Volcanic Sand Burns Feet

Hello from Santorini! We spent a lovely day basking in the mid eighty degree weather by the placid, blue shores of the Aegean. Not a bad way to spend the day, huh? However, this day wasn't quite as painless as one might imagine. The beaches around our side of the island come from the volcanic lava crushed into small pebble size pieces. And, as one might imagine, hardened lava still retains its capacity to get hot. Actually, hot might be an underestimation. Fire hot. Like, mad-sprint-from-the-beach-chair-to-the-ocean hot. But it sure is beautiful. We took sanctuary under the umbrellas most of the time, so it wasn't too bad. Another interesting fact about tanning on a beach previously inhabited by molten lava is that the entire ocean floor around the island is not sand, but rock hard lava that hardened when it plunged into the Aegean. So walking in the water can be a slippery trek. Even more so if you are afraid of the fish...not naming names.

When we finally managed to get our bums off the beach, we ventured to the western most tip of island, Oia (pronounced ee-uh). Because Santorini is shaped like a giant crescent moon cradling it's active volcano in the middle, Oia also happens to be the very tip of the island and a perfect place to watch the sun set. That is, if you have the patience. Which Jon and I don't. So you will have to settle for the pre-sunset scenic pictures and hope we decide to truck the 30km back another night. It was not the most eventful day, but we sure found it relaxing. For those of you I will see on Saturday when my big brother (finally) graduates, i look forward to sharing my tales with you then! Enjoy your Memorial Day, and long weekend and salute the American flag for us!

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