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Santorini: Day 5

December 31, 2014



Being the annoying sunrise fanatics that we are, we woke up extra early to drive around and find the perfect spot to watch it. The wind was howling and my toes were close to frozen but my gosh, was it worth it. It was nice to appreciate all God's creations; just stop and stare.

After doing so, we went up to Fira to have a hearty breakfast at Diverso Cafe. It's kind of embarrassing to say that we had pancakes and bacon for breakfast while in Greece, but it is what it is. Anywho, no trip to Fira is complete without a visit to our favourite spot.


Seeing that we booked a boat tour to the volcano the night before, we then walked down around 600 steps (yes, that's six hundy) to the port where our tour boat would depart. Since donkeys are used to carry hefty loads, said steps were covered with donkey poo. We were also told that we would be using a local boat.


Although it's not high up on everybody's list, a trip to the Santorini Volcano is very much recommended. It's a good trek up, so make sure you've brought your runners. Once up on the mountain, you will be greeted by breathtaking views of Santorini Island in all its splendour. Hues of blue for the clear waters, pristine whites of the distinguished villages and bright greens for the untouched scenery. What more could you ask for?

Looking back at these photos, it's hard not to wistfully sigh and wish I could transport myself back onto that wonderful island. 


After our trip to the Santorini Volcano, we sailed to the nearby hot springs. We were given the option to swim but we chickened out because it was freezing cold.




To think the excitement wasn't over, another extraordinary happening was in store for us: a donkey ride up the island. Donkeys are abundant on the island and donkey rides are especially prevalent during the summer. I was really looking forward to taking a donkey ride but was disappointed when told that there are no more during autumn. Luckily, the tour package was inclusive of a donkey ride!

We rode these fellas up the 600 stairs and enjoyed every bit of it. 


Now, I have fallen in love with Korres products because of my trip to Greece. In fact, our host in Santorini provided us with soap which was part of Korres' Santorini Vine collection which has quickly become my favourite body wash in the entire universe. That being said, I knew I just had to buy some of them to bring back home. Thankfully, there we found a store that sold all types of face and body products of different brands right after our donkey ride. We stocked up on some bottles of different scents and contently went back home with our monstrosity of soaps.

After a quick stop to the grocery then back home to drop off our bags, mum and I went back to Oia castle to watch the sunset. Sunsets there are impossibly magical.


We met up with dad then went on a lookout for a place to eat. We decided to explore the other side of Oia -- basically the tip of the island -- and finally found a place to top of the night. Fanari villas has its own restaurant, and a delectable one at that. It was mum's birthday eve and I couldn't think of a more beautiful place to spend it. We had dinner and I'm talking fillet mignon in a Santorini Vinsanto sauce with a side of mashed potato and roast shrimp in a honey lime sauce, paired with perfumed basmati rice. For desert, we had pavlova. The restaurant staff were so nice; they gave mum a slice of baklava with a candle atop. Dinner was full of food and laughs. It was just as much fun as it was scrumptious. This place is highly recommended.


And what's a pre-birthday meal without a family photo, right? Such fun for mum's birthday eve.

Here's to a Happy New Year, folks!