TRAVEL THROWBACK: SCENES OF SANTORINI

Is there a place you've been to that holds a special place in your heart?

I have a bunch of them -- what can I tell you, I've got an enormous heart!

The island of Santorini is one such place.
My heart goes a-flutter whenever I think about it. 

Santorini was at the top of my bucket list for such a long time.

The many pictures I'd seen of white-washed buildings with turquoise trim,

the purple bougainvillea, the deep blue sea.......

I was itching to go to Greece so badly, I could taste it.

And by taste it, I meant that literally, especially the baklava. 

In June of 2007, I got my chance.

Mr. GS, Junior GS (who was not quite eight years old), 
 Aunt GS and I hopped across the pond.

We started in Athens (read about that here), and then flew to Santorini.

One of the first glimpses of Santorini's breathtaking beauty 

was when we rounded a corner and came upon this view.

The town of Fira is built into the cliffs of a crescent-shaped caldera.

It stole my heart right then and there.

I didn't think I could be more in love...........until dusk fell.

 Looking over the cliff, the view was a different kind of spectacular.

I didn't know a thing about Greek food growing up.

My culinary education in that regard began in college when my friend, Chris, 
who is Greek, shared her mom's care packages of home-cooked meals.

(I told you about her here).

The food in Greece exceeded my every expectation.......
Mousaka, pastichio, dolmades, Oh My!  
The Greek salads, with sweet, ripe, red tomatoes

were as satisfying as a piece of galaktoboureko.

Okay, that's not really true, but they were delicious in their own right.
And I'll take a Greek pastry over Italian or French any day.

The ambiance at every restaurant we went to was picture perfect.
When I'm in Europe, I wish that my stomach was a bottomless pit,
so I could go from restaurant to restaurant all day long, 
to soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy the food.........
without gaining a pound, of course.

For dessert, Santorini serves up eye-candy in the form of bougainvillea,

which grows like crazy all over the island.

I don't think I'd ever go indoors if I lived in one of these houses.

One thing I love about Europe is that you never know what you'll find around each corner.

Sometimes it's ancient ruins, sometimes it's.......

Oh, hello, Donkey-Hotey!

As charming as Fira was, there was a lot more to see on Santorini.

We drove up to the top of a mountain

for a fabulous view of the famed black sand beach, Kamari. 

We had some company up there on the mountain top.

After viewing it from afar, we had to go down to "see level."

 We unknowingly saved the best for last........

On our last night, we went to the town of Oia.

 It is forever etched into my mind how spectacularly beautiful it is.

How is it that some people get to live there........

and I get to live in New Jersey?

\

I love going on throwback vacations..........

Half the fun of traveling is looking at pictures and re-living the trips.

But that always makes me want to go back for real.

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