Santorini

Greece 2013
P000a01 Santorini (classically Thera and officially Thira), the largest island of a small circular archipelago bearing the same name, the remnant of a volcanic caldera;...
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P001b1 ... the precious gem of the Aegean, crescent-shaped Santorini island and its islets Thirasia, Aspronisi, Palea Kameni (hot spring) and Nea Kameni (volcano); is...
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P001c2 ... legend has it that in the ancient times, the island was round in shape and a myth said that Santorini was emerged out of the sea in a miraculous way......
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P001e1 ... the intense volcanic eruption of 1650 BC disappeared about half of the island making it a crescent-shaped, and igneous material (mainly ash, pumice and lava...
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P001e2 ... Palea Kameni (old burnt island), the first to be formed after the Minoan eruption, considerably larger in the past but broke up during the eruptions in...
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P002 Firá, the capital of the island; perched high up on the edge of the Caldera like a marvellous painting...
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P003 ... Fira together with the villages of Oia, Imerovígli and Firostefáni, perching high above the cliffs, make up the so-called “Caldera’s eyebrow”, the balcony...
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P005a1 ... tender boats getting ready to tranport guests from the cruise ship to the ferry port of Athinios, at the west side of Santorini island...
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P006 ... from the Athinios Port terminal, coach buses climbing the cliffy winding road, up to the main road, along a scenic route to Fira, continuing to the...
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P006a01 ... from our seat in the bus... zoom-in view of the caldera where our ship anchored off Nea Kameni near or opposite to Athinios Port, the main ferry port of...
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P007 ... another cruise ship anchored in the lace-like caldera off the old port (Skala pier) below the village town of Fira...
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P007d1 ... from this small old port of Skala, three ways to reach Fira approx 860 ft above sea level... by funicular (cable car); a donkey ride; or hike up 588 steps...
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P007d5 ... close-up view of the funicular and the winding donkey path going up to Fira...
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P007e1 ... the quaint Fira town hanging on the Caldera cliffs...
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P007e5 ... the impressive rock of Skaros, projecting outwards from the village of Imerovigli, as if to break away from the walls of the caldera... one of the most...
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P008 ... zoom-in view of the caldera and the islets from coach bus... tiny Aspronisi on the left between the Palea and Nea Kameni in the center of the Santorini...
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P008a03 ... also zoom-in from the bus... full view of the tiny Aspronisi... small corners of Palea and Nea Kameni on the right...
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P008c01 ... statue of a sad-looking donkey on the roadside of Fira... poor donkey must be very tiring after carrying tourist(s) up to the town back and forth the steep...
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P009 Santorini food and agriculture... vineyards-grape cultivation, chloro cheese (traditional Santorini goat cheese), cherry tomatoes, fava beans, wild caper...
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P009a1 ... Santorini, though small in size, is considered to be a gastronomic destination with some of the finest wineries and restaurants...
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