The magic of Santorini Island, Greece

Greece - Santorini Island (own photo)

Magical Santorini Island (Greece)
Do you like holidays? Do you like planning your trip? Do you enjoy the time spent searching for perfect destination, accommodation and itinerary for your new challenging trip, either domestic or abroad?
Are you dreaming to offer to yourself a new experience?

I think planning your holiday or vacation and traveling are one of the best things in life for all of us, a liberating escape from daily routine, eventually, to a place that we dreamed to visit one day.

And choosing a Greek island, and especially Santorini, as your travel destination, it will make your perfect vacation.

Trips became for me a long time expected escape to a different world where I can be/ act as I really am, no professional standard requirements, no other un-wished interferences etc... and where I can see wonderful things, step on same paths of our ancestors, touch impressive architectural sites, breath in the same spot where centuries or just years ago famous artists were inspired to create, view other people' life thru their eyes in their own place, mingle with them, taste their food, listen to their music and... simply feel like any other citizen of this world...

Choosing magical Santorini island (Greece) as your holiday destination, it will be the perfect option - here you'll find a bit from everything and a lot more unrevealed surprises that will stay in your memories for years.

Now, if you'd like to dream a bit and relax your mind, let's take a virtual tour to Greece (please feel free to read my other lens Thoughts about Greece) and the famous Greek Island - magical Santorini!

"Cafe del Mar" and Santorini Volcano
It happen to have the chance to see some wonderful places in various countries, each one having a special impact on me, with its particular imprint, but I preserved a special feeling for Santorini – my favorite Greek Island – not for the fame but for its unique gathering of little bit from everything… breathtaking!

I remember that when I reached there, seeing so many rocks, drought, dust and donkeys I start wondering if this is that famous and worldwide known island… Then, being there for about 2 weeks, I visited almost any village around during the day and night, went to surrounding beaches (with sand like black pepper – as shape and color – formed from volcanic magma), took the trip to Volcano and, by chance, had the rare opportunity to be there during Volcano festival.

I had a very interesting feeling when, after a long walk around Oia village (Santorini Island) and surrounding ancient Minoan site on a bright sunny day with temperature above 40′C along rocky narrow alleys, I need to relax a bit and enter into the first shadowed bar on the way…

It was the perfect day light to view across the magnificent Santorini Volcano, listening for first time “Café del Mar” (such a delicate background) coming from a hi-tech acoustic system in a very friendly location. It was like that music has been created to represent the island in different fractions of time, sounds and colors.
I cannot describe full sensation in words, was above imagination! Unique!

Santorini - Andreas Alefragis workshop (own photo)

Magical Santorini Island and Greek cycladic art souvenirs
Also, I’ll never forget a young at that time and sort of savage Greek artist, Andreas Alefragis, that owns Goulas Studio, with strong personality and excellent creative imagination having his own workshop with objects from glass and bronze, and several absolutely remarkable pieces.

I was fascinated especially by one of his bronze art crafts representing something between a whale and boat or maybe both in the same time, and I couldn’t find out if he created that object by happening just playing and giving shape to certain quantity of melted metal or he created previously a draft to follow up. In my mind, at that time, I’ve made a sudden connection between that spectacular island, the music listened earlier, the image of volcano, the sea, that whale, and the Atlants…

All those pieces connected as a part of a small Universe, an utopical one, peaceful, friendly…
I’m not sure if it was any cannabis in Santorini burned in the nearby area at that time but, no doubt, it was first time in my life when I had the strange sensation that an object may be alive and has the power to hypnotize… under certain circumstances.

From so many wonderful objects seen in various museums or art galleries along my trips, none of those could replace in my mind that image.

So, when came the time to leave the island… I was unable to move and take my mind away from there for long time after.

Even now, when I need to unwind myself I’m recalling that 3D (or more?) image!

Andreas Alefragis Goulas Studio - greecetraveler.com

Lava and Santorini Volcano
Lava – rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from a volcano. Lava is what magma is called when it reaches the surface.

A couple of years later a famous Greek singer – Alkistis Protopsalti – came out with the song “I lava” (Lava) and its scenic video with Santorini Volcano (knowing the places, that video fascinated me so much and will remain always on the list of “favorite songs”).
To conclude, trips abroad are worth especially if you’ll decide to visit those places that are in your mind.

