Day 111: or The Day of The Volcano

Today was nice and sunny, but still windy. We made it down the 600 steps to the Old Port of Fira for our 10:30am boat tour. We were a bit early so we stopped and got a yogurt with honey. Greek yogurt is so good, and the honey is just enough to balance it. After that we headed to the boat, which was a traditional sailing ship of the area. Our first stop was the volcano island, Nea Kameni. It formed in the early 20^th century, and is due for another explosion sometime in the next 15 years. The guide told us a bit about the history, and we were free to walk around on our own. We saw the steam and smelled the sulfur. You could even feel the warmth beneath your feet, but it just felt like rocks in the sun to me.

Our next stop with the boat was the hot springs. We were all set to go, when she informed us of the temperature of said “hot” springs. To get there, you have to swim through normal sea, 16’c. Totally doable if your destination is warm enough. We were told to expect anywhere from 30’-35’. When we got there, the guide said it would be around 25’c. Not gonna do it, wouldn’t be prudent. I watched the crazies, and took some pictures of their misery. Honestly, I still would have done it had it not been that the trip wasn’t half over and sitting on that ship with wet hair for 2 more hours seemed like torture.

We stopped at the island of Thrassia for lunch and I had pork souvlaki and tzhaki. We were joined by the usual throng of cats. Have I mentioned that you don’t eat in Greece without cats all around your table? Well you do. The island isn’t touristy at all and is mainly the home of fisherman and and farmers. We headed back to the boat after we decided the staircase up the hill was much too daunting and started our journey back to the big island.

Your option up the hill is donkey ride, walking, or cable car. We chose the 3 minute cable car. Call me crazy, but I didn’t feel like smelling like donkey for the rest of the day. We headed back to the room for a shower and a break and then headed out for our last dinner on the island. We picked a place on the hill overlooking the whole island in the village of Pyrgos. The dinner was good and the view was great. The waiter acted very frantic even with only 3 tables. Hate to see how he acts when he’s actually busy. We ordered fava beans again, which were good, but our grilled vegetables came boiled and a good 10 minutes before the rest of the meal. Odd. We headed home, stuffed, after yet another huge meal.