Winter in Santorini

 

Kodochori

This village is at the east of Fira and hosts two wonderful mansions and the folklore museum where you can witness the daily activities of the former inhabitants of the island.

Spinach and cheese pie

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fresh spinach
• 250gr feta cheese
• 1 large leek, finely chopped
• 300gr spring onions, finely chopped
• 1½ cup olive oil
• ½ bunch dillweed, finely chopped
• ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• Salt, pepper
• 500gr phyllo dough

Preparation:
Pick, wash and blanch the spinach. Chop it, after squeezing out all excess liquid. Mash the feta cheese with a fork. Heat half of the oil and sauté the onions and the leek lightly. Remove the pot from the heat, add the dillweed, parsley, feta cheese, beaten eggs, spinach, salt and pepper, and stir to mix. Brush a baking pan with oil, and line it with half the sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each one with oil as it is added. Put in the filling and cover pie with the rest of the dough, oiling as before. Bake spinach and cheese pie in a moderate oven for one hour.

Night beat

Santorini’s nightlife is vibrant and vivid. Note that dining late is a natural habit in Greece; after admiring the beautiful sunset, unique and breathtaking, it’s time for a meal or snack at one of the oh so many cozy taverns or restaurants or fast food joints that are found around the island.

The variety is dazzling. You can enjoy Mediterranean fusion dishes, French haute-cuisine at extravagant, posh restaurants, or just grab a traditional souvlaki to go…

Entertainment will depend on what your mood desires. You can choose among beautiful little and quiet café, to relax and just observe the passers by, to more elaborate and extravagant fun like bouzouki clubs or night clubs playing international music. For those who are or feel young, there are clubs, bars, beach bars all over the island, where the night ends the next day…

There are clubs playing Greek folk or popular songs, known as bouzoukia, where someone can indulge in the world-famous Greek fun throwing flowers and dancing “syrtaki”. During summer months, a great number of bars and clubs, host parties and happenings bringing international DJs to play hip music.

Santorini provides entertainment for all tastes and budgets – for those young at heart and for singles to couples and families...for everyone!

Santorini has it all…and is ready to light up your night!

Hiking the Volcano

Hiking the Volcano

Santorini owes its existence to the volcanic activities.

Downhill Fira to Mesa Gialos village, either hike (~20minutes) or ride the donkeys that take you to the old port, or use the cable car. After reaching the port, embark on a boat to Nea Kammeni.

Follow the path that takes you to the rim of the craters. Continue stepping on the lava that has become stone. Dark colors dominate in the surroundings, except from the red flowers that grow here and resemble the red color of the lava.

From the top of the dome of little Kammeni -the oldest part of Nea Kammeni- gaze at the antithesis between the white at the rim of Santorini’s cliff and the dark rocks that surround you.

Hot Springs

Reaching at the top of the dome of George A’, which is the highest point of Nea Kammeni (127meters); you can see Palaia Kammeni. Between Palaia and Nea Kammeni, lie the Hot Springs, where the greenish waters, due to the sulfur, rise to a temperature of 30-35oC. The part of stoned lava, where steam is emitted, has a white and yellow color. In other parts, joined black stoned lava, raise in front of you as huge sponge. The colors vary from pale to dark.

Return to the bay from a discernible path, after an almost 1 hour walk amongst craters and lavas on a monument of special natural beauty.

White aubergine with spices in sesame crust

Ingredients:

• 2 medium white aubergines of Santorini
• ½ kilo flour (for all uses)
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons pepper
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons curry
• 5 tablespoons white sesame
• 5 tablespoons black sesame
• 4 egg whites
• 200ml crème

Preparation:

Peel and cut the aubergines in sticks (2cm thick). Beat the egg whites with the crème and deep the aubergine sticks in. Mix flour with salt, pepper, paprika, curry and sesame. Dry the aubergines and mix them with the flour mixture. Fry them in very hot oil, until they get a golden colour. Place them on kitchen paper to absorb the oil and serve. Accompany it with yogurt dip (yogurt, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, finely chopped mint).

Summer events on Santorini

Kamari Sea Feast: takes place on August 15; 4-days festivities which include concerts on the beach, traditional bazaar at Panagia Episcopi.

Ifestia: festivities take place in Fira in mid-August and last 2-3 days. They include local customs reproductions (Santorinian wedding ceremony, music concerts, local traditional dances and figurative volcano explosion with fireworks).

Name Celebration Feasts: Each church on the island, on the day of the name celebration of its patron saint, throws a bazaar and according to custom the guests are served with local food and wine (14/09 Perissa, 17/09 Fira).

“The” walk : Hiking from Fira to Oia

It is imperative to do at least once the amazing itinerary from Fira to Oia on foot following the grim of the Caldera. Only in this way will you have experienced the absolute grandeur of the island! In Fira you should ask for the old path leading to Oia. Make sure you set off early in the morning to avoid the big heat, or in the evening so that you reach Oia in time for the sunset. It will take you about 2 hours to get there. You will pass by Catholika of Fira with the beautiful mansions at the tip of the grim. Walking down to the caldera you will meet the Catholic Cathedral. Going on towards Firostefani – Imerovigli, you will see Agios Nikolaos and get to Skaros. Walk up to Theoskepasti, a picturesque little church. When getting to the asphalted road, there is an uphill leading to the Prophitis Elias chapel. From here you have the best view to the Caldera and the plain of Oia.

Scaros at sunset

Sunset in Santorini

These beautiful pictures beside the scenery for unforgettable holidays can become the place of your dream wedding.

The island of Santorini is a famous destination for weddings and many couples from all over the world arrive to the island to make their dream come true.

If you are interested too here you can find more information:

Santorini Weddings

Finikia

One of the most beautiful villages of Santorini. A walk to Finikia will make you relax and a visit to Panagia Matrona will fill you up with energy. Walk along the vineyards and light a candle at the chapels Agia Kyriaki and Agios Konstantinos. Should you walk up to Kyra Panagia, you will find yourself gazing t the best sunset of your life! Strolling down towards the neighboring Baxedes region, you can visit the Paris Sigalas winery and relax drinking a glass of tasty wine.

