Ferry Athens to Santorini

Today we got the Blue Star Ferry Naxos to Santorini Island. The trip took approx 6 hours which is why this ferry is more like a small cruise ship. It has economy and first class and therefore separate first class and economy lounges, about 500 airseats which are big seats like you are in a plane but with a lot more room. There are also cabins on board for those who want to sleep during the trip in private and a cafe/bar, a separate bar upstairs and a small restaurant which is a little like McDonalds but sells burgers, pitas, spaghetti and salad.

During our boat ride we made friends with a Canadian couple in their early 50's sitting behind us called Ron and Penny. They are a lovely couple: one a fire chief and the other a nurse. They travel regularly and are full of great tips. We are going to meet up tomorrow and either do a tour or perhaps hire a hire car around the island.

When we got into Santorini's port this afternoon the views from the boat were spectacular. We also saw where the cruise ship hit the rocks and sank back in April.

The bus ride up to Fira (which is the main city in Santorini) was a zigzag up the side of the hill. We were told that it only rains in Santorini 5 days a year so there isn't a lot of greenery around. We were also told that majority of people on the island are not residents. Basically the island is only open for approx 6 months of the year during the warmer months. A lot of the people that work on the island live in Athens for the other 6 months.

Our hotel is a B&B. The room has a big bed with a little bit of a canopy and the roof is domed. The floor is all marble. We can see the water from the front door of our room and we have a balcony that overlooks the pool and looks up the road to some other hotels.

This afternoon we walked up into the town of Fira (we are just on the outskirts). All the streets are cobbled in the square and there are lots of places to eat. There are also heaps of scooter, quad bike and car hire places. There seem to be just as many people as there are vehicles here.