Spring Break 2013: Santorini

Welcome to your Dana villa!!

It is just like the pictures.

Our neighbors - especially friendly when food is involved.

Kate says life isn't bad here.

Our first of three meals at Salt and Pepper.

We slept in - and the view just waited for us to get up.

We even enjoyed the views while eating breakfast.

Santorini has a bustling wine business. 

To protect the grapes from the winds, the vines are shaped into baskets.

On our way to Red Beach.

The real thing - it's a tough climate and yields are 10 - 20% of what we get in Napa.

Our boat for the visit to the volcano.

A Santorini vineyard.

The volcano's crater.

Hiking on the crater.

We pick holiday spots with great food - Greece was no exception.

Irene from Salt and Pepper - our favorite restaurant.

The Santorini volcano is still active - sulfuric steam came out of the crater.

We said goodbye to Athens and headed to the Greek island of Santorini. It is located in the Southern Aegean Sea about 120 miles from the Greek mainland. Santorini is small, only 35 sq miles with a population of just over 15,000. The island was formed as a result of volcanic activity, which continues today. Santorini is known for its beauty - white buildings with shades of blue. The caldera side of the island offers breathtaking views of the volcano's crater and other unpopulated islands. It is the perfect spot for a relaxing holiday. 

We spent time visiting Koutsogiannopoulos Winery as Santorini is home to some fine wines, particularly the vinsanto. The winery had a museum and tour with audio guide that showed how winemaking developed on the island. It is a tough business as yields are only 20% of what is found in France or the U.S. 

We rented a car to take a drive around the island. It's hard to get lost on a small island, but we managed to do it anyway. Eventually we found our way to the Red Beach, which gave a chance for everyone to put our feet into the Aegean Sea. The beach is made from volcanic rock that gave its interesting color and texture.

Our last full day was spent visiting the volcano's crater and some hot springs. Kate studied volcanos in school and was excited to be able to get a chance to hike to the summit and look at the different craters - even and active one. We met some lovely Australians on the trip.

We enjoyed the Greek wine and food. Our favorite restaurant is Salt and Pepper. The food was fantastic and Irene, the host and wife of the chef made us feel welcomed. We at there three times and loved each visit.

Greece lived up to our expectations. We hope to be able to visit it again sometime.