I got the early bus to Oia, here you will find the many picture postcard images from Santorini. The stunning blue roof on top of the chalk white buildings. The place was deserted which I found very appealing, I think summer would be mental.
Most of the businesses are closed but for me that’s just fine, I had no intention of buying anything, I just wanted to come and see what all the fuss was about. It is a very pretty place and I’m sure living in one of the cliff hugging houses would be just grand. The downside of staying here is that there is no easy way to get your luggage or things to and from civilisation, the narrow passageways and copious amount of stairs certainly look pretty but would soon wear you out. Nevertheless I spent a pleasant hour or so just wandering around and the bonus of winter is that there are no people.
After I got off the bus in Fira I headed straight for lunch and had no choice but to get another bucket of red wine to get me through the day.
I got the bus to Akrotiri, which is where you will find a prehistoric village site which dates back over 2000 years. It was destroyed many moons ago by the huge volcanic eruption that took place here, in fact this island had been shaped by volcanic activity over the years and you can still see quite clearly the remains of the caldera.
I took the bus which was great, comfortable and the drivers here were way more competent than those of Istanbul, it was good to watch the artistry of the gear change combined with the fluid movement of both bus and driver.
The old remains were just that, old walls crumbling and at all angles and it was difficult to see the shape of them and much had been fenced off so you could not get up close and personal. Interesting all the same.
As I discovered to my horror the bus for the way home was not expected any time soon and so I headed off to the main road, five km away. Not that far and it normally would not daunt me, however my ankle is still not 100% but it was good enough to accept this challenge, but walking along the side of a busy main road is not my idea of fun. At least the surface being level did not put too much strain on anything.
I got to the bus stop ten minutes before the bus, great timing and then back home. Its only about two in the afternoon but I’ve had enough for the day, so I bought two kebabs for dinner and headed home for an early evening.
I found a few things to watch on TV after I plugged in my USB drive and then cranked the air con to 30C and settled down. And by the way this hotel is so cold that even running the aircon at this ridiculous temperature it still feels cold, this place might be OK in the heat of summer but in winter it is Baltic.
A lazy start to the day because breakfast begins at 8:30, which is half way through the morning as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t sleep well, it was cold so I’ll get more blankets for tonight.
First thing in the agenda was to get washing done and to check out the lay of the land. I passed three laundry’s that Google proclaimed open, however they don’t open until next month. I found one eventually and then went to the bus station.
I’m going to go to a couple of places on the island and the bus is the easiest and cheapest option. Information sought I headed home via the scenic route taking a few snaps along the way and then I found a small museum and so in I went.
Lots of small exhibits but still worth having a look, I’m always amazed at the skills and ingenuity of the ancients. They mastered skills and created familiar objects but in materials that we would not now consider, I really enjoy these places and when you see how old these items are it’s just mind blowing.
Most things in this museum were over 2000 years old.
It was dark and cold when I left for the airport this morning. As we neared the airport the snow was becoming heavier. I was wanting to leave istanbul and I was hoping that the gods saw to it.
At check in I was very surprised to be told that my bags would not be transferred all the way through to Santorini and that I would have to collect my bag and then check in again all in the space of an hour. I told the guy he was dreaming and he gave me some bullshit story and just let my bag disappear into the system. I argued with him but to no avail.
When we landed I headed to passport control and asked if I could skip the queue and the guy told me I had plenty of time even though there were over 100 passengers waiting in front of me.
I approached him a second time and this time he did a few more sums in his head, counted on his fingers and then told me to go through. My bag was waiting for me, how nice. I ran as fast as my ankle could cope and got checked in once again. Found the gate and even had time for a coffee before we boarded the plane, which was a small 50 seat prop.
Very bumpy take off and landing, the wind and snow had returned and we got our monies worth. All the while the sun is shining but the wind chill would cut you in two. Its only a short flight to Santorini, less than an hour which is good. I have a car picking me up so I’m being quite the jetsetter and I like it. But it’s also expensive.
My driver is there and takes me to my hotel high on the hill, this is going to be a kill or cure moment for me ankle. After about ten minutes or so I head down to find the main street and see what’s what. I get a sim card, and then a kebab
I’m still hungry so I pop into the supermarket and buy a few supplies. I’d passed a small taverna and the menu looked good and there were gas heaters burning so I’m thinking this will do me. Big cubes of meat in a tomato paste with rice and a bucket of red wine and I’m set. I park beside one of the wonderful gas heaters and shed a couple of layers, this is the life. I’ve been looking forward to this part of the journey and I’m actually looking forward to getting back to the house and the car and go sit in my own home, but for now I’m going to indulge on Santorini.
Tomorrow I’ll explore and get my clothes washed. See what’s on offer and check out the buses and the like. The weather is supposed to get slightly warmer but that’s OK as long as the rain and the snow stay away that will be just fine.
The snow was gently falling when I was having breakfast and the sky was heavy. The Bosphorus off in the distance looked like a huge land mass, a large block of grey ice but of course it wasn’t. The seagulls were forever hopeful that one of the guests would brave the weather and give them food, but no one was daft enough.
The wind had died down a little, however the temperature has also dropped. I made my way to Decathlon, the sports store to find some warmer clothes. When I reached Taksim Square I had about a ten minute walk and I was like ice by the time I reached there.
I bought two thermals and two beanies along with a polar pair of gloves and do those gloves make a difference? Yes they do.
Back on the tram and head for home, but first I stopped at the Pudding Shop to have lunch which was absolutely delicious. Beef and veggies wrapped in pastry and barley rice with some kind of butter bean. It didn’t last long.
Back to the hotel. The sun is beginning to shine and the snow continues to fall but it won’t come to much at the moment and I’m hoping it stays that way because I’m flying in the morning to Santorini.
I’ve not got much more to do here. I’ve popped out for coffee and I might have a snack but lunch might get me through till the morning but I’ll not be able to have breakfast because it does not begin until 8 am and I’ll need to be on my way by 7:30.
If I can find A Danish and a banana that will hit the spot.
It’s bitter this morning, at breakfast the seagulls seemed to be suffering. One of the other guests took pity on them and braved the elements to give them a bit of cake which they duly demolished.
The sky is full and grey this morning, such a difference to yesterday when the Shepherds warning was there. The rain is steady and it looks baltic. I check the weather forecast and it says real feel – 3C, I did not expect this and I’m regretting not buying the desert head gear that I could have gotten in Jordan.
Not sure what to do today because it’s pissing down and I’m not too keen on going too far. Google tells me it’s 8 minutes to the Archaeological Museum which will no doubt be closer to half and hour for me as I hobble along. Mind you it’s only really my ankle that is swollen now, the rest of my foot is looking and feeling not too bad and my black and blue toes are looking resplendent.
I go to the museum and the heating is off, so it’s not much better inside than out, well at least it’s not raining. After an hour of wandering my core temp is dropping and I’m almost shivering whilst looking at some of the incredible things on show.
I head straight to the Pudding restaurant that I went to yesterday and got soup and goulash accompanied by cooked barley instead of rice…. It was great and brought my core back to normal.
What to do next? I opt for the double decker bus city tour, well at least I can sit and watch the world go by without being cold and wet. Initially I listened to the commentary but it sounds so clinical and the reader sounds bored and I’m not really bothered if the Sultans of Swing built this mosque or not and so I replace their headphones with mine and listen to some sounds as we drive around this huge city in the rain.
We crossed a very high suspension bridge and the wind is blowing a gale and I’ve been in a similar situation years ago cruising over the flyover at Glasgow Airport in KSD92W, my trusty Volvo Decker. At one point I had the steering wheel almost half a turn facing into the wind just to keep the bus in line and on top of this I had the foot planted on the floor to get off that bridge as quick as possible but not our driver, she thought it would be more responsible to put on her hazard lights and sit on about 40 kph….what the fuck, this is only prolonging this dangerous situation. No sense of adventure or maybe just no sense!
There seems to be much and many other things to do in Istanbul, however the three or four things I wish to see will be sufficient for me for this trip, the weather is definitely playing its part in this decision but I also don’t want to walk too far here….. there are a lot of cobbles and uneven surfaces which are just just waiting to pounce. Tomorrow I’ll go to the Haigh Sophie and wait in the queue wrapped up like the Michelin Man as the snow falls about āļø
Today I went to the Ayasofya Mosque which happens to be one of the most important buildings in Istanbul. Its been a church a mosque and then a church again and now it is once again a mosque and I’m sure that’s the way it will stay.