Octopus Salad

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 small octopus (about ½ kilo)
• ½ glass Vinsanto wine
• 4 white eggplants
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh onion
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar (good quality)
• 1 bay leaf
• salt, fresh pepper
• a little olive oil

Preparation:

Place the octopus with the bay leaf into the saucepan and simmer on very weak fire until it gets really soft (no water – no salt). When ready, add Vinsanto wine, turn up the heat and cook until it glosses (about 4-5 minutes). Roast the eggplants on open flame or in the oven. Peel carefully and place them into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and the fine chopped octopus. Mix with a spoon, try and serve!

Emporio

Following the road towards Perivolos and Perissa beaches you will find Emporio, the largest village of Santorini with approximately 3.000 permanent residents. It is only 12km away from Fira and for many years it was the trade center of the island; to that probably owes its today’s name (emporio is the greek word for trade). According to another assertion, Emporio took its name from the german word Neubürg, which means new tower and it refers to the Goulas castle.

Emporio is a traditional village with distinctive folk architecture. Goulas and Kasteli still bring in memory the Venetian rule age. Goulas is the square medieval castle in the village entrance and it was Patmos monastery glebe. In its entrance you will see the typical construction with the pots which were filled with hot oil and were spilt over to the enemies. On the top of the castle is Agios Polikarpos. Kasteli is one of the five typical fortress settlements of the after Byzantine period of the island. Its walls are the external walls of the houses. All buildings communicate from their roofs and Palaia Panagia or Panagia Mesani stands in the center of the fortress. The church is dated to the 16th century with a unique architecture bell tower and with priceless wooden icon screen (1883) presenting scenes from the Old and the New Testament. In a few meters you will find the church of Metamorphosis of Sotiros (Christ) dated to the early 19th century; a great festival takes place on August 6th. What is more, the icon of Agios Averkios (protector of canavas) is hosted there and therefore another festival takes place on October 22nd. In the yard of the church there is a typical pebble precinct. It is worth visiting Agios Spiridonas with its beautiful blue dome. Just before entering the village there is a small church of Agios Nikolaos Marmaritis built upon an ancient sacred of the 3rd century B.C., an offering to the goddess Vasileia. During the Christian times the sacred became the small church of Agios Nikolaos. It was named after the grey axed marbles of its exterior walls and also from the Saint’s marble icon. Go up to the hill of Gavrilos, which is considered archaeological zone, due to the Byzantine period ruins, and admire the eight windmills and the view of the rest of the island. The windmills are historical listed monuments from the early 19th century and they testify the traditional occupation of that time. Furthermore, carved tombs of the Hellenistic period were found in the limestone rock in the area of Vlyhada. One of them is known by the name Ehentra which means viper, due to the carved shape of a snake found on the rock. In Emporio you will find many shops for tourists, ATMs, supermarkets, a post office, cafés, taverns, a pharmacy and a peripheral health centre.

Exo Gonia – Mesa Gonia

Exo Gonia is a small, peaceful and traditional village lacking tourist infrastructure, built at the rear of Pyrgos. It is located 12km away from Fira. You should visit it and walk through its cobbled streets. Admire the neoclassic mansions and more than ten ruined wineries that were full of life before the earthquake of 1956. Don’t forget to visit “Art Space”, the Antonis Argyros visual art center, which since 1830 was operating as a winery and a distiller of raki, and had the first facilities for tomato processing. At the restored rooms of the museum you will find exceptional works of art.

Go to Mesa Gonia (7.5km away from Fira) once a great center of wine production. Follow the signs from the main road towards Kamari and then turn right. Your first stop is one of the oldest wineries of the island, Yiannis Roussos winery which operates since 1836. Taste famous local labels in the winery’s beautiful traditional yard under the shade of the trees. Not far from Roussos winery, you will find an older winery (since 1903) that belongs to Yiannis Argyros. Tour the canavas, seize the opportunity and discuss with the wine producer, and don’t forget to taste the famous Vinsanto he produces. Leave your car for a while and walk through the traditional settlement of Mesa Gonia. The deeper you go into the village, the more controversial the landscape becomes, combing images of dereliction and civilization. Beautiful picturesque churches and few traditional houses are among the ruins that the earthquake left behind. The cobbled streets are full of flowers with heady fragrances that give life to the ghosts of the past. Let the landscape travel you in times where the island was untouchable from the tourist intervention. As you go further up, the view of the village, of Mesa Vouno and the coast line becomes more beautiful, especially at nightfall. Go back to your car and follow the road towards the church of Episcopi of Gonia, which is quite close to the village. The church was built in the late 11th century by Emperor Alexios A’ Komninos and is an important Byzantine monument. Episcopi is one of the few churches with tiles and it offers a magnificent view of the eastern side of the island. The combination of the landscape, the tranquility and the scattered smell of basil in the entire place will definitely bring you peace of mind. If you ever are on the island on August 15th make sure to visit the festival that takes place there.

Akrotiri

Akrotiri’s settlement is in the southwestern and most distant edge of the island, 15km away from Fira. Akrotiri became particularly famous as the ancient city that was discovered buried under the volcano’s ashes. Unfortunately, the excavation is not open to the public but you will have the opportunity to take a small taste if you visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira. From those settlements that have a view of the Caldera, it is the most recently developed and the less spoilt by tourist interventions.

During the last few years many hotels and lodgings have been built to serve the needs of tourists whose number is constantly growing, as they seek for tranquility in the still virgin side of the Caldera. From Akrotiri you can go on foot to the Red Beach or take the boat to the White Beach. Mesa Pigadia, Kampia and from the Cladera’s side, Apothikes and Gialos, are other beaches for swimming. There is also a Venetian castle in Akrotiri that was shattered by the big earthquake and it is worth paying a visit. There may not be enough shops and a wild nightlife, but you will definitely find good food. You will find tavernas in Akrotiri’s port, in the center of the village and on the road towards Faros (lighthouse), which you should for sure visit. From there you will be able to observe the figure of an Indian, up in Mavro Vouno, that looks so natural as if it had been carved by a talented sculptor. According to the testimonies of local residents, this figure had been discovered by the well known archaeologist Spiros Marinatos, as none had noticed it until then. Either in the morning or in the afternoon the view of the endless blue and the rest of the island, from the lighthouse, is magnificent and the sunset is like a dream. In the area you will also find the churches of Agia Theodosia situated in the castle’s entrance, of Agios Epifanios, of Agia Triada and of Ypapanti.

