The Greek island of Santorini is what heaven is like. Or if it's not, it should be. We arrived by plane at the Santorini airport and were whisked away to our rented cave house at the top of a cliff looking over a panorama of indescribable beauty. Santorini was originally a roundish island until it was reduced to an archipeligo around 1600 BC by one of the most powerful volcanic blasts in history. A huge boulder that was once part of the volcano sits calmly on our terrace. As the result of the explosion, the "Caldera" was formed. It's a bay surrounded by islands, with one low, former volcano in the center. Our cottage clings to the side of a cliff, among many other whitewashed, blue-trimmed cave houses that seem to spill over the edge toward the sea. Leroy and I are staying in an even smaller, separate cottage comprised of one tiny room with a large window overlooking the Caldera. The vew is breathtaking, and we feel incredibly fortunate to be here for four days.
A narrow path winds along the cliff, connecting the villages of Thir and Oia. We are closer to Thira, and can get there easily by foot. Last night we had dinner overlooking the sea in Thira and then wandered back uphill to our home as the sun was setting. We will mostly be relaxing during our days on Santorini. Stephen and Jim are off to a museum, but we've elected to stay at the house this morning, on the terrace. to read and write and draw. Tomorrow we will likely take a boat tour of the Caldera that includes stops at two beaches. I checked the news this morning and was horrified by the loss of life in Oklahoma due to the most recent tornados. What a terrible tragedy. We are praying here for folks back home in the U.S. and expecially today for those affected by the tornados. It was also distressing to read about yesterday's balloon crash in Cappadocia. As we prepared to take off in a balloon there two weeks ago, a rider in our balloon commented that other countries do not allow hot air balloons to be near each other, let along touch. Obviously, better safety measures need to be implemented in Turkey. What a heartbreak, though, for those killled or injured and those who witnessed the accident.
