Underwear Overboard
June 13, 2013
Fira, Santorini, Greece
Today was a wonderful day: we went to Akrotiri, which was a seven year old dream come true for me, went swimming at the red beach next to Akrotiri, and then when we returned to our hotel/hostel I realized that my newly washed underwear had flown into the next-door hotel and had to ask the owner of our hostel to retrieve them for me. Embarrassing? Yes, ever so slightly, but probably more so for him than me. He kept asking me if I was sure that they were mine because he didn’t have any issues with the hotel next-door but if these weren’t my underwear this would certainly start an issue! Needless to say, now I’m making extra sure my undies are extra secure as they dry outside on our balcony.
Losing my unmentionables to the neighbors is a problem I can’t imagine happening in Kansas. The buildings here are stepped into the hillside and often have irregular, tight-knit layouts, making it difficult to dry clothes on a windy day. After visiting Akrotiri, the Bronze Age site that was covered by a volcanic blast in 1628 BCE, I think there is an even stronger link between the old and new Santorini. I don’t mean that the people of Santorini are primitive beings or anything (the people of Akrotiri were extremely advanced – they had indoor plumbing! – so I think they would appreciate the comparison), just that the bread and butter of life seems to be similar and the architecture and city layout also strike me as having some cultural continuity.
This is my third time in Santorini. I hate saying that because it makes me sound like a spoiled brat. Every time has been in conjuction with some sort of study abroad program or excavation, and it never gets old. This island is magical. There is a long list of places I’d like to live for an extended period of time and this is definitely one of them. Yesterday my friend and I discovered the most beautiful little shop, complete with non-cheapy, beautiful dresses and non-cheapy, Greek artist designed jewelry. I must admit I splurged a bit on a lovely pair of earrings. When in Santorini… right? The woman at the shop was Canadian and had been living in Santorini for over 30 years. It was amazing to meet another North American who felt a similar bond with this island. Maybe after my Polish citizenship application goes through… We’ll see. I’d have to take a whole suitcase of sunscreen with me, though.
Anyway, it’s been a great one and a half days in Santorini so far. I almost want to stay here and not start my amazing excavation! But alas, all good things must come to an end. Swimming at the red beach next to Santorini had to end sometime today… especially since if we had I’d be burned to a crisp right now. I could have laid there forever, listening to the waves and staring at the red layers of pumice above me. But since I cannot stay here forever, maybe I can continue to wander the narrow windy streets of Fira and enjoy the sound of the waves dragging the rocks into the Aegean in my dreams…