Useful links for Akrotiri
Hotels

Koufeto

for 1 large jar

Ingredients:

• 1kg pumpkin (white species preferably)
• ½ kg sugar
• ½ kg honey
• 1 cup blanched almonds cut in half longitudinally
• ½ cup water
• The juice from a small lemon

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin to slices as you would potatoes for French fries, then rinse, transfer to a strainer and let them drain well.
2. Bring the water, sugar and honey to the boil in a pot. Add the pumpkin slices and cook over high heat to make the syrup. Skim as necessary.
3. When the syrup is ready, add the almonds and the lemon juice. Remove from heat and let the syrup stand to cool down, then transfer the dessert in large jars.

Vothonas

After Messaria you will find Vothonas. It is worth visiting this village in order to admire the distinctive folk architecture. Many buildings are built into the volcanic earth of a large gorge. These buildings apart from being cheap to construct, they also offered shelter from the winds and the pirates. Park your car for a while and cross over the river and the traditional little road on the river bed, in order to discover the church of Panagia Trypa which is situated high up on the rock. For locals this is a very important church; that is why they organize a big festival on February 2nd.

Monolithos

Monolithos is located behind the airport of Santorini, 9km away from Fira. It is a quite peaceful settlement with many hotels and lodgings. It has a well organized long beach with smooth black sand and particularly shallow waters, a lifeguard and a playground. The waters deepen gradually, but if you wish to swim without touching the sea bottom, you will have to swim a lot. The beach usually is very crowded since it’s the nearest beach to Fira connected with the local bus transportation network. Don’t worry, however. There is plenty of room for everyone. If you prefer team sports such as volleyball, soccer and basketball, you are in the right place as there are especially tailored areas on the sand.

Useful links for Monolithos
Hotels   Monolithos Beach

Karterados

The lower road of Fira that goes southwards, will lead you to Karterados, after 2km. The settlement is built near a stream. In the central square you will find a traditional old mill and a war memorial in honor of the people that died during the 2nd World War. Park your car there and get ready for a short tour of the traditional village starting from the “steps of Galaios”, as the locals call them, which are on your left as the road bends. You will be surprised by what there is to see… Traditional old buildings mined inside the volcanic rock, captain houses and picturesque cobbled streets that you can hardly make out from the main road as they have been constructed along the steambed. There aren’t many sights to see, but it’s worth visiting the church of Assumption and being at its festival that takes place forty days after Easter. If you are on the island on August 15th, join the festival of the church Panagia Kokkini (Saint Mary of the Red) which was given this name as it was built with red wine instead of water. The area offers bakeries, coffee shops, patisseries, taverns, hotels and rooms for rent, supermarkets and shops.

Useful links for Karterados
Hotels 

Vourvoulos

The village of Vourvoulos is located approximately 4km away from Fira on the road towards the island’s northern beaches. The village is built amphitheatrically with a view of the plain in the north-eastern side of the island, as well as to the beaches of Koloumbo and Pori. In Kato Vourvoulos you will find the central square with the imposing church of Agios Efstratios that celebrates its feast day on December 13th. At the same place, you will also see a monument in honor of the people that died during the German occupation. It is also worth visiting the beautiful church of Agios Panteleimonas.

Useful links for Vourvoulos
Vourvoulos Beach

Santorini wines

Santorini’s two lauded wines are its crisp, clear dry whites, and the amber-coloured, unfortified dessert wine vinsanto, both produced from the ancient indigenous cultivar assyrtiko. Most vineyards hold tastings and tours, and there are also two fascinating wine museums.

Antoniou winery was designed early this century by a winemaker with his eye on the export market. Built into the cliffs directly above Athinios port, the canava (wine cellar) is a masterpiece of free-form ingenuity: wine was once piped down to waiting boats. Wine is no longer made at this site, but it’s a fascinating place to visit.

The winegrowers’ cooperative, Santo Wines in Megalochori has a showcase selection of regional produce taken from all over Greece.

The atmospheric Volcan Wine Museum, housed in a traditional canava on the way to Kamari, has some interesting displays, including a 17th-century wooden wine press. Admission to the museum includes three tastings.

There’s also the Art Space gallery-winery outside Kamari.

Santorini Pudding

serves 10

Ingredients:

• 2 lt fresh milk
• 2 cups fine semolina
• 100gr fresh butter
• 320gr sugar*
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For sauce:

• 200ml sweet, black wine or 1 bottle of Santorini Vinsanto
• 1 glass sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

(*If you use a sweet wine like Vinsanto or Maurodaphne, reduce the amount of sugar in the ingredients)

Preparation:

1. Wire-whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk and butter (at room temperature), the semolina and the cinnamon. Stir contents to mix them well.
2. Pour the mixture into a round greased pan (4-5cm diam, 5-6cm height), and place it in a larger pan with water (ben mari) and into the oven.
3. Cook pudding at 200oC for approximately an hour. In the meantime boil the sugar with the wine until sauce sets.
4. Let the pudding cool off and cut it into small, square pieces. Serve each piece of pudding pouring a spoon of wine sauce on top.

Beliefs

Traditions and folklore concerning giants, who were once alive and had supernatural powers, abound on Santorini. There are other stories about brave men or beautiful mermaids, as well as many beliefs concerning cutting down trees. The people of Santorini believe that a tree must never be cut down (even if it is growing on top of a church altar).

Other traditions concern sea demons, ghosts of the sea who were a true source of terror to sailors and fishermen.

Many of these old beliefs survive to this day. For example, ships that anchor in the port of Kameni tie their ropes in the shape of a cross to protect them from the “demon”.

Religious Festivals – “Panigyria”

Religious festivals are celebrated in traditional way in Santorini.

