Things doesn’t always happen according to the… plan
It’s kind of by default when I travel. But this time, it wasn’t in regards my planning. It was my dear friend and her travel companions plan that didn’t happen. My friend asked if I wanted to take her companions place, and her companion donated it’s trip to… me. Did that ever happen do me?
Nope. Could rearrange some of the things on my table? But of course 😊 Just one little thing… I’ve already booked my ONE and only flight per year. And that’s happening in October/November (-23). Just bite it and do one of these -later shown to be totally corrupt- fraudilent climate compensations.
No, the compensation doesn’t take away the impact from the release of my flying Co2. And I’m not compensation for an in general crappy life style. Plain and simple, I feel guilty, and I should. I DO try to travel by train as often as I can.
Kamari Beach
I have neither choosen or planned anything in relation to this trip since I in general avoid very touristy places. Well… that’s not entirely true, but I avoid places where there are few locals before tourists. But I have to say Zohreh, who so generously invited me picked Santorinis best place. And time! The weather was beautiful and comfortable, and the herds of Swedish tourists were to arrive the coming week. Meaning we had primarily a good mixture of nationalities. Perfect!
On top of that, it becomes what you make out of it. I really looked forward to a very relaxing week after a spring over the rim full of work, and work related challenges. Greek food is always delicious, and most of I ALWAYS have a very good time with Zohreh🙏💚☀️.
Lefkothea Hotel
Supposedly a 2-star lodging. We couldn’t have had a better located hotel. Two blocks from the ocean and all the beach front located restaurants. Not that we had THAT many meals there. But we hung out plenty under the parasols on the most comfortable sun beds.
Tripadvisors rating of Lefkothea Hotel are100% consistent 💚
On top of that, we had a fridge in our room, that was perfect for all the in between meals eggs a stocked up on😇
Lefkothea hotel is located at Makedonias 5
Guided tour of Santorini
Of course NOT my thing, but also… very practical since Zohreh had a tad higher ambitions that I did during this week. And I can’t thank her enough. Otherwhise I wouldn’t have done anything but had my lovely morning walks and hung around in the shade on the beach. Thats how exhausted I was. Possible I would have found a… bicycle to rent. I didn’t suffer that greatly with the compromise “no bicycling” this time.
We agreen on the extensive island tour. Expected only swedish/nordic retirees. But was surprised by the mixed crowd🙏. Wine tasting, the village of Labyrinth, view over the island from a mountain and finally the sunset in oooooverly crowded Oia. Which is pronounced a bit like a donkey Hi -eeeya-.
Oia & A warning….
There are propably plenty to warn you about. But that kind of depends on what worries… you. For me, it’s my massivly hippocritical tourist aversion, concidering I’m 100% one myself. Swedish herds of tourists is propably the scariest of all. Fortunately I didn’t contribute to a herd of that kind this particular week. Now we hade a very all over the world crowd to crowd with😅.
The sun set in Oia is vastly overrated though. I’d say that the one we have at home from the docks of Västra Hamnen are equally beautiful. But experiencing this, few things beat the laughters we had when we realised we had our wine and… dinnerish in the Top-of-the-Top Tourist trap Don Angelos. Absolute bottom scores in Trustpilot😂. One out of five and… 768 raters…
Tripadvisor as your guide
Don’t underestimate that guide. I have. Cause it has the most increadibly ugly graphic design. I find it most horrendous, even though I regularly link to it. But it’s really a guide that has it’s points. But just like hotel ratings, you got to learn to read inbetween the lines. And that takes IRL experience.
Regardless, this week it was Zohreh who was the travel guide. I didn’t join 100%, but most things. And when it came to eating, Tripadvisor it was. I’d say it’s a bit lacking of bravery and imagination to always try to play it safe. However, you DO get a more even quality of the food. Sometimes it’s more the atmosphere that is the benefit. I’m totally ok with that too. I’ll definately let Zohreh be in charge of the food during our upcoming tour to Spain.
Assyrtiko
Chefs recommendation
What’s to do when you’ve been fooled? At this point we were just too hungry and tired to send the food back. We just laughed. That being said, RESIST going to Don Angelos in Oia regardless of how tempting the sunset from their terrace appears. You WILL get dissapointed.
Seal colonies
Of… tourists. Before noon, mid day, afternoon and most of all at night. I can’t do anything but admire the marketing of sunsets all over the world. This is it, there are few places that has a nicer sunset over an other. The’re all beautiful. They make us feel good, where ever we are. Drinking wine during sunset, may or may not enhance the experience.
It will however make us open the wallet a bit wider. And just imagine how many wallets are in the area per evening… 😂😂😂
Oia lit in the dark, not even I can resist. It was so very beautiful.
