The Beautiful Greek Island of Santorini

*Sigh* Santorini really is as pretty as the postcards. It became one of my "goal destinations" back when I saw a calendar photograph of the place pinned up on the office wall in 2005 - an ex-colleague had gone there. It's really the place to go to:
1) Lounge in your bikini all day
2) Sit on the beach in one of the many lifestyle type wicker lounge chairs/seats sipping cocktails.
3) Catch up on your reading

Beach Accessories: Navel piercings, tramp stamps and cellulite. (You know, as silly as it sounds, I never realised that almost all women have cellulite until I came to Europe. Everybody had my local beach (Cottesloe) always seemed to have perfect tanned, toned beach bodies.)

Common Misconception:

• Just because the island is made up of volcanic black sand (beautifully different from your usual stereotypical white beach island holiday in my opinion,) does not mean that the sand is "dirty". It's like assuming that black pple must be "dirty" just because they are black. :p (But seriously, if you see fish swimming when you're only about knee deep in the ocean, you have to assume that water has to be quite clean.

Most Common Hue: Aside from the black sand and clear blue sea, it was the colour of peeling lobster red Europeans and Americans. (Apparently come September, most of the Europeans are usually a scary of orange from layer upon layer of summer tan and sunburn.)
Most Common Tourist to be Seen: Middle aged couples and young families. (Obviously there were the young ones around - hence the comment about the tramp stamps and piercings, but I think as Santorini is the most expensive of the Greek islands, most of the youngies tend to stay on some of the other islands such as Corfu and Mykonos. There was definitely a lack of young people after sunset at the beach where we had managed to score a beach front hotel after the stupid travel agent booked us into a hotel that was already fully booked.) And why were there so many Americans, I don't know. It's not as if Santorini is a short flight away for them....?

Highlights of the Trip: Jumping off a boat into the sea to swim into the hot springs. A definite surreal moment.

Architecture: There's just something so charming about the white washed houses with blue trimmings - all built on top of the caldera.....

(Above: Scenes from the town of Oia.)

R. complained that I took way too many photos, but if you have a look at these, can you really blame me....?

(Below: Fira by day and night.)