No matter how isolated it might be every church has a small building nearby, the feast house (“panigyrospito”). Fully furnished with benches, tables and cooking equipment, it is here that the food served to worshippers is prepared. If the church is very small and there is not enough room in the feast house, the celebrants sit on the whitewashed stone benches in the churchyard.

Many of the island’s churches are privately owned. When this is the case, the family that owns the church sees to its maintenance, the needs of the visitors, as well as the preparations for the festival.

After te liturgy, the priest hands out the “artos” (white bread with anise seed or with mastic flavoring and sugar). Then, there is the procession of the icon of the honored saint in an atmosphere of particular piety. After the procession of the icon, the festival begins with wine, singing and dancing.

Omelet with marrows & tomatoes

serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 medium-sized vegetable marrows, chopped to rings
• 6 eggs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. Fry the marrows in the olive oil. When done, drain them from the oil and add the tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
2. Whisk and season the eggs, then pour the mixture over the marrows-tomatoes.
3. Simmer the omelet over low heat. Stir 2-3 times using a wooden spoon.

The Vendema

The Italian word “Vendema” is the term used in Santorini for the grape harvest and crushing. It means abundance.

The grape harvest on the island is a true festival, an occasion for partying and bidding farewell to the summer. Preparations begin in early August. Santorinians never crush the grapes in the field. Instead the grapes are taken to the “kanava” (winery), where they are sorted according to color (white or red) and put into separate presses. “Kanava” is the local name for the cool, dark space, cut into the volcanic rock (“hyposkafo”) where the grapes are crushed and stored in barrels. The room has a small window (“anemoloo”), which is always open to allow the air to circulate and the must fumes (grape juice before and during fermentation) to evaporate. At one time, just about every large house on the island had a “kanava” on its ground floor.

Since the harvest (“trygos”) begins sometime in late August or early September, the month of September is also known as Trygitis. The grapes are not all crushed on the same day. It is mostly the job of the men to do the treading, and whoever participates must be able to withstand the fumes and not get dizzy easily. To neutralize the strong smell of the must, the grape-crushers traditionally place a stalk of basil behind their ears. Near the large crushers was always a cleared area of ground, where grapes could spread out in the sun for about 10 hours before they were put into the crusher. Vinsanto, the sweet wine of Santorini, is produced from these sun-dried grapes. There are many varieties of excellent quality Santorini wines.

The last day of the grape crushing is a major holiday. On the 22nd of October, Saint Averkios Day (protector of wine and “kanava”), the barrels are opened and the wine is tasted. The local priest blesses the barrels making a sign of the cross with a stalk of basil. As the blessing is chanted, the wedge is removed and everyone tastes the new wine. A party follows with singing and dancing.

Wherever I travel (Greece wounds me) by Giorgos Seferis

On Pelion among the chestnut trees the Centaur's shirt
slipped through the leaves to fold around my body
as I climbed the slope and the sea came after me
climbing too like mercury in a thermometer
till we found the mountain waters.
On Santorini touching islands that were sinking
hearing a pipe play somewhere on the pumice-stone
my hand was nailed to the gunwale
by an arrow shot suddenly
from the confines of a vanished youth.
At Mycenae I raised the great stones and the treasures
of the house of Atreus
and slept with them at the hotel Belle Helene de Menelas;
they disappeared only at dawn when Cassandra crowed,
a cock hanging from her black throat.
On Spetses, Poros and Mykonos
the barcaroles sickened me.

What do they want, all those who believe
they're in Athens or Piraeus?
Someone comes from Salamis and asks someone else
whether he `issues forth
from Omonia Square'.
`No I issue forth from Syntagma,' replies the other,
pleased;
`I met Yianni and he treated me to an ice cream.'
In the meantime Greece is travelling
and we don't know anything, we don't know we're all
sailors out of work,
we don't know how bitter the port becomes when all the
ships have gone;
we mock those who do know.

Strange people! They say they're in Attica but they're
really nowhere;
they buy sugared almonds to get married
they carry hair tonic, have their photographs taken
the man I saw today sitting against a background
of pigeons and flowers
let the hands of the old photographer smooth away the
wrinkles
left on his face
by all the birds in the sky.

Meanwhile Greece goes on travelling, always travelling
and if we see `the Aegean flower with corpses'
it will be with those who tried to catch the big ship by
swimming after it
those who got tired of waiting for the ships that cannot
move
the ELSI, the SAMOTHRAKI, the AMVRAKIKOS.
The ships hoot now that dusk falls on Piraeus,
hoot and hoot, but no capstan moves,
no chain gleams wet in the vanishing light,
the captain stands like a stone in white and gold.

Wherever I travel Greece wounds me,
curtains of mountains, archipelagos, naked granite.
They call the one ship that sails AGONIA 937.
M/s Aulis, waiting to sail.

Summer 1936

(poem "Με τον τρόπο του Γ.Σ.", from the collection Τετράδιο Γυμνασμάτων)

Gymnopaidia A’ – Santorini by Giorgos Seferis

Bend if you can to the dark sea forgetting
the flute's sound on naked feet
that trod your sleep in the other, the sunken life.

Write if you can on your last shell
the day the place the name
and fling it into the sea so that it sinks.

We found ourselves naked on the pumice stone
watching the rising islands
watching the red islands sink
into their sleep, into our sleep.
Here we found ourselves naked, holding
the scales that tipped toward injustice.

Instep of power, unshadowed will, considered love,
projects that ripen in the midday sun,
course of fate with a young hand
slapping the shoulder;
in the land that was scattered, that can't resist,
in the land that was once our land
the islands, --rust and ash-- are sinking.

Altars destroyed
and friends forgotten
leaves of the palm tree in mud.

Let your hands go traveling if you can
here on time's curve with the ship
that touched the horizon.
When the dice struck the flagstone
when the lance struck the breast-plate
when the eye recognized the stranger
and love went dry
in punctured souls;
when looking round you see
feet harvested everywhere
dead hands everywhere
eyes darkened everywhere;
when you can't any longer choose
even the death you wanted as your own--
hearing a cry,
even the wolf's cry,
your due:
let your hands go traveling if you can
free yourself from unfaithful time
and sink--
So sinks whoever raises the great stones.

