The Mesa Vouno Mountains are a backdrop for Kamari, the village where I’m staying on the island of Thira. Ancient Thera is Santorini’s historical city on top of the Mountains, where sweeping views of the Aegean Sea are fantastic!
Thera History
Dorian colonists from Sparta founded the ancient city in the 9th century B.C. and inhabited it until the early Byzantine period. Archaeological excavations are ongoing at the site and it’s closed to visitors on Mondays.
Ruins
The route to Ancient Thera snakes up Mesa Vouno Mountains through steep, winding cobbled streets. The city is on top on the crest of the mountain. So far, the ruins uncovered are from Hellenistic-Roman times. They show Thira was a flourishing city with temples, public buildings, a theater and agora, shops, quarters with residences, a network of roads, and a sewage system.
Views and Wildflowers
It was hot, so I caught a bus to the base of the site and then walked uphill to the entrance and followed the rough stone pathway through the complex. It took about two hours to complete the tour. Despite the heat, there were colorful wildflowers along the trail and breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea!
Athens Next
Tomorrow I leave Santorini and the Greek Islands for Athens. It will be a big change. It finally dawned on me that the missing piece between Turkey and Greece is no Muslim call to worship. So far I haven’t seen any mosques. Started my travels in Istanbul and after several months in Turkey, where 99 percent of the population is Muslim, I grew accustomed to hearing the call to worship throughout the day.
My hotel in Santorini has great cable and Al Jazeera comes in clearly so I can get caught up on world news – maybe a mistake. The Three Stooges are popular here, and you can almost always find one of their movies on cable TV – still laughing about that.