We're Cruising!

 

Let's be honest here: We got on the ship on Saturday, and I think it's now Tuesday! We wake up at the crack of dawn, go see amazing things and learn lots of stuff, sweat more than is natural to do so, go "home", rinse and repeat. We are overwhelmed with information, history, and the gift of being out in the world. There is Artemis and Apollo, John and Peter, Corinthian and Doric, Phoenician and Venetian, Fira and Thera, warthogs and boars, corned beef and roast beef, Zeus and Athena...I could go on! We're going to get some details wrong, so apologies for that! 

Our first stop on the ship was Santorini. It's a lot like Crater Lake, geologically speaking. Santorini was formed by volcanic eruptions and caldera collapses. The walls are steep, and the water is deep. Until you catch a glimpse of the town, you feel like you might be in the middle of nowhere! It is beautiful. 

From our cruise tender we took a boat to Oia (ee-ah), where we explored the archaeological site of Akrotiri. 

Akrotiri was settled in the 16th century BC. That already has capital letters, or I would have capitalized them myself. Because, you know, that is a loooooong time ago! Akrotiri, like Pompeii or Herculaneum, was lost to a volcanic eruption. They think that Thera erupted sometime between 1627 and 1600 BC. Well, even that is sort of up for debate. They think some 10% of the village has been excavated, so they haven't learned all the things there are to know about this place. It was initially found in the 1860s, and then rediscovered with active excavations in the 1960s. 

There is evidence of three story homes, circulation through strategically placed windows, markets, and beds. 

Excavations have been on hold for several years because their funding was coming from a Russian oligarch whose money is tied up in the Ukraine war at the moment. Honest to goodness. 

There are no human remains, so the current understanding is that the residents were able to get out in time, no one being killed by the eruption. They may even have had time to gather their valuables. Only one item  of value has been found, this little gold ibex. It was found in a nesting box in an area that they believe might have been part of animal sacrifice; over 300 antlers were also found stacked. Perhaps they offered this gold item to the gods as a way to save their village?

Also, and I can't state this enough, it was H-O-T! These dogs are not dead, they are seeking some sort of relief from the heat. Also, this was weird toilet number 2 of that day. Keeping it real!

After Akrotiri, our bus took us into Fira Town, which is what you probably think of when you think of Santorini - blue domes, white buildings, cute shops...

We had lunch at the cutest spot. Everyone is so friendly, and we had a delightful time trying local cuisine. These tomato "meat" balls were delicious. I might try and make these at home if I can get my hands on some really good tomatoes. 

Before heading back to the ship we stopped at the Museum of Prehistoric Thira. Our guide had told us that most everything that had been found in Akrotiri was being housed at the museum. We were quite unprepared for just how much was on display. There was everything from clay pots to fishing weights, and so much of it!

Random stranger included for size!

The pots were impressive enough, but the frescoes? Those were on another level; the colors are so vibrant!

Louise's favorite.

Thelma's fav!

We almost skipped the downstairs. The attendant said there were "paintings" down there. Something was definitely lost in translation! Downstairs they have replicated the floor plans of the houses that have been excavated, and you can walk in, and feel what the space would have really felt like. 

Behind the "fence" are rows upon rows of FULL drawers of pieces of pottery, fresco etc. The puzzlers in us wanted to stay and put some of it together for them!

Akrotiri itself was amazing. but putting it together with these artifacts brought it to life. The frescoes had some storytelling, but also were rife with decoration - birds, rosettes, crocus etc. There was even one fresco of monkeys, proving that someone at some point had traveled abroad. Amazing!

Both Akrotiri and the museum were impressive in their own rites, but seeing them together in one day painted a very full picture of these ancient peoples. 

And just like that, we were down a cable car and back on the boat and "flying" off to Mykonos!

💙💙