(from the Poems, Ikaros 1974)

Marriage in Oia

Do not hesitate to follow the merry companies and the musicians with the violins, if you should chance upon them. A wedding is taking place and what you are seeing is the so-called graximo of the groom. This boisterous crowd of friends and relatives, best-man (koumbaros) and maid of honour (koumbara) is on its way to the house of the groom, from where they go all together to the house of the bride. En route to her neighborhood, everyone is outside, in the courtyards and the narrow streets, pouring wine, exchanging wishes, singing joyful songs.

My groom, whom they bring from the street above,
everyone has come outdoors, even the sky with the stars.
Bride, with thunder and lightening, and drizzle and rain
May you have all the blessings of Christ upon you.

And from there, they go together with the bride to the church. In olden days the wedding crowns for the couple were made from vine branches, cut by the priest himself, from the vineyard, and twisted round into a hoop.

The bride’s girlfriends then take the hoops home, and wind them with cotton and decorate them with colored ribbons, gold threads and flowers, thus transforming these humble branches into diadems.

Today, after the marriage service in the church, the newly-weds come into the courtyard, where, in a pandemonium of riffle shots and fire-crackers, their families distribute sweetmeats and drinks to the guests.

The traditional Santorinian sweetmeat for weddings is koufeto, roasted almonds and honey, served on a platter from which the guests take a spoonful of the “toffee” and wish the couple all the best. As for the wine, a small glass of vinsanto makes the mouth utter sweet blessings.

General info visiting Santorini

• Time Zone difference

Greek time is +2 hours GMT mean time.

• Language

Modern Greek is the national language; English is generally understood and spoken, so there are no communication problems.

• Electrical appliances

Electric current is at 220-240 Volts, 50-cycle AC. Appliances of lower voltage require transformer. It is recommended that appliances are checked for safety before use.

• Telecommunication

Outgoing International access code for Greece is 00, following the relevant country code, e.g. (00 30 22860 …… for Santorini). Calls can bee made from your hotel or from OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organization) offices in Fira. Public phone card booths are available all over the island and cards can be bought from kiosks, mini markets and OTE.

• Mobile Telecommunications

The local mobile phone operators (Cosmote, Vodafone, Wind and Q-Telecom) use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators.

• Water

Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled spring water is preferable; available in supermarkets, hotels and restaurants.

• Currency

Since 1/1/2002, Euro (€) is the currency of Greece.

• Banks

The banks on Santorini are open 08:00-14:30 Monday to Thursday and 08:00-14:00 on Friday. ATMs are available in almost all villages on Santorini, and most of them accept Visa and MasterCard as well as debit cards of internationally recognized networks.

• Health

In case of health problems you may visit the Santorini Health Center in Fira or ask your hotel reception for a private specialist doctor. Pharmacies are marked with a cross. One is usually open 24 hours in Fira, on an alternate basis.

• Weather

Santorini has an ideal climate for visitors, since summers are sunny, hot (but dry) and winters are mild. It seldom rains in the summer. Remember, the sun is fierce, so carry sunburn cream, wide brimmed hat and wear clothes with sleeves you can roll down.

• On the road

Driving on Santorini can be done either with vehicles owned by tourists or rented ones. The driver must have a valid license from the country of origin and international permit, as well as insurance and registration.

Remember, driving is on the right.

Easter in Oia

Easter, which is the greatest feast of the year in Greece, is celebrated in Oia with all the appropriate sobriety and splendor.

If you visit Oia in April, apart from the superb limpidity of the atmosphere, the light emphasizing crisply the curves of the vaults and the domes (light which in the summer months is filtered through the heat haze and the mist), it is interesting to observe the way in which the islanders celebrate Easter.

The Holy Week services all take place in the church in the square, which is dedicated to the Virgin Platsani, a local epithet.

Tradition has it that some fishermen brought up in their nets an icon of the Virgin, which originated from Crete. They brought it up to the village and placed it in a church that faced towards Crete. Because the Virgin in the icon splashed about in the water (πλατσουρίζω - platsourizo) she was called Platsani, and the church was named after her. Until the 1956 earthquake this church stood in the Kastro, inside the Goulas. Long after the earthquake that reduced it to rubble, the inhabitants of Oia decided to rebuild the church, not in the same place as the previous one, since the area was very badly damaged, but on the site where it stands today.

The decoration of Christ’s bier (Επιτάφιος - Epitaphios), early in the morning of Good Friday, at the back of the church forecourt, is done by the women and girls of the village. Each one brings flowers from the flowerbeds or their little gardens. Violets, yellow and mauve spring snapdragons, roses, carnations and wonderful white lilies. With these they adorn the baldachin of the Epitaphios, which is of carved wood and in many churches in Pano Meria was brought from Russia (churches of St. George, the Resurrection etc.).

The ceremony of the Deposition from the Cross (Αποκαθήλωση - Apokatheloses), at noon on Good Friday, is a special experience in Platsani. Women and children, up in the gallery (gynaikonitis) of the church, sprinkle the Body of Christ removed from the Cross with colorful rose petal, that fall softly above amidst the white smoke from the aromatic incense, while at the same moment the bell tolls the funerary lament of the year.

It is not unusual at that noon hour for the siren of the ship entering the Caldera to be heard, bringing those Oians, who had not managed to come to the island earlier to celebrate Easter in their native village. And then prayers and Byzantine hymns (troparia) and sweet fragrances are all united, creating a timeless image of the village and of Greece.

The same evening the procession of the Epitaphios takes place, through the village. The large Cross, without the body of Christ, the flower –bedecked bier, the priest, the altar boys holding the banners, the cantors chanting the encomia, all these proceed, while behind follow the faithful with the lighted candles in the dark. They proceed down the main street to the east and head for St. George at Perivolas.

Before the new church of the Virgin Platsani was built, the church of St. George was the metropolis (Greek Orthodox cathedral) of Oia. There, in front of the royal door, the men bearing the Epitaphios begin to sway it right and left. And this is seemingly inexplicable rocking of a boat has passed into folk consciousness as a representation of the earthquake that followed the death of Christ, when … And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split … (Matthew 27:51).

How could such an event be forgotten in Oia!!

