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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2019 7 By Sharon Cates, Resident Friends and residents Vivian Bellini and Kathy Caraher made plans in June to join friends in Santorini, Greece in September. Kathy is a retired Delta flight attendant with complimentary seating. Vivian travels on Delta without cost thanks to her granddaughter who works for Delta. You are thinking how fortunate they are but should know their free fares are on standby. Waiting for an available seat can be time consuming. Before their trip, the two ladies turned to the Internet to find an additional island on the Mediterranean Sea to include as a side venture before continuing to Santorini. Their choice was Sifnos which is called the "Flourishing Culinary Island." They flew into Athens the night of September 8. The following day, a four-hour ferry ride took them to the island. Four hotel nights had been reserved. Sifnos is a 28.55 square mile island of breathtaking natural landscapes, beautiful beaches, white-washed villages, cobblestone streets and organic farms. As often happens, plans changed and their stay on the island totaled six nights due to strong winds which delayed ferry travel to Santorini. The extended time turned out to provide the highlight of their trip. They toured Narlis Farm where produce is grown without irrigation. Flour ground from nuts and seeds is used for baked goods. They took part in a cooking class taught by the farm's owners and prepared authentic Greek recipes. All who participated were served a delicious meal of marinated lamb, fresh vegetables and melons. When the ferries were permitted to leave Sifnos, our travelers crossed the sea to Santorini. Though the journey was deemed safe, Vivian described the voyage as harrowing when winds picked up and high waves hit the ferry. She was assured they were safe but wasn't relieved until the port was in sight. Santorini is the largest island in the southern Aegean Sea. It's a famous vacation destination and highly populated during the summer months. As pedestrians, our travelers said the fast traffic of mopeds, ATVs, buses and taxis required caution when crossing streets. They discovered that renting a car called-for a global driver's license which no one in their party had. Buses and taxis were available for sightseeing. Beautiful scenery was all around and wineries were abundant. Kathy and Vivian chose an excursion on a five-hour catamaran cruise which provided amazing views of the coastline. Passengers could swim and snorkel at various short stops during the journey. The caldera region (remnant areas of inactive volcanoes) offers swimming in natural hot springs and hiking to elevated locations to observe additional scenery. A Greek buffet was included. A popular dish is marinated squid. After six days on Santorini, they said goodbye to their friends. The ferry ride back to Athens was pleasant. Not able to fly home together due to seat availability was a disappointment, however, it was agreed that with everything considered, this trip was an enjoyable and memorable experience. A TASTE OF GREECE