Day 11 - BA5 takes the lead

In Santorini today!!!

7/2/22 - Saturday - Day 3 on cruise

Mom booked the Lets Take a Selfie in Santorini excursion for the second departure, which means we don’t have to be at the Manhattan Room [Deck 7 Aft] until 1:30. Around 11:30, Mom, L. and I leave our cabin in search of food, which is the exact time the Garden Buffet shuts down to prepare for lunch. Fortunately, Savor is open. As usual, S&M are MIA - I have no idea where they are - but when the three of us reach Savor, we find S&M at the restaurant, finishing breakfast. Breakfast is over and only lunch menus are available so that’s what we order. S&M stay for a bit, then leave for their cabin. The food is very good - unfortunately, I forgot to log my meals so have no idea what I ordered.

Back to our cabin to make sure we have our excursion tickets and then all of us make our way to the Manhattan Room. It’s packed, but at least the five of us have our own table. In general, excursions are typically confusing and chaotic - wait here, go there, listen for your group number to be called…get in line…No!, not that line!…you’re supposed to be in this line…etc. Today is no exception. The Manhattan Room is one of three complimentary restaurants on the ship and we decide to meet here for dinner tonight.

The first few minutes at our table, I hear it…the sound of consistent coughing coming from the far right side of the restaurant. I put my mask on. For the rest of the trip, I will wear my mask at every meeting place and any time I’m on public transportation- L. does most of the time, as well - especially when we’re riding in hermetically sealed busses.

We take a tender to shore where the busses are waiting, then, driving, driving, driving. I’m shocked to see that the foliage, mountains, etc., along the route, look just like the 14 freeway en route to Tehachapi. Where’s the blue, crystalline water that everybody is always talking about?

For context, Santorini, Greece, is ONE of five islands in the Aegean Sea, forming a loose circle around a volcano named “Colombo.” As an aside, the entire island of Santorini AND Thera comprise ONE municipality [the aforementioned Santorini], but it is carved into TWENTY villages; the remaining three islands are not inhabited. Today’s excursion includes visits to the two main tourist traps..er…villages: Fira and Oia.

Our first stop is the Domaine Sigalas winery, located in Oia. The wine tasting is held outside, under a sizeable pergola, and a sweet red, a chardonnay, and two sparkling wines are featured. I hate red wine, but this particular label is quite good. My brother gets as many refills as possible for each selection. Fresh bread is served with a wonderful homemade tomato sauce and olives. L. and I love this place! We meet a nice couple at our table - also from the US - and their son is in college and majoring in engineering, similar to Alex, although NOT computer engineering.

From here, we take the bus through winding one-way roads, making their way through cliffs (dangerous drive!!), to Fira, the capital of Santorini, where all the shopping is located. Picture ghetto Olvera Street in Los Angeles…now picture Fira the nice, clean, Greece version, everything painted white, with blue trim, no trash, and overlooking the beautiful Aegean Sea from all sides. It’s so beautiful here…but crowded.

Buildings are painted white because a dictator, in 1937, ordered the Greek citizenry to whitewash their homes with limestone, a disinfectant, in an attempt to combat the cholera outbreak that was wreaking havoc on the country. Later, in the 60s, a right-wing, military dictatorship staged a coup and mandated that all buildings be painted white and blue - the colors of the national flag - because they thought it showed patriotism.

Whatever the reason, the color scheme looks great!

S&M set off on foot, alone, in search of a “linen shirt” for my brother. Mom, L.., and I stop at a coffee shop, then move in and out of the stores, on a steady incline, over slippery cobble stones, a true hazard. It’s hot here, but it’s a dry heat. I said this earlier, but L. and I are largely acclimated to Italy and Greece weather on account of not having central air conditioning for almost a month. At one point, L. wanders into a store run by a female shopkeeper with a dog named “Boring” resting at the owner’s feet. She sees a pair of $1200 earrings she would like to own but I tell her to keep moving! I buy two coasters for my living room back home.

As we’re heading back to the bus, “Nick”, from A/C Clinic calls to let me know that he has replaced the condenser. L. Zelles the money to her boyfriend, T., who has been at the house the entire time during the repair, and T. pays Nick. T. reports that cold air is, in fact, coming out of the vents. Of course it’s wonderful that we finally have AC, but am I really supposed to be grateful to this asshole for finally repairing it, after he gave me the runaround for 30 days? Having to wait this length of time and experiencing the HORRIBLE customer service from both First American and A/C Clinic overshadows the fact that my air conditioner is finally working. May Nick rot in hell. Spoiler Alert: When I return home, the only invoice I have received from this company is lying on the counter. It reads simply: “Non-covered cost to replace the condenser. Paid by cash.”  $1020   Dated: 7/2/22.

The bus takes us to Oia, our last destination, so we can see the Church of Panagia Platsani. It’s…okay. We have to walk up a steep hill to get to the square where the church is located and there’s a nun inside, telling us to cover our shoulders. It’s still hot and my energy is lagging. S&M materialize [they found the linen shirt my brother wanted and my Mom picked up the tab] and, as a family, we stop at an ice cream parlor and have gelato. When I order, the employee behind the counter - I think he’s the owner - winks at me, although I have no idea why. The gelato is amazing…the bathroom is disgusting. It consists of one outdoor toilet, filled with gnats. Picture a gross outhouse.

We finish our gelato and make our way back to the bus. TWO people have begun coughing and they continue to do so the rest of the ride back. I mask immediately and fall asleep on the ride back to the harbor. It’s just as well because this is a treacherous bus ride…breaking for a squirrel could send us over the cliff…and I don’t need to see it.

We tinder back to the ship and decide to try the Manhattan Room for dinner at 7:00, about an hour away. I sit on the balcony and read With Teeth, then get ready for dinner. We walk to the Manhattan Room as a family and I like the vibe of this restaurant! There’s a dance floor and live music - the food is wonderful! Incredibly, S&M went straight to the pool after our “Selfie in Santorini” excursion [talk about high energy levels] and found “The Grotto”, which is supposed to be a hip and trendy section of the larger pool that I’ve heard people reference on cruise. Dinner, dessert, then return to our cabin.

I liked Santorini…there are beautiful things to see on this island.