After St. George, the procession embarks on a longer route in the dark, through the narrow streets of the village. In the courtyards and on the yard walls of the houses, the people light fires in the tin cans, while the women stand in the doorways, some censing and some sprinkling the faithful with rosewater.

Until the early twentieth century Oia had thirteen parishes (in 1890 Pano Meria had a population of 2500) and the meeting–up of the many bedecked Epitaphioi in the streets of the village was very impressive. As to the following evening, Easter Saturday, the eve of the Resurrection, before the priest had finished declaring, from the dais set up in the church courtyard, the first joyous Christos Anesti (Christ is risen), the men and the boys begin throwing firecrackers and other “ammunition”, which they had prepared beforehand, and then the whole village shook from the deafening sounds and the satisfied shrieks of the “manufacturers” at the success of the explosions – while simultaneously the terrified screams of the rest resounded.

In front of the church, on the parapet of the square, hangs the effigy of the “traitor” Judas. A kind of scarecrow filled with firecrackers which, immediately after the first Christos Anesti, are set alight and blazes noisily as the crackers explode.

The rest of the night is spent with the family, in the joy of the long-awaited dinner after the strict fast forty days that the Oians observe piously, with the cracking of the red eggs, the meat stewed with greens, the Santorini wine and the local Easter sweetmeat, melitini, a little tart filled with a mixture of eggs, soft white cheese (myzithra) and flavored with mastic.

On the morning of Easter Sunday, which is usually a sunny spring day, the priest, cantors and congregation leave from Platsani and proceed towards the church on the south cliff, in the neighborhood of Monastiri.

The church of the Resurrection (Ανάστασης - Anastasis) is a very large one and together with St. Spyridon, to the east of it, they are a conspicuous point of reference for this side of the village. Their two huge blue domes are indelibly impressed on the memory of Oia, “hallmark” of all those on board ship who first behold or bid farewell to Oia.

The truly splendid procession with the banner of the icon of the Risen Christ in the lead, gold flabellae held by the altar boys, joyous psalms, all these within an unbelievably clear light, descent the narrow alley and the steps that reach to the church like a multicolored ribbon which is trailed between courtyards and vaults, sanctifying the hovering buildings of Pano Meria.

Photos of Santorini

Santorini volacano

Faros

Road to Akrotiri

Fira

Light-house in Akrotiri

Oia

View of the Caldera from Fira

Santorini Salad

Ingredients:

• 10-15 Santorini cherry tomatoes cut in halves
• 4-5 fresh, finely cut lettuce leaves
• 2-3 garden rocket leaves
• 1 medium-sized rusk, cut to bites
• 1 small-diced onion
• 4-5 olives
• 1 anchovy cut to small pieces
• 1 tablespoon caper
• 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese (or myzithra)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly – grounded pepper
  

Preparation:

1. Place half the rusk bites at the bottom of a large bowl and top them with the finely cut lettuce, the cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt, the onion and the rocket.
2. Add the rest of the rusk bites, the caper, the olive oil and the cheese.
3. Let the salad rest for about 10 minutes and then serve.
   

Thirasia

Even though Thirasia is located very close to Santorini, it is very far away from the fast pace by which those opposite live. It is as if the volcano’s explosion in 1600BC was so definitive that it kept the two islands from ever uniting again. From the moment you set foot on Thirasia you will understand that you have come to a place that is impenetrable by tourism. As you walk through the two unique settlements of the island, Potamo and Manola, you will come across narrow pathways where genuine islanders walk. You will not only be won over by the human simplicity, but also by the beauty of the settlements that, when you look at from afar with the naked eye, appear to have a printed colour. The church-towers and houses are colored with the bright shades of blue, yellow and green.

During the winter time there aren’t more than 200 inhabitants on the island. Together with Oia, Thirasia constitutes an autonomous community in terms of administration. The only visitors of the island are relatives of inhabitants and those who go by kayak on tourist excursions.
If you visit Thirasia by kayak and disembark at Korfos, you can reach Manolas only by donkey or on foot. Alternatively you can go to Riva, the main harbor of Thirasia, by ferry boat from Athinios, or by small boat from Ammoudi which operate according to a regular schedule. There is a sandy beach here as well as the country church of St Irene. A little further up, as you follow the path from the main road to Potamo, you will reach Panagia of Lagadi. In order to get a complete picture of the island make sure you visit the monastery of the Assumption, that can be reached by following the pathway from Manolas.

The three stong points of Santorini

In case you do not have much time and not know where to go first, here are the three top things you do not want to miss:

1. The Akrotiri, where the archaeological settlement of the pre-historic Thira is situated.
2. The museum of Pre-historic Thira in Fira. You will be impressed with the findings exhibited there.
3. The world-famous sunset of Oia. People from all over the world come to live this unique experience!

Yellow split pea puree (fava)

Serves 8 people

Ingredients:

• 500gr yellow split peas
• 1 medium onion
• ½ cup olive oil
• salt, pepper
• finely chopped parsley
• finely chopped onion
• juice of 1 lemon
  

Preparation:
Wash the split peas, place them in a pot, cover with water and let them boil. Skim off the scum that forms on the top of the water.
Add the onion quartered, a little salt, half the olive oil, and let it simmer for 1 hour until the peas are soft and have acquired the consistency of thick porridge.
Put the split peas through a food mill until they are a smooth puree. Add the rest oil, the lemon juice, the finely chopped onion and a little more salt and pepper. Stir and garnish with the finely chopped parsley.

Tomatokeftedes (tomato balls)

Ingredients:

• 2 onions
• 1kg Santorinian tomatoes (cherry tomatoes)
• 2 potatoes
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 tablespoon soda
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• salt, pepper
• flour
  

Preparation:

Grate the onions, tomatoes(4-5 normal-sized tomatoes if cherry tomatoes cannot be found), potatoes, zucchinis and add peppermint, basil, soda, salt, pepper, one tablespoon of tomato paste and as much flour needed until the mixture becomes puree. We take the mixture with the spoon and one by one spoonful we fry it on strong fire.

