While the wedding was definately the highlight of our trip to Santorini we did get a few other things acomplished as I mentioned in the previous post;
We’ve been in Santorini since Saturday and everything has been perfect so far; we�ve been sailing around the caldera (the volcano), to a 60th birthday party in an authentic Greek taverna complete with belly dancer and baglamas music, swum out to an island church and watched the sunset from the most perfect patio on the planet.
Let’s start with sailing around the caldera on a 41 foot catamaran. Ted and his wife Deena as well as their ‘trainee’ crew (Deena’s pregnant so they’re going to have to go shoreside for a bit) took us sailing around the island, showing us not only the beaches that you can reach by land but also a few that are only accessible by boat as well as the Indian rock and the ‘hot’ springs. I put hot in quotes as they were really luke warm springs at best (the water was about 16c in the caldera generally and might have gotten up to 17 or 18 in the spring). However the views from the sea were to die for, the lunch was extraordinary (take it from someone who has tried to cook on a Force 10 BBQ and a 2 burner galley stove at sea that these folks worked miracles with prawns and other fresh seafood aboard ship) and the crew was always ready with a cold drink and an insightful explanation about what we were seeing.
I’d highly recommend these folks (http://www.santorinisailing.com) 
to anyone who is lucky enough to find themselves in Santorini.
On the cruise we were also lucky enough to have great company, particularly Steve who was celebrating his 60th birthday and joined us along with his friend Ruthie on our swim to the hotsprings. Later that day Steve called to invite us to his birthday bash at Santorini Mu. Santorini Mu is an authentic Greek Taverna complete with baglamas (a kind of greek ukalele) music by Michaledes and as a treat for Steve’s birthday the island’s top belly dancer. We had a great evening with Steve, his wife Jeanne; their friends Ruthie and Dov and of course Alex. Alex is the owner of the towns best jewlery shop (Oro) (and we hear a pretty good hotel as well) who had arranged the party and polished off a bottle of wine with us while cleaning Ali’s ring before escorting us to the party. Alex is on the left and Steve on the right in the first shot below.
We also spent alot of time exploring the great shops and galleries in Oia and of course took a swim out to the island church from Oia’s own beach.
We also spent alot of time on the fabulous patio of Pelicanos which had great beer and better views…
On our next to last day we borrowed Tony’s Peugeot (cabriolet no less) and headed for the black sand beach on the other side of the island.
I’ve mentioned the view right?
Well the only thing that surpassed the views was the service, great food and great wine we got everytime we turned around from the Sea Captain’s House and their restaurant’s Ambrosia and Ambrosia & Nectar. Tony, Antonio, Simona and Lilly; all of you were a key part of making this one of the best weeks Ali and I have ever had.
When we woke up yesterday back in London the first thing Ali said to me, still half asleep was “Where’s Simona?”, wondering how she was going to make it through the day without breakfast served with a smile at “our place”.
Cheers,
Mark & Ali
P.S. Happy (belated) Birthday to Amanda and Happy (a little early) Birthday to Joanne…
P.P.S Even our exit from Oia was ‘post card’ perfect. Our bags were taken to the cab by this four legged porter…
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