Santorini-Weekend of Sept. 26th.

This week was spent in my studio classes with critiques. I think they went really well, and in interrelated media class they stemmed great conversations. No class Friday, time to go to Santorini!

Santorini was beautiful. It's an island (or series of islands, i think 3), that comes out of the sea and almost touches the sky. The coast is very small because huge cliffs go straight down into the water. The towns that we visited hang on the edge of the cliffs making for spectacular views, and "Greece moments". It's about halfway between Athens and Crete. And Crete is halfway between Athens and Egypt. So lots of history in this area.

So, on the ferry en route to Santorini, I wake up from a nap and leave my nook that I've been hanging out for most of the trip to go walk around the boat. I come across a wild bunch. It's Ben, Moshe, Sarah (our teachers/leaders) along with Amanda, Annie, Ty, Libby, and Caitlin sitting at a table full of empty and half empty beer bottles. They are laughing it up and having a great time. I wipe the tired off my face and have a seat with them, then they throw drinks at me. Really, a beer someone got nice and warm but decided not to finish.

Sarah, Ben, and Moshe having gotten drunk on the boat made for great entertainment. We depart the ferry and Ben's drunkeness calls for a new method of head-counting. We pile in some busses and then wind up the cliffs. The road up these cliffs is amazing. I decide if I ever want to die or if I go insane I will come back here with my skateboard. We drive to the town of Fira, where our hotel is for the next few days. A really beautiful hotel. The teachers want us to meet up before we leave for a brief meeting, so I kill a little time with them before the meeting. Ben offers me a beer, and me and Moshe jump onto a roof. In the meeting they same some things that are really "profound"

and then we go as group into the town so Sarah can give us some orientation. Then we're set loose to wander around but we have to meet back at the hotel to go to dinner at 7:30. I wander around alone, taking it all in, exploring, and seeing beautiful things. I go back early and converse with Ben a bit and we go to dinner. Apparently July I'm supposed to go to Annie's cabin in Northern Wisconsin with Sarah. I told Sarah she should come to A Day in Rock City. But I couldn't put the experience into words to sell it very well.

After sitting around at dinner for way too long, we all start to get antsy and then we head out. People want to go out and we stop in this one club, but it's still very early and it's not very pumpin'. Things don't get rolling in Greece until after midnight, because that's how late most shops stay open. It's weird to see kids running around and playing at midnight. But you gotta love the idea behind siesta. Wake up early (relatively), then get in some morning, take a nap in the afternoon and then go back at it at nighttime. Anyway, so the club is kind of bust, we get our free shots of fruity ouzo but then are too cheap to be ripped off to buy a drink. Heck 'spense. So me, Phil, and Ty walk around after we realize there's no such thing as a cheap pub here. Eventually we meet back up with some people outside a jewelry shop and then it starts to rain as we head back to the hotel. We sit around the pool, go on a juice excursion, and share some laughs.

I roomed with Andrew and Ty that night. And I talk in my sleep and apparently Ty punches the wall in his, so Andrew, while spooning Kara, had to listen to that all night.

My mental alarm clock wakes me up at the perfect time. I get some free breakfast and then go on a boat trip. I had to make a decision. We had the option of paying some extra euros to go on a pirate ship to different places, or we could go on a hike, or we could not do either of those. I splurged on the ship trip. Dodging all sorts of donkey shit, we climb down the 500 stairs, (which doesn't sound like a lot, but it really is) down to the water and catch our ship.

First we go to the volcan island. Santorini is shaped like a crescent, once almost a full circle, and the volcano is smack in the middle of it. We dock and hike up to the top.

It's not a lava kind of volcano, but is still active. We hang out and take some great pictures, but soon have to trek downward to make it to the ship. Next stop: ocean hot springs. We jump into the cold (relatively) ocean water off of the pirate ship and then swim to an area where the amazing blue water turns into a brown, sulphurous, and warm water. We bask in it's warmth, but then have to swim back through the cold water to get back to the ship. Then we go to another island for lunch. Stay for a bit and then head back to the main island, but a different town called Oia. Cliff diving happens.

And the coolest bookstore in the world exists there. A few of us get a cheap dinner and eventually catch the bus back to Fira. Saturday night at the Paradise Bar. We get the party started and soon the dance floor is pumpin'. Even those of us in the group who you wouldn't expect to ever see out at a bar come out and play. It was a fun night, last thing that happened was a 5 am yoga and spanikopita session.

Sunday we went to the archeological museum which was pretty cool. Old stuff, ya know? Then a group goes to a beautiful place for lunch but Ben and I decide not to eat there (heck 'spense) and go get something cheaper. Yum! I got some falafel, which doesn't exist on Paros. And then Ben and I had a lengthy conversation talking about art, language, etc. We head back to the hotel where we depart from and I take a quick dip in the pool.