Sandsmelt fish pie (Αθερινόπιτα)

recipe from "Kyra Katina" at Ammoudi
For 1-2 persons

Ingredients:

• ¼ kg sandsmelt fish
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 tablespoon peppermint
• Salt and pepper
• A little flour
  

Preparation:
In a bowl put the sandsmelt fish, onion (chopped) peppermint, salt, pepper and a little bit of flour. Mix the ingredients until they become one integrated mixture. Pour oil into a frying pan, lay the mixture to be fried as an omelet and turn it over.

Tenderloin with rosemary on top of fava(yellow split pea)puree

By Vasilis Zacharakis (Nichteri restaurant)

Ingredients:

• 1 tenderloin clean (about 700grams)
• 50grams finely chopped smoked bacon
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary flowered
• 1 glass Vinsanto (sweet Santorinian wine)
• 1 Florina pepper chopped into dices
• 1 small hot pepper cut in dices
• 1 spoonful of tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon of soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper
• Some parsley finely chopped
  

For fava puree:

• 200grams fava beans
• ½ litre water
• 1 small onion cut in 4 pieces
• 150grams of olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Preparation:

We rinse the fava beans, strain, and put in a heavy saucepan on medium heat; once it starts boiling we skim and reduce the heat. We put the onion in together with a spoonful of olive oil and we simmer on very low heat. Once it becomes chyle, we season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Add the remaining olive oil and make the puree with hand mixer.
We cut the tenderloin in rounds of one cent, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes on each side, in a hot sauté pan with some olive oil.
We remove the meat and keep it warm.
In the same sauté pan, we sauté the bacon and continue sautéing together with the peppers, toss the rosemary, mix and quench with the Vinsanto. We add the honey, the soya sauce and the tomato sauce. When the sauce is reduced we add salt and pepper to taste…

Food styling:
We lay on a plate the fava puree, we put the tenderloin and toss the rosemary sauce on top.

Melitinia - Santorinian Soft Cheese Pastries

Ingredients
Pastry:

• 2-3 spoons olive oil
• 1 kg flour, sifted
• Lukewarm water, as much as it needs to knead a soft dough

Stuffing:

• 1 kg soft unsalted cheese, like greek mitzithra or ricotta
• 1 kg sugar
• 2-3 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• ½ teaspoon of masticha powder
  

Preparation:

Pour in a bowl flour and olive oil and start adding gradually water. Knead the dough and try to make it elastic. Set aside and prepare the stuffing by mixing all ingredients together. Work the mixture well with your hands. Then roll out a thin sheet of dough and use a small bowl or tea cup of less than 10cm diameter to cut circular pieces of dough. In each round piece, place a spoon full of the stuffing in the center. Fold the uncovered piece of dough all around the stuffing in order to shape something that resembles a round plate and squeeze it softly with a toothpick or a fork. It should look like a round open parcel. Oil a baking pan and bake in high temperature 220-250oC for no more than 15 minutes. The top of the stuffing should get a golden color.

Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 15~30 stuffed tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces package cream cheese
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 chopped green onion
• ¼ teaspoon dries oregano
• 1 tablespoon plain yoghurt or sour cream
• 25-30 cherry tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
  

Preparation:

1. In a blender, blend the cream cheese, feta cheese, green onion, pepper and oregano, until smooth, scrape down the sides, add the tablespoon of either yoghurt or sour cream. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and remove stems. With a sharp knife, cut a slice from the non-stem end of each tomato. With a small spoon, scoop out as much of the seeds and pulp and you can (discard them), arrange the hollow tomatoes on paper towel lines plate to drain.
3. After the cheese mixture has chilled for an hour, transfer it to a small zipper-to plastic bag, squeezing out the air. Snip off one corner, squeeze the cheese filling into each tomato, arrange on serving dish and sprinkle with paprika.
   

Tastes of the island

In Santorini, as well as all over Greece, eating is a way of life. Santorini’s cuisine is mainly based on the island’s agricultural products. Despite the lack of water, the island’s soil is particularly foil and their products have a unique taste.
In the traditional Santorini cuisine we can distinguish the following ingredients and dishes:
Fava is a puree made with Fava beans (yellow peas). Fava is an old traditional dish of Greece which can be served in many different ways according to the time of the year. It is said that Santorini’s peas are “the most delicious peas ever known”.
Santorini Cherry Tomato is a unique variety that can be easily mistaken for cherries. Very aromatic and tasty.
Chloro Cheese is fresh goat cheese made by women of Santorini and it is not easy to find anymore. Its texture is creamy and it has a slightly sour taste.
The White Eggplant, a unique vegetable of the island. They are very small, sweet and juicy, very delicious and with a fresh flavor.
The Caper (kapari) and the Dried Caper are other products of the island and are often used in salads. It has a characteristic sharp aroma and spicy taste.

Local sweets that Santorini people prefer are:
Melitinia, a festive sweet served mostly on Easter, which is like cheese pies with unsalted myzithra.
Koufeto, which is prepared with almonds, boiled in local honey or syrup. It is the traditional wedding sweet.

Highlights of Santorini

During your stay on Santorini I recommend some things to make your stay even more interesting:

• Pay a visit to one of Santorini’s wineries and taste the exceptional wines produced from the volcanic grounds of the island.
• Taste the local products: cherry tomatoes, fava (split-peas puree), caper, white aubergine, katsouni (a type of cucumber) etc No matter how they are prepared the offer a unique taste.
• Enjoy the sunset in Caldera. Akrotiri, Megalochori, Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia offer the same magnificent view!
• Wake up early in the morning, to avoid high temperatures, and take a walking tour from Fira to Oia following the path on the “eyebrow of Caldera”. On feasts, ask the locals to show you which church or chapel is celebrating. If you join festivals, you will dance to the rhythms of the Islands folk music, accompanied by local specialties and plentiful wine.
• Renew you love vows with your other half, with idyllic view of the Caldera sunset!
• Do not miss the fascinating beaches. Shinny pebbles, black, white or red sand and unique geological formations compose magnificent sceneries.
• A mini-cruise to the volcano is worthwhile!
• If you are archaeology fans, pay a visit to the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Fira and the Ancient Thera in Meso Vouno.
• And of course after a full day, relax by the sea with a superb view to the Caldera, the sweetest way to end your day.
  

