Hello again! I'm so excited to share my time in Greece with everyone! I have to start by saying that my visit to the Greek islands of Santorini and Naxos was, and probably will be for a long time, my favorite vacation ever because of the awe-inspiring scenery, consistently sunny weather, delicious food (especially in Naxos), warm hospitality, affordability and, of course, my adventurous travel buddy, Taylor!
We met up at the Athens airport on May 31st. He flew in from Dublin and I from Washington DC. Looking back, I consider it to be a small miracle that we made it to the same spot within five minutes of each other, as planned. We then took a short 40-minute flight to Santorini and hit the ground running. After dropping off our bags, our Airbnb host (Elias, whom I definitely recommend staying with!) helped us rent an ATV, which we then drove to Kamari Beach for dinner at Pinakio. Fair warning, the little clear beverage the waiter gives you upon arriving is NOT water!! Taylor thought it was and drank it like a shot...the look of surprise on his face was priceless. Apparently, you're supposed to sip it...so the waiter had a good laugh when he came back after a minute and Taylor's glass was empty. The drink is called Raki, an ancient Greek spirit made from the solid residue of the grape that often has a 90% alcohol content. Safe to say, sipping on it didn't make the experience any better, and that look of surprise reappeared on our faces every time we took another swig. Annddd that was our first and last experience with Raki.
We finished off the night with what ended up being one of our favorite parts of Santorini - the Open Air Cinema. The venue was enchanting and lively, with little twinkling lights and greenery everywhere you looked. However, I must agree with the 29% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating of the movie showing that night, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Honestly, the trick to enjoying this film is to expect nothing (lol sounds harsh but seriously...). Despite the disappointing screenplay and questionable acting (sorry Cap'n Jack), the experience of just being in the venue was incredible, and I highly recommend checking the theater out!
The next day was filled with adventure...for one of us. Sadly, Taylor had to spend the majority of the time cooped up inside completing his applications to medical school -_-, but I took full advantage of the sun, ATV, and cobblestone walkways along the cliffs of the Caldera (the steep cliff side of the island with the white buildings built up the side) in Firostefani and Fira.