A jolt here and there, but nothing significant, as our flight from Thessaloniki glided to a smooth landing on the island of Santorini. Viraj (our 7 year old) was especially excited as the plane was landing on a volcano.
We had decided to spend a night in Imerovigli, before shifting to 2 nights at Oia, primarily due to some comments on message boards that the town had a more laid back charm, and a great view of Oia to boot. In hindsight, three full nights in Santorini is overkill, no matter what your interests are – you are better off spending a few extra nights somewhere else in mainland Greece.
As we approached our hotel and got out of the cab we were greeted by strong gusts and a few drizzles. It was more brutal than the tip of Twin Peaks on a cold San Francisco summer evening. Was this the Santorini people crave?
A spectacular sunset was unfolding, and blue hour approaching fast as I unpacked and planted my tripod in the hotel room patio. For the next half hour, I struggled keeping things steady in the turbulent wind, even after sneaking the tripod inside our room, while trying to marvel at the awe-inspiring sunset taking place over the glowing town of Oia at the edge of the caldera in the distance.
The view from Imerovigli was fabulous. The weather, photographically, was amazing. But our troubles were inverted soon enough. The clouds parted overnight, winds halted to a standstill, and the heat index went through the roof. We spent the next two days getting roasted on the marble streets of Oia.
