Bonnie's conflicting emotions

Enjoy a special guest post from Bonnie today:

Santorini, Greece is an island of contradictions. The views of the Aegean Sea, the purple and pink bougainvillea flowers, and the landscape of the Caldera are spectacular. Volcanic mountains drop into the ocean while iconic blue and white buildings cluster in the towns. However, we discovered numerous stray cats on the island and we missed the luxury of American plumbing. We have plenty of problems in the US, but we have nailed plumbing. Clean drinking water – while unconscionably missing in several major cities – is under-appreciated.

Santorini caters to a younger crowd, with a busy nightlife, numerous souvenir shops, destination wedding venues, and professional photographers everywhere. It also has a deep water port for cruise ships. The young clientele and the ships remind me of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Beautiful views, but David and I didn't fully fit in.

Santorini business owners frequently relocate to Athens for the winter, while tourists typically feed the cats. Sadly, not all cats are spayed or neutered and some may not survive the winter without the restaurants and tourists. We also saw mini-trains of donkeys connected by ropes carrying heavy loads up the steep climb from the old port to the city of Fira. Until the next rain, watch your step! The Santorini Animal Welfare Association works to protect the stray animals on the island, but need more donations.

Part of our challenge in Santorini was our Airbnb. Knives are notoriously bad in Airbnbs, so I always bring my best chef's knife and paring knife to help prep meals in our kitchens. I actually look forward to creating meals with ingredients found in local markets. Upon arrival, we discovered that we could not use the cooktop and we needed to pivot from our usual rhythm. The bathroom was even worse, but I'll spare you the details. The short-term rental properties have contributed to a serious housing crisis on several Greek islands. Last year, new short term permits were frozen for Santorini in hopes of addressing the problem.

On our last day, we hiked along the coast and over a mountain from Fira to Oia. It was picturesque and secluded. At the island's narrower spots, we could see the water on both sides. The western facing edge has steep cliffs that drop off into the water; to the east is flatter with a few beach resorts. The hike provided the peace and beauty we both crave. Tired and muddy, we had a leisurely rooftop Mediterranean lunch of grilled sea bass and vegetables before exploring the city and hauling our weary legs onto a bus for the ride back to Fira heading home.

By the numbers:

6 miles, the hike from Fira to Oia, with a climb equal to about 45 flights of stairs

1,000+ annual destination weddings in Santorini

5,000+ stray cats on the island

6,000 islands (approx.) in the archipelago of Greece, with less than 300 inhabited

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