Past Travels
Island of Rhodes
Our three nights on Santorini were a mixed bag. It is the Greek island that is marketed so well. Pictures of the blue domes overlooking the Aegean Sea are on nearly every travel magazine, website, book, etc. While the island is picturesque, I found the island to be dry, expensive, and flooded with tourists. For me, the best part was the six mile hike between Fira and Oia which we encountered very few people. We left for the Greek island of Rhodes on a Monday afternoon. Since there were no direct flights, we flew from Santorini to Athens, and then Athens to Rhodes. Again, instead of vaccination, we showed airlines staff proof that we had COVID within the past 180 days. We arrived at the Sheraton hotel late around 9:00 p.m. due to a mixup with the transport company. Since the Sheraton was a beach resort, we planned to spend more time relaxing and a bit less time sightseeing. Relaxing on the beach and doing nothing for a few days is unusual for us, or at least for Rebecca. I’m used to doing nothing at home. But seriously, we’re starting to work in more time just resting. Rebecca spotted one
Santorini During COVID
Since we were not vaccinated, the Greek government required that we either have a negative COVID antigen test within 48 hours of our arrival or a positive COVID test within the last 180 days. We had both. We were also required to show the same documentation on any flight from Athens to the Greek islands. We flew from DFW to JFK on Delta. Then on American from JFK to Athens. American Airlines staff barely looked at our documents. On our flight from Athens to Santorini no one checked our paperwork at all. The hotel arranged our pickup at the airport for 25 euros. We arrived at the Ellinon Thea Botique hotel around 3:00 p.m. Just as promised we had a view of the Aegean Sea. We met Nick and Mary from Nashville. They took our picture at the taverna called Volkan. We managed to get a picture of the Volkan beer bottle but forgot to get a photo of Mary and Nick, although we did get their phone numbers. The hotel owner recommended Aktaion as the best restaurant for dinner. It specialized in traditional Greek food. While making our reservation for a table with a view of the sea, another