Last Day on Santorini

For most of our time on the island, we managed to avoid the crowds and found the pace to be pretty relaxed. But today we decided to explore the towns of Fira and Oia.

We found Fira to be very touristy. This is the place to be if you want to be in the middle of all the action. There were lots of shops and many different restaurants and bars. We walked around for a little while but there were soooo many people. We finally ducked into a local bar to escape for a few minutes and get a little air-conditioned relief.

Later, we caught the bus to Oia, and it was even worse. The main street leading into town was so jammed with traffic that the bus couldn't get through. Everyone ended up getting off the bus & walking the rest of the way into town.

Despite the crowds, Oia was breathtakingly beautiful. So picturesque...Just about everything was white-washed and gleamed against the deep blue sky. We walked around and had lunch at one of the many tavernas. I would have liked to have stayed longer but just couldn't bear all the people. The cruise ships were in that day and the crowds were maddening.

It was time to go. My quiet balcony view was beckoning for me to return.

On our final night on Santorini, I bid farewell to the magnificent sunset.