At the base of Oia is Amoudi Bay, where you can find super fresh (and expensive) seafood, boats of all sizes docked, and places to jump off volcanic rocks into the saltiest water I’ve ever experienced.

The best part was seeing octopus strung up to tenderize in the sun and then stopping at a sea-side restaurant to try some. It’s served thinly sliced with olive oil and herbs. Really tasty, I promise!

Day 4: We arrive by plane to Santorini, pick up our scooter and take a rest at our cute hotel outside the town of Oia (yellow building, 2nd photo). Santorini really lives up to its beauty. It’s just like the photos (but better) and along with all that, come literal boat-loads of other tourists. Somehow, it retains most of its charm…especially since we had our own means of transportation to explore the surprisingly large island.

Day 3 & 4: A 4 hour drive from Delphi through (sometimes snow covered) mountains, we arrived in Meteora, Greece. Here 9th century hermit monks settled on top of these massive stone outcroppings to escape distraction, and later, Turkish occupation. At its most populated, there were 24(?) active monasteries, each of which were reached by rock climbing or rickety ladders.

The sunset was epic, the rock formations were unlike anything I’ve ever seen. A very interesting place, but I must say, the town Kalambaka at the base was a terribly tourist packed town. Worth it to see these very strange monasteries.

 Day 2: We woke up to an amazing breakfast at our little hotel: figs, yogurt, cheese pastry, cakes, cereal. Then we were off to beat the tour busses at the Delphi Ruins and museum. I’m really not that into ruins, but what makes Delphi so great is its serene mountain setting and the fact that even in its day, it was a remote pilgrimage site.         

 
Day 1: On our first day of our travels thru Greece we picked up the rental car (an Aygo, real slow) and drove from Athens to Arachova. Along the drive we stopped at Hosios Loukas, a Byzantine monastery from the 10th century. It’s a beautifully preserved walled complex with really great masonry work. Our first of many Greek Orthodox churches.