Santorini: Day 2

{ Kamari Beach, Santorini- heaven }

                Our first full day on the island and we couldn’t wait to get to the beach! We had some prior business to take care of before we swam in Mediterranean bliss. If you remember, I mentioned here, that our hotel was quite a ‘surprise’. The grounds were meticulously kept and of course there was the million dollar view. .. no, billion. However, our specific hotel room was horrific! We had spoken to the hotel prior to our arrival and agreed on a price for the duration of our trip: highly recommended.

                Side note- often times, your stay could include a change into high season and you could be up-charged without even knowing it. Always have something in writing confirming the price; otherwise it will be highly unlikely for the hotel to offer the discount themselves. Trust me.

                We had also mentioned that it was our honeymoon and anything additional that they could do, would be much appreciated. We were placed in a two bedroom apartment-like room. The bed had a hole in it where the mattress would fall into; the toilet didn’t flush (how romantic) and there were fruit flies in the shower. Sure, some would say ‘stop being a princess’ and ‘tough it up’ but this was not worth our money. We finally complained and spoke to the manager where we were moved into a villa that was clean and functional. Remember, it’s ok to complain and ask for something better. This is your hard-earned money you are spending after all, so don’t be afraid to say something. Do remember, to always be polite but stand your ground when necessary. Got that?

{ Our upgraded room }

{ The view from our new balcony- not so bad… }

                Ok good. Enough about our initial shock and disappointment- more about the good stuff.  We enjoyed the hotel’s breakfast overlooking this….

{ The view from breakfast }

{ Fabulous cactus }

                Amazing, I know. The food was delicious, and with stuffed bellies we were ready to head down to the beach. Petar’s parents were conveniently staying at a hotel right on the water and there we lounged for the entire day. I didn’t promise much excitement this portion of the trip; our main purpose was to recharge and spend time with the family, and so we did.  Beach chairs and umbrellas are not free; a general charge of 5 – 10 euros for the day can be expected.  If you are guests at a beach hotel, this price is included in your room charge. Grab a book and a fresh-squeezed juice and bunker down, you have a tan to work on. Also, please note- it is very rare to find sand beaches in Greece. Best case scenario…small pebbles. Otherwise, most beaches are rocky. We bathed on Kamari Beach, one of the black beaches on the island. Since Santorini is what’s left after the volcanic eruption almost 4000 years ago, you can find all sorts of colored beaches- red, white and black.

                We played Uno, a game I rarely travel without, swam, tanned and even napped. I stocked up on my favorite Greek sunscreen, Carroten.  The Mediterranean sun can be strong and for those of you without olive skin, can burn quickly. It gives you that deep golden tan everyone yearns for and the protection you need. And the Greeks take their sunscreen seriously… clearly.

{ Sunscreen like candy }

                 The water and sun can make a girl hungry. For dinner we made our way over to a small Creperie, surprisingly popular in Greece, and indulged in fresh salad, crepes and pizza! Vacations are also a break from all diets! Amen.

– Y

{ Dinner with the family after a long day soaking up the sun }

{ Brotherly love }