De-boarding the ferry from Athens, the only clues to Santorini that were visible from the port were the giant rocks, behind which we could only assume was the rest of the island, and the sea that we had just crossed. Renting a car nearby, we took off for the cave house my parents had rented in Oia.
What took me by surprise was the open, flat land that soon greeted us as we zoomed through the stretches of earth in-between towns. Always with the sea in the distance, clean rows of crops, wildflower hills, and blue-domed, three-belled white churches create a solace. From high points of the island, the various towns of Santorini are visible, dotting the island like white push pins on a map.
Oia is famously known for its sunsets. There’s something uniquely acute about them: like watching window blinds fall, the sun sinks under the sea’s horizon. The town is also marked on the side we entered it by large windmills that scratch at the sky. The town of Oia sits right on the edge of the island, cupping the sea at all times. The sidewalks are stone, the steps uneven, and they together they force you into a careful walk up and town the shelf-filled wall of homes which are built on top of each other into the cliff.
Our home was one of these. Simple and small, it had only four room; and at 5’2”, even I had to be mindful of the ceilings.
But we didn’t come to Santorini for its ceilings. We came for this:
This was the space just outside our gate where my dad and I sat with coffee in the mornings, where wrapped in a blanket, my mom and I waited for the stars at night. This was the spot where we greeted fellow travelers as they bobbed up and down the sets of stairs around our house and caught the village with their cameras.
(views looking left and right from the house)
This spot was my favorite moments of the trip. And if I had simply set there for our entire stay, I would have come home knowing that I had seen the best of Greece. In that spot, the rest of the world floats off and under the horizon just like the sun. In that spot, Santorini is matchless.
This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.
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