Fistikies
After the “chefs recommendation” in Oia, we didn’t leave any meals to it’s destiny. And since I have no habit of using available guides online for meals, I happily left the task to Zohreh. She for sure know HOW to handle it!
We had sucha nice dinner at Fistikies which is located quite a bit from the beach. But oh boy what an atmosphere! Z and I will gang up with Tripadvisor on this place. It’s exact location is a bit unclear, but it’s located on Makedonias “street”.
Metaxi Mas
Another of Zohrehs and Tripadvisors better suggestions. It’s faaaar up on a hill, and it’ll take about 45 minutes walk from Kamari Beach. It’s most definately worth a visit for the atmosphere and the view. The food doesn’t really deliver in accordance to the reviews on Tripadvisor.
Metaxai Mas is located at Exo Gonia and once you left the more well trafficed road you’tt have a very pleasant walk uphill. Plenty of photo op. I tend to like the physical activities a tad… more than my travel companion. But she’ll always challenge herself 💪
Both of us DO recommend a dinner at Metaxa Mas, even though it’s quality isn’t really how it’s been described. And they have SOOOO very cute cats❤️ that will tend to ones ego while waiting for human service.
Art Space
On our way to the restaurant Metaxa Mas in Exo Gonia one will pass a former wine yard that has been transformed into some kind of gallery. The opening hours are a bit unclear, or if it’s only open by appointment. We did call and ask prior to our visit, just to be on the safe side.
We were greeted by a bit of a grumpy, but not in a mean way, man that showed ur around and told us about the former wine production. I would never have dared passing him withour listening to his story ☺️. The gallery was a tad mediocre, but it’s still worth a visit. The gallery room is somewhat cosy, and cooling.
Art Space is located not that far from the main road where you make the turn to reach the restaurant on almost the top of the hill.
THE hike from Fira -> Oia
It was pretty much the only thing I had planned for this trip… I had prepared us with plenty of options if get the sudden urge to take a hike. I was dead worried I’d get bored Santorini being such a touristy island. But I didn’t get bored. The days just slipped away.
did make one hike though. And I picked… sandals for the estimated 3-5 hours hike. It took us 4 1/2 hours in high sun. I would have loved to keep a somewhat higher pace, but I survived😉.
Along the trail we had quite a varied topography, and a very lava surrounding with a few small villages along the stretch. It may sound wierd, but one of the aaaabsolute highlights on this hike was the break for fluids at the über fancy Nobu Hotel. I was served without ANY exxxageration, the by far best Aperol Spritz I ever had. And worth every one of the 20 euro.
If you pass by, do NOT miss out🥳
Other trails at Santorini.
Alltrails
Animal Tourism STINKS
Yes, it does. There are no excuses for having animals carrying lazy torusts in these high temperatures. It’s not a human right to abuse animals like this, or entering a trail on the back of an animal. It’s an extended torture of an animal.
Animal tourism
Animal parks
Animal cruelty
Animal tourism & Ethics
Greek Sandals
No, I don’t need any. But I can’t resist. It’s like a deep built in fear when you’ve been looking for the type of plan leather flats for ten years, and all of a sudden there piling up in abundance. On top of that the’re absolutely gorgeous and.. inexpensive. It all happens… so fast😇
I DO promise to wear flats every day this and coming summers. Especially since I also bought a few… in Italy last summer on my interrail.
Hanging out on the beach
Zohreh and I are dancing the same waltz when it comes to tanlines. 2 x 30 minutes and we’re done for the day, and sunbed under a large parasol -> next. Plus an aperol spritz and an audiobook. Possibly some… 😴
At Kamari Beach it seems to be free to hand out on the sunbeds as long as you order something, which is highly reasonable. The drinks arn’t top of the line, but it doesn’t really matter. The sundbeds are really nice!!
Bathing shoes
Was on my packing list, but… managed to escape being packed. So I gought these kisses for the feet. Aesthetic? NO. Shoes on the black lava beach is absolutely necessairy since it’s pretty much like walking on burning cole without. Oh yes, I’ve done that too, twice actually.
The lava is a bit slimy and very uneven under the water line. But the water is crystal clear and NO sea weed, which is a necessary aspecy if I’m going to swim. And I did swim plenty during this trip, HIGHEST scores to Me & Kamari Beach on this one💪💪💪.
The (He)Art of Moving
According to me, there is no better way to start the day than with some exercise ❤️💪. Right behind Kamari Beach, there is the perfectly located Mesa Vouno mountain with it’s meandering serpentine roads. I only walked all the way up on my last morning, and I wish I had done that earlier, cause there are other hikes starting from up there.
These morning walks was also Zohres and my hour apart, since she’s not that into upphills in the sun. For me it was a natural high x2. It ended up being 144 385 steps this week, of which ca 30 000 are from the Oia hike. But still 😊
