We got going a little bit earlier today than yesterday in order to catch an earlier bus to Thira. After another nice breakfast, we walked down to the Kamari bus stop and waited for the bus. In Thira, we switched to the bus to Akrotiri. Though worried the bus would drop us in town, after dropping people off in a few small towns, the bus actually stopped right at the archaeological site. We headed into a large, covered active site. The ancient village had been covered with ash from the volcano and is still being excavated – some suggest it is the lost city of Atlantis!
After visiting the site, we had a relaxing snack in the cafe, then decided to walk to the Red Beach. It was much further down the road than we thought. And then up a path. And then down a cliff. But we made it to the beach! The water was cold, but we enjoyed relaxing on the “red” pebbles for a while before making the hike back up the cliff and down the path. We stopped in the tourist shop for cold drinks before making our way back to the bus stop. Five minutes before the bus came, Chloe decided she had to pee. And it got worse. So bad that we had to jump off the bus in Pyrgos instead of making it all the way to Thira. She ran to the closest cafe and begged for a restroom. She made it – whew. Camille and I bought a baklava at the cafe while Chloe using the facilities.
So now we were in Pyrgos with no idea what to do. The driver had yelled that the bus would be back at 5:45, so we decided to explore the city while we waited for the next bus to come through. Finally, we got back on the bus (and had to pay another 5 EUR fare) to Thira. In Thira, the girls were tired and hungry. We stopped at the first taverna we found. We had fava, greek salad, spaghetti and drinks as we watched the sun set over the caldera. I asked for the check quickly so we could get the bus to Kamari, but we missed it by five minutes anyway. The girls took advantage of this mishap to do a little shopping, then we took a taxi back to the hotel.
Elsa came running out to meet us when we arrived. We arranged for a ride to the airport and settled our lodging bill before going up to clean up, pack and go to bed. 4:45 was going to come very soon.