Just don’t expect much, you may be surprised, humans showing you less but nature showing you even more secret facets of (that) reality that you’re prepared to, so you have to let lose your all senses and enjoy everything!

Alkistis Protopsalti - "I lava"

About Santorini Island
The present-day crescent shape of the island is a consequence of the activity of the volcano in prehistoric times feeding the myth of the lost Atlantis. Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion dated back 3,600 years and which created the current geological caldera; a giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4.3 mi), surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides.

The mild activity of the volcano after this major eruption has built up two small islands within the caldera, Palea and Nea Kameni visited by hundreds of people everyday during the tourist season.

The impressive caldera dominates the west part of the island while the marvelous dry climate and the almost continuous sunshine create year-around conditions which are perfect for observation, photographs and videos under an extraordinary variety of natural lights and colors that give the visitor the exceptional advantage of reaching the interior of the volcano by boat.

Source: Santorini.net

About the Minoan eruption
The Minoan eruption happened around 1645 BC in the Late Bronze Age. It was one of the largest plinian eruptions in younger time. It erupted ca. 30-40 km3 rhyodacitic magma and is ranked VEI=6 (Volcanic Explosivity Index after Simkin and others, 1981). The eruption was followed by collapse of the magma chamber that enlarged an existing caldera.

The height of the plinian eruption column is estimated 36-39 km (Pyle, 1990). It dispersed tephra throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and might have led to global climatic impacts. Its deposits on Santorini consist of up to 50 m thick layers of white pumice and ash.
The eruption destroyed an inhabited and culturally high-developed island which perhaps might be the origin of the Atlantis legend as many scientists believe. Since 1969 excavations near Akrotiri have brought to light an important marine Cycladic town famous for its well-preserved and magnificent wall-paintings.

The Minoan eruption has been studied in detail and described by many authors. Among the most important works are Fouqué (1879), Reck (1936), Bond and Sparks (1976), Pichler and Kussmaul (1980), Pichler and Friedrich (1980), Heiken and McCoy (1984) and Druitt and others (1989).
Source and more info: Decadevolcano

Britannica about Minoan civilization
Minoan civilization, faience: snake goddess faience [Credit: Nimatallah/ Art Resource, New York] Bronze Age civilization of Crete that flourished from about 3000 bc to about 1100 bc. Its name derives from Minos, either a dynastic title or the name of a particular ruler of Crete who has a place in Greek legend.

A brief treatment of Minoan civilization follows. For full treatment, see Aegean civilizations.
Crete became the foremost site of Bronze Age culture in the Aegean Sea, and in fact it was the first centre of high civilization in that area, beginning at the end of the 3rd millennium bc. Reaching its peak about 1600 bc and the later 15th century, Minoan civilization was remarkable for its great cities and palaces, its extended trade throughout the Levant and beyond, and its use of writing. Its sophisticated art included elaborate seals, pottery 

(especially the famous Kamáres ware with its light-on-dark style of decoration), and, above all, delicate, vibrant frescoes found on palace walls. These frescoes display both secular and religious scenes, such as magical gardens, monkeys, and wild goats or fancifully dressed goddesses that testify to the Minoans’ predominantly matriarchal religion. Among the most familiar motifs of Minoan art are the snake, symbol of the goddess, and the bull; the ritual of bull-leaping, found, for example, on cult vases, seems to have had a religious or magical basis.

By about 1580 bc Minoan civilization began to spread across the Aegean to neighbouring islands and to the mainland of Greece. Minoan cultural influence was reflected in the Mycenean culture of the mainland, which began to spread throughout the Aegean about 1500 bc.

By the middle of the 15th century the palace culture on Crete was destroyed by conquerors from the mainland. They established a new order on Crete, with centres at Knossos and Phaistos. Following the conquest, the island experienced a wonderful fusion of Cretan and mainland skills. The Late Minoan period (c. 1400-c. 1100 bc), however, was a time of marked decline in both economic power and aesthetic achievement.
Source: Britannic/Minoan-civilization

Feeling mesmerized by the magic of Santorini, Greece?