Island hopping in the Aegean Sea

SANTORINI    I'm the first to admit I wasn't as prepared as I should have been on this trip.  I should have researched further.  The one thing I knew I had to see was the island of Santorini.  Every postcard of Greece that I really liked was of Santorini with its white-washed buildings and blue-trimmed windows and gates.

I normally wouldn't consider first class travel, but I wanted a bed.  No room in the inn.  So, the next twelve hours were not my best moments in Greece.  I "slept" on floor of  the deck.  I wasn't as prepared as the backpackers who surrounded me.  I wasn't prepared at all.  No mat, no sleeping bag, no jacket, no pillow, no sleep.  I used T shirts as a pillow and a towel as a blanket -- and froze.

I arrived at Port Athenas at 8:00 A.M. and found a ride to a hotel just outside of Fira.  I guess every other tourist in Greece saw the same postcards.  Santorini was one of the big four tourist islands and the crowds rivaled the Acropolis.  Fortunately, the island was much more spread out.  In spite of the hoards of tourists, the place was wonderful to see.  I walked it all day.