Santorini

Milos: Greek Isle Steeped in Beauty, History

Published July 19, 2016 | By Clark Norton

A whitewashed church overlooks Milos’ harbor. Photo by Catharine Norton

Milos — one of Greece’s sun-soaked Cycladic islands that include the better known Mykonos and Santorini — had not been on my radar until a Greek-American friend of ours suggested it might be the perfect place for a three-generation vacation.

The three generations? My wife, Catharine, and I — first-time grandparents as of six months ago — our son, Grael; daughter-in-law, Nona; and our young grandson, Conrad, making his first trip abroad, brand new passport in hand. (Well, not in his hands — though he would have liked to have gotten hold of it, along with anything dangling and shiny.)

Because we’d all be traveling with a baby, we didn’t want anything too hectic and crowded — that eliminated Mykonos and Santorini — but we did want a good choice of lodgings, restaurants, cafes, and beaches, as… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Beaches, Boat travel, Countries, cultural travel, Europe, Family travel, food, History, Islands, rental c ars, Restaurants, vacation rentals | Tagged Aegean Sea, archaeology, Greece, Greek ferries, Greek Islands, Milos, Mykonos, Piraeus, Santorini, Venus de Milo | Leave a comment

Top European Natural Wonders (Part 2)

Published February 25, 2016 | By Clark Norton

Santorini’s harbor is part of an ancient volcanic caldera that wiped out Minoan civilization. Photo from Visit Greece.

Here’s Part 2 of our two-part series on Ten Top European Natural Wonders, starring five more incredibly scenic spots on land, on water, and up in the sky:

The Greek Island of Santorini

If you bypass the often-crowded Aegean island of Santorini — also known as Thira or, in ancient times, Thera — due to its popularity as a sun-soaked tourist destination, you’ll also be missing one of the most memorable and expansive seascape panoramas in all of Europe.

Few views can compete with those from a terrace perched high atop the cliffs overlooking Santorini’s deep, seven-by- four-mile circle-shaped lagoon, formed from a mostly underwater caldera left by a titanic volcanic explosion some 36 centuries ago. One of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in history, it wiped out the island’s… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Countries, Europe, river cruises, Wildlife | Tagged Abisko Sweden, Alps, Atlantis, Aurora borealis, Austria, Chamonix, Denmark, Douro Valley, Eiger, Faroe Islands, France, Greece, Greek Islands, Italy, Jungfrau, Matterhorn, Mönch, Mt. Blanc, Northern Lights, Porto, Portugal, Santorini, Sweden, Switzerland, Thira | 2 Comments

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