Today, we woke up early and took the 8:00 ferry to Santorini.
Upon arrival, we picked up our rental car — a convertible Smart — perfect for a breezy Santorini adventure. Unfortunately, the skies were overcast and the air surprisingly chilly.
Our hotel, Alti Santorini Suites, sits high on a hill above the port — essentially on the way to anywhere on the island — so we stopped by to check in.
We had originally planned to visit a few beaches, but under this grey sky and with the sea just as dull, the idea quickly lost its charm. Instead, we decided to explore nearby villages.
Our first stop was Pyrgos, where we had lunch at a café called Brusco.
I ordered a platter of traditional Santorinian products, while my husband chose a small fried egg dish from the breakfast/brunch menu.
The platter featured chloro cheese, Santorinian sausage, fava, pickled white eggplant, capers, caper leaves, grolidi, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and tomato paste.
It sounded authentic — but in the end, it felt like a typical tourist sampler. Oh well!
We wandered through the village for a while before climbing up to the castle ruins of Pyrgos. Not the most impressive, but we did come across a curious old gate leading to nowhere — oddly charming in its own way.
With the afternoon still open, we continued on to the nearby village of Megalohori, known for its preserved traditional houses. It turned out to be a delightful place — quiet, beautiful, and deeply Greek in character, yet with a modern, stylish edge that gave it a unique charm.
Back at the hotel, we settled into our private terrace with a sea view and a heated pool, sharing a bottle of Greek red wine as the cloudy day drifted into evening. What a luxurious moment — it was only a pity the weather didn’t match.
For dinner, we didn’t feel like going out and weren’t especially hungry, so we ordered some light snacks to the room: tzatziki and tomato balls. We expected something small, but the portions were huge! Delicious too — and we saved the extra tzatziki for tomorrow in case we get peckish. Despite the weather, it was a quiet and satisfying day. Apparently, the sun will return tomorrow — we fell asleep full of hope and anticipation.
