Heaven On Earth

The panoramic view is breathtaking and the incredible peace at the edge of the volcanic cliff or caldera (rim) was simply astounding and mesmerizing. There is nothing like this on the planet and as a person who has seen some awesome views all over the world, I have to admit this is the best of the best. I think DaVinci and I could have sat here hypnotized for months without moving. We agreed to comeback to this divine spot on our fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Pictures of course, can not capture it because it is such an expansive view and also part of the experience
is energetic I think. I was as astounded by the profound peace as much as the view and the utter stillness.
I found it fascinating that a place with such a violent history (albeit in prehistoric times) of a volcano exploding and destroying most of the island (turning a round island into a crescent shaped one) could now be so very still.

Perhaps mother earth’s giant orgasm that erupted here (and possibly destroyed Atlantis as some say or the rich Minoan society), created such a peace with the ocean overtaking so much of what was once the island and the circle now including a new active volcano in the center and a few newer islands. Even all the cruise ships and tourists that come here can not take away that deep tranquility, especially at a private place like Volcano Villas where we stayed two days and one night to celebrate DaVinci’s birthday again more properly.

“Brotherleelove” from Fodors forums (who is an expert on Greece) suggested Volcano Villa to us and I can not recommend it high enough as we loved it. (www.volcanovillas.com/gr) There is not a better view on the island and the price is very reasonable and much better than most places with such a view as some go as high as over five hundred euros a night. It is just outside of Oia, so much more quiet than most places and a delicious breakfast comes with the room (as well as a kitchenette). Mostly it is very silent and still, but even with the kids playing at the pool, the peace was over riding and the giggles just punctuating the bliss.

The pool was built like the shape of the island and Mozart had a blast playing in it. Here we met some Americans and a woman from Dallas, Texas when we arrived. She gave Mozart a blow up colorful air mattress that she had bought here and could not take home, which thrilled her to no end and became her
new favorite toy for “surfing” the pool and jumping onto or off of.

Then she met twin eight year old boys from Marin county California in the pool to share her raft with and they had lots of fun playing together. Their parents had been enchanted by the island fifteen years earlier and enjoyed sharing the experience as a family and soaking up some of the peace. There is always a nice breeze in Santorini, which helps with the endless heat of summer on the Greek Islands, but also gets the kids cold when they come out of the pool. So one of their favorite spots was under the nearby showers letting the warm water pour over them to heat them up again. Funny sight.

We all got to swim together too (as we also do in the pool at the campground) and that is something that Mozart really loves. She loves hotels of any kind, so just hanging out in the room was fun for her too and we all loved the views and using our binoculars to take a closer look at the sailboats, yachts and cruise boats that look like toys from this high perspective. It was a loft style with a kitchen so we got fresh strawberries and pistachios and other yummy munchies to enjoy on the two large terraces.

Oia is known for its beautiful sunsets so of course, we could not miss that and I have enough beautiful shots of sunsets there and on Satorini to fill several blog entries. Mozart and I also enjoyed the sunrise
too as she woke up much earlier than usual despite going to bed late since she was so excited.

The misty morning has a different kind of appeal, but is another sweet facet of the caldera. There was a circle of low clouds making a fluffy ring with mountain peaks dodging out in places glowing in the rose and golden colors of dawn. The caldera was still wrapped in a mysterious nebulous glow when we had our delicious breakfast by ourselves on the patio with homemade orange juice, bread and an extra creamy yogurt with honey.

As the sun came out, I took in the beauty of this place, felt the serenity and I thought that this is what I would imagine heaven to look like. In one of Mozart’s favorite book about St George, there is a passage about an ethereal city of another world sitting above the mountains and this feels a little like that description. It is interesting that all my favorite spots on the planet (the baths at Esalen, and Post Ranch
Inn in Big Sur, Chi Chi’s near Puerta Vallarta and this place) are very peaceful, high on a cliffside with expansive ocean and mountain views and with a pool or hot tub to luxuriate in the sun and stunning
sunsets and sunrises.