Last stop on our honeymoon...Santorini, Greece! We took a flight from Rome to Athens. From there, it was just a short flight (about 50 minutes) to Santorini. Our hotel highly recommended that we set up a ride from the airport to the hotel with their shuttle. The airport in Santorini is VERY small and taxi service is scarce. We're so glad that we did arrange something beforehand, because there were only 2-3 taxis in the front of the airport. The other 20 or so drivers were holding up signs for their future passengers. From the airport, it was about a 30 minute drive to our hotel in Oia.
When we arrived to the entrance of the town of Oia, a porter was already waiting for us. We were not only amazed at how he could carry all of our luggage at the same time, but also how he could carry the luggage up and down the steep steps of our hotel in one trip. This was the entrance to our hotel (Atrina Canava Traditional Houses). We were pleased to find that Atrina was in a good location (not in the crowded part of town, but close enough to walk to everything) and their customer service was impeccable.
As you can see, they paid very close attention to detail. This complimentary bottle of wine and rose petals were waiting for us, along with a hand-written note congratulating us on our recent nuptials.
Trail of rose petals leading to the bed
The pure white walls complimented the blue bathroom to bring together the trademark colors of the Greek Cycladic islands.
Our large open bathroom with a rainfall shower.
A nice seating area by the windows and a small kitchen (stove-top, sink, and refrigerator.)
Our private balcony with another stunning view
The view to the left of our balcony, you can see the pool lit up (lower center)
The view to the right of our balcony
The pool at Atrina
After we unpacked, we took a walk through the town of Oia. Lots of shops, boutiques, and restaurants to choose from.
All of the restaurants and hotels had marvelous views
The Church of Panagia Platsani. During the day, this square is filled with vendors and musicians.
in the distance, you can see Fira (another town in Santorini) lit up at night. In a future blog post, I will document our hike from Fira back to Oia.
Assyrtiko is a white wine grape that is indigenous to the island of Santorini. This became a favorite of ours during our stay in Santorini. Maybe it was the nostalgia of being on this balcony with my favorite person that made it so special. One thing's for sure, we found this exact bottle once we arrived back home and will be saving it for our one-year anniversary. Maybe the view won't be as great, maybe the taste won't even be as appealing, but the memories of our first year together will be reason to celebrate.