Les Fogueres de Sant Joan 2019

July 13, 2019 chaput@live.com

In Alicante every year there is a major festival called “Les Fogueres de Sant Joan”. It begins on the 20th of June and ends with the “Cremá” which starts at midnight on June 24th. The city is bustling with noise and activities during the week of the “Fogueres”.

We try to participate and enjoy as much of the activities as possible during the fiesta. One of our favorite things to do is explore the fogueres on display at most major locations.

Shelley and Ray in front of one of the fogueres

There were a total of 89 fogueres in this year’s fiesta. We put together a small gallery of some of the creative, different and beautiful fugueres we saw.

We also took part in other events during the fiesta, inluding the Mascletà, parades and the famous “crema” which roughly translates to “cremate”

We went to our friends apartment which overlooks one of the main fougeres. Their balcony provides the perfect spot to view the fiesta activities and the crema.

Shelley and Ray in front of the large fougeres which we watched being burnt at the crema.

Below is a small video of the crema activities which is one of the highlights of the fiesta.

Our friend Felipe who is involved in a lot of tourist activities assisted in a video about Alicante. It is in Spanish but shows some of the great things we see in Alicante.

We always enjoy the Hougeras of San Juan and try to participate in as much as we can. Until the next time be safe and enjoy life.

“Lo mejor de la vida es seguir adelante con todos tus planes y tus sueños, abrazar la vida y vivir todos los días con pasión.”

Greece

Archaeological Site of Delos Island

July 6, 2019 chaput@live.com

We went to the amazing archaeological site which is the entire island of Delos in the aegean sea.

The island is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990.

Our boat docked at the site and we followed our tour guide to begin exploring the island.

Our tour guide leading the way at the start of our tour.

We followed the tour group for some time listening to the amazing history of the island. She explained different areas of the island and how the society was at the centre of commerce at the time.

It was hard to imagine that this island was a bustling city of over 30,000 people during the 1st millennium B.C.

Shelley and Ray at the pier of Delos Island

After following our tour guide for an hour or so, we decided to break away and explore the island on our own. We walked through the different streets exploring the ruins.

One of the many streets of ruins on Delos Island

The ruins of a butcher shop with stone butcher table still intact.

The famous Terrace of the Lions dates back to 3,000 BC.

The ruins of a traditional home on Delos Island

Tiled floor of ancient mansion on Delos Island

We walked through the ruins and came to an amphitheater. We stopped and decided to sit and relax in the 1 BC amphitheater.

Shelley sitting on the 1 BC bench of the amphitheater on Delos island

We saw a trail that lead up to the top of the mountain so we decided to go an explore the mountain.

It was a fairly long and hard walk up the trail to the top. We stopped a few times along the way to catch our breath and take in the views.

The view from part way up the mountain on Delos Island

We continued up the trail and made our way slowly to the top.

View of the trail looking back down towards the base.

We reached the top and the views were well worth the walk up the mountain.

Ray and Shelley at the top of Delos Island

We came to the highest point of the island and placed a rock on the top.

Ray placing a rock on the highest point of Delos Island

We stayed on the top of the mountain for a while enjoying the fantastic views of the surrounding islands. The pictures don’t give justice to the beauty of the views.

A short video of the climb up to the top of Delos Island

Our day on Delos Island was fantastic. Walking through the ruins of ancient Greece and knowing that this was referred to as the birthplace of the immortals gods of greek mythology. was a highlight of our travels to Greece.

“η ζωή είναι μια περιπέτεια, μην ξεχάσετε να την αγκαλιάσετε”

Greece

The volcano Island of Nea Kameni

June 29, 2019 chaput@live.com

We decided to take a day trip to the island of Nea Kameni which is the youngest volcanic land form in the eastern Mediterranean. We arrived at the old port of Santorini and boarded a ship which would take us to the island.

We boarded and settled in for our trip to the volcano island.

Shelley on the tour boat heading to the volcanic island of Nea Kameni

The view of the islands around Santorini were spectacular from the boat. We enjoyed the trip over to the volcanic island and the views.

A view from the boat on our way to the Nea Kameni island

We arrived at the island and debarked along with two other boat to begin our walk