First we visited the Archeological Museum
where we found excellent displays of early Minoan civilization. There is a big, important dig in Akrotiri, on the northern part of the island, where an ancient city was found. The find was the result of stone quarrying for the construction of the Suez Canal. Many artifacts have been recovered, dating back to 6000BC. Some of the wall paintings and pottery designs were exquisite. The settlement thrived for many centuries, trading with many cultures from both the east and west. Eventually they left, perhaps due to the impending eruption of the volcano, and the Minoans disappeared into the unknown. Good display, good storyboards in English, worth a visit.After the museum we decided to ride the local bus around the island, so we went over to the bus station and figured out which bus to take. We boarded our bus and set out through the narrow, one-way streets of Thira, and into the countryside. We were expecting a long ride with a few stops, but instead the bus turned off the highway and headed down the steep, narrow road of switchbacks to the old port. When we got to the port everyone got off and we were sitting there waiting for the bus to continue on. In the meanwhile, the driver was shutting down and looking askance at us. Don realized that the port was the end of the line and checked with the driver who confirmed this. He would not be departing for 45 minutes, so we got off to wander around the port.
As we strolled by the various shops Don spotted a cute little red Smart. He decided to find out about renting it and went in to negotiate with the rental agent. Soon he came o
ut of the office, smiling. He bargained the guy down to E25 for 24 hours and we could drop it at the airport. Since the taxi to the airport was going to cost us E15 and the proposed bus rides would be about E12, we figured we could break even and enjoy the more flexible car tour of the island.
We headed out to the south of the island and stopped at a few villages and the black sand beach. when we arrived at the beach Don snuggled our Smartie in next to another Smart, and then we walked around a bit. By the time we returned there were 4 Smarts in a row, looking friendly and cute.Next went to the town where the dig site is located. As we entered the town one restauranteur waved and welcomed us into his cafe, but we headed over to the site to explore. The site is closed, but of course we went up a dirt side-road and could then see over the fence. There was construction work going on, with big cranes and steel building components. It looks like they plan to cover a large area with these metal shelters.
Returning through the town, we did park the car and stop at the restaurant. The host was very friendly and so happy to have us, his only customers. We had a tasty meal of carbonara and souvlaki.
After lunch we continued our tour, going to the hill town of Pirgos. This is a town of narrow alleys and whitewashed buildings. We wended our way through the alleys, up the hill, looking for the castle. We finally found the ruin, but walked all around looking for an entrance. Finally we found a way in, but it was steep, weedy stairs, probably not the official entrance. However, we saw another person standing on the wall above us, so we went up there and walked through the castle ruin and past the monastery and then we finally found the official entrance. As we walked down the hill we saw, clearly marked on the walkway, nice blue arrows pointing to the Kasteli. Don happily snapped shots of blue-domed churches, quaint scenes and beautiful views. Often his shots are foiled by the ugly utility wires that hang everywhere. Darn progress.Finished with the south end of the island, we headed to the town of Oia, Ia at the north end. Here we finally found the famous blue-domed churches. There were lots of tourists here marching up and down the narrow alleys and streets. A cruise ship had arrived in Thira and the passengers were out in force, touring the points of interest. Don got his photos and we were done touring for the day.
Back to the hotel, skipped dinner because of our big lunch, and just snacked. Don has developed a liking for ice cream bars, those vanilla coated in chocolate and nuts, so we went to the market for one of those.The next morning we got up at 5 and headed out for the airport to catch our flight to Mykonos.
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