The volcano

The geological history of Santorini begins million years ago, at a time where Europe and Africa where still joined. At that time what is now known as the Aegean Sea, was a land accumulation, known as “Aegis”, which linked mainland Greece with Asia Minor and Crete. About 6 million years ago, and after a long series of geological upheavals, Aegis sank beneath the surface of the water, that rushed in to take its place. The mountain peaks of the old mainland remained protruding above the surface of the sea and are what today we refer to as the islands of the Aegean Sea. The position occupied today by Santorini had only two or three significant islets to show, which are still there today, included into the principal land. They are the mountains Prophet Elias, the rocks above the modern harbor at Athinios, and the remote rock that stands proudly on the east coast of the island at Monolithos.The eruption of the volcano led the greater part of the island to the bottom of the sea and created myths such as the sinking of Atlantis. Geological evidence indicates that the volcano first appeared around 80.000 years ago. Ash found on the seabed and originated from this eruption covered an area stretching from Chios to Italy, and from North Africa almost as far as Cyprus.

Apart from ashes, the crater expelled other heavier hot substances that poured out in liquid or semi-liquid form and shaped a cone. This cone gradually grew covering the surface of the sea and joined with the islets already there to form an approximately circular island with a diameter of 9 miles. It is not known how many centuries the island needed to assume its final form.The second catastrophic eruption happened around 1600 BC, and as a result, the entire island’s life was destroyed. Beneath the center of Strongyle, the flow of lava created an enormous hollow dome that was the eventually unable to support the weight of the island. The roof of the dome collapsed and the greater part of Strongyle sank beneath the waves. All that was left above the surface of the sea were parts of its perimeter that enclosed a gigantic basin filled with the sea – the Caldera. These parts are called today Santorini and Thirasia islands. The time of the submerge, Aegean Sea was darkened by an immense black cloud of smoke and ash and an enormous tsunami of 250m height, rose up an went in all directions. With the speed it is estimated that traveled, in approximately half an hour it had reached Crete and (as many historians believe), whipped out the Minoan civilization.
From time to time various craters erupted in the caldera, though unimportant, yet restarted the process of filling the caldera. The lava shaped cones around the crater, at first under sea and later projected above the surface and formed the two islands of Palaia Kammeni and Nea Kammeni, today called the Volcano. There were 14 eruptions ever since 198 BC. In 1707, once more, activity began in the center of the caldera. These chain events formed the island that can be seen today. In 1956 an earthquake destroyed everything on the island, so the island was rebuilt. Since 1956 volcanic activity has been pretty low, but minor tremors are quite common and the ground shakes, usually imperceptibly, almost every day. A major earthquake is due at any moment, but the locals don’t seem worried – they seem to like living on the edge.
So if you are a lover of impermanence, precariousness and drama, no other place comes close. Come see the hot springs of the caldera and the volcano’s crater (a unique experience) and you remember it for a lifetime.

Useful links
Volcano cruise Volcano Sunset cruise

A day at the beach

Kamari – Avis Beach (multiethnic fun)

The beautiful black sandy beach of Kamari stretches for five miles in length along the eastern coast of the island. You don’t have to walk far to find taverns on the seafront as well as restaurants, hotels, tourist shops and entertainment spots. A number of water sports are also available like water skiing, windsurfing and paddle boats. From Fira you can take the bus to Kamari with frequent service. Located close is the Avis beach, another black-sand quiet one with sport facilities and beach bars.

Akrotiri – Red Beach (classical and magical)
Not far from the ancient site of Akrotiri, the Red beach is located. You couldn’t ask for a more breathtaking setting for a swim. Soaring red lava cliffs which drop right to the black sandy shore and into the clear blue sea, make a majestic scenery for you to enjoy. Near the beach you can find a hotel for a snack or drink. Note that you can also find boats that leave from Akrotiri to other beaches.

Monolithos (family-type beach)
Just north of Kamari and on the eastern coast is the beach of Monolithos. It is considered to be the most peaceful, shallow-water beach on Santorini, however with all the comforts.

Perissa (all time classic)
This beach is located on the southeastern tip of the island. It is most known for its wide range of water sports (water skiing, wind surfing, diving) and its water park.

Perivolos – Agios Georgios
Another of the quiet variety beaches with small taverns, bar-restaurants, hotels and rooms to let just on the sea front. It is on the southern part of the island with all sport facilities available.

Exo Gialos
A quiet organized sandy and pebbled beach, 4 km from Karterados, with a canteen and tavern.

Kambia (dip in the emerald waters)
It is located between Red and White Beach. Its main characteristic is its clear emerald water. Despite the fact that it is small and quiet, it has deckchairs and a tavern. It is accessible by car or by path that starts out from the Red Beach.

Vlyhada (the next hot spot)
The perfect choice for those who wish to avoid crowds and want a more serene spot to relax. Located near Perivolos it is heaven for sailing and fishing boats.

Ammoudi – Armeni (like a scene from a movie)
Two small beaches near Oia, with view to Therasia and clear deep blue water. Especially Ammoudi is one of many little tourist attractions. Both of them have tavern with lovely food for you to taste. You can reach Ammoudi by car, foot or on mules’ back but Armeni only by a small footpath or by boat.

Kolumbo (like an awaking volcano)
It is found on the northeast coast of the island near Oia. It is a quiet sandy beach with white pebbles to a great extent. Here is the most active submarine volcano of the island. It is better to avoid this beach when the wind blows from the north.

Pori (small and quiet)
Near Kolumbo mostly preferred by locals, Pori Beach is black sanded without deckchairs or umbrellas.

Thermi (plunge in the abyss)
Thermi is an isolated wild beach near Megalohori, accessible only by one path lined by country chapels. It has scattered hot water springs similar to those on the Volcano.

White Beach (private sense)
Small white pebbled beach. It is almost a private situation which can be reached by boat from Akrotiri or from Red Beach or on foot along the path.

Vourvoulos (the wild)
It is more of a bay than a beach. It has lots of pebbles in and out of the water, with wild beauty and a picturesque harbor.