of iced tea (for myself). Mum and I sat on the lounge chairs and wrapped ourselves in a thick, fuzzy blanket to protect ourselves from the blistering wind. There, we unwound and watched the sun bid the island goodbye. From there, the twinkling Santorini city lights along with the unmissable scintillating gleam of the cruise ships welcomed the night.
Watching the island go by on a lounge chair on our patio, wrapped in blankets. The best company I could ask for. The steady flow of conversation. It's moments like these that I live for.