Editor’s Pick : ! d r o W e th is e c e e r G
Aahhh… Greece! Yes, the proverbial “bucket list” vacation for so many. I recently made this trip a reality after years of planning, saving, and preparation.
Fran Elsen, Editor-in-Chief of TOPS
The perfect girls’ trip with my daughter and sister was met with much anticipation and excitement. I feel fortunate that I was able to witness such amazing beauty while spending time in a culture known for its laid-back atmosphere, rich history, and ultimate culinary dining experience. We began planning the trip back in late 2018, and the original date was set for June 2020 until Covid hit. We moved everything to this year and I have to say, it was absolutely worth the wait! May and June are the ideal travel times to this glorious country, as the daytime temps are in the low 80s and nights are just cool enough for a very light jacket – if anything at all. It’s also the least crowded, since many Europeans vacation in July and August, making booking excursions and dinner reservations a bit challenging. We knew we wanted to spend the majority of our time on Santorini and experience the lovely white hillside buildings overlooking the dark blue Aegean Sea. There are many villas available for rent, and lots of them have private balconies and pools, like ours did. Book early, as there is a limited number and they fill up quickly. If you want the perfect picturesque views of Greece that you see in all of the photographs, stay in Oia (pronounced Ee-yah). Restaurants and shopping are all within walking distance, and there’s no shortage of either. Oia is considered to be the more “upscale” of the cities in Santorini, and it’s easy to take a short excursion or day trip if you want to visit another nearby city on the island. Once you fly into Athens, you’ll need to arrange to get to Santorini, which you can do by ferry or plane. We opted for the 7-hour ferry for the trip there, so that we could relax and enjoy seeing the other islands along the way. While 7 hours sounds like a long time, it’s truly enjoyable if you book the Business Class option, which will put you on the top floor with lovely comfortable seating and full bar/food service. The price is roughly the same for the flight or the ferry, about €100 (approximately $120 USD). Your luggage stays with you the entire time. Everyone should do this at least once, and then take the quick 35-minute flight on the return trip to Athens. Once on Santorini, we were met by a driver sent by our villa team almost immediately. The 30-minute drive up to the top was easy. When we arrived at our villa, our luggage was quickly whisked away by the staff at Marizan Caves and Villas. We were led to reception, where we got the “lay of the land” and asked to select our 5-course breakfast choice and time of delivery for the next morning. We did this every day, and the food was amazing and delivered with a smile on our balcony overlooking the sea. Be prepared to do A LOT of walking and stair-climbing. Santorini is largely hillside, and walking is the main way to get around. Besides, it’s great exercise, and you’ll be in awe at the beauty everywhere... so you won’t even think about it! Must-Do’s While staying in Santorini: • Book a day or evening boat excursion. Enjoy the day on a semi-private giant catamaran while visiting the Hot Springs, Red Sand Beach, and island volcanos. The
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TOPS in Lexington | July 2021