Building started in the 6th century and old Justinian had a hand in this place as well. It was known as Constantinople back then because the emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman empire here because he thought that this new religion called Christianity would be good for him at the polling booth. He is the reason why the Christian myth travelled so far and so wide.
The same hypocrisy and nuance in politics and in life is no different today, time does not seem to altered man’s greed for power or for money for that matter. Mind you the legacy that’s been left in stone is quite remarkable, and the legacy left in the psyche is still very troubling.
I would have liked to explore every nook and cranny but I guess for security and preservation us mere plebs only have access to the ground level. There are even Viking Runes inscribed on the upper level where one of them more or less wrote “Kilroy was here” They travelled far and wide those old Vikings.
So the Ayasofya was today’s goal, I am not going to go anywhere else today. I’ve been for lunch in between snow showers and my umbrella has survived a tree branch falling on it and also the wind trying to morph it into a piece of art and so I’m in the hotel foyer just now sitting under a very old fashioned and extremely non green heater that is suspended from the roof. I really don’t know where to go or what to do and I’d rather be a wee bit warmer sitting in a comfy chair which just happens to be very similar to the one that the Spanish Inquisition used in Monty Python.
Oh and the pictures don’t really do this place any justice, it’s an incredible space.
I got picked up from the airport in a very large van limo and it even had an electric door and very plush seats. It took around an hour or so to get to the hotel, good choice to get picked up.
The guy on the desk was very friendly and I was soon checked into my room. As it turned out it was a bit noisy so I swapped it for a smaller quieter room today.
Breakfast was great and watching the sun come up whilst looking at the Haigh Sophie is an experience indeed. On the balcony there were many big seagulls, I’d forgotten just how big these buggers are.
It’s cold, only 4C, I’m really glad I got me new coat which seemed to gain quite a bit of attention when I was oot and aboot. After a late start to the day I made my way to the Cistern Basilica which was built nearly 1500 years ago by Justinian. It’s a massive underground space and it’s so majestic.
It’s held up with 32, 9 metre columns in a space which is 138 metres x 65 metres. It’s a beautiful, stunning work of art where engineering and design have come together to create a functional piece of art. Oh and it took 38 years to complete.
The weather and my foot are making things a bit uncomfortable and so I will be staying close to home but most of the things I want to see are within a kilometre radius.
Such an excellent, stunning, dare I say unique creation and yet so many folk….. mostly young girls, stand posing and go though various poses and then move to the next vantage point and not one of them seemed to take in what was in front of their eyes. It’s such a sad indictment of the times we live in. The virtual is more important than reality……….
At the security check I saw a young girl in front of me, the security asked her to remove her shoes which she did with great difficulty. She too had a dodgy ankle.
When the plane landed at Amman I saw her and I asked her what had happened and it turns out that she also twisted her ankle at Little Petra whilst walking on the same track as I had attempted, mind you we were in different places and slightly different circumstances. I guess Little Petra is a place to be wary of if you ever decide to visit.
Last night in the hotel the noise was dreadful, the noise of the boats playing music, the car horns, the music from cars and the inconsiderate bastards that were talking till 5 am in the street. Even though my room was on the fifth floor the noise just carried as if they were outside the door, so not a good last night. Mind you my foot looked way better this morning.
The swelling is still going down and my ankle on the right side of my foot, which is still quite ugly looking, but I can see a big difference. As I put on the anti inflammatory cream it was easier to touch and I also noticed some definition coming back, I could see the veins on the top of my foot and it just felt better.
I wrapped my bandage around my ankle and kept it high on my calf so that it would be more cushioned against my boots. As I struggled to put on my big thick socks I suddenly got this strong feeling of Deja Vu, I was instantly transported to a point in time somewhere months ago where I had seen this moment before.
I’m happy to be leaving Jordan and moving on although the news this morning about Turkey not being happy because some European countries have been burning the Koran is a worry, so I hope I don’t encounter any problems in Istanbul. I should have taken my Scottish shirt with me.
I’ll get picked up at the airport again because the airport is quite far out and because of my ankle it seemed the sensible thing to do.
I do feel that I would like to pause my travel and have a break and come back to it in about a week. One week at home to recharge the mind and body. It’s exhausting being a tourist at times, especially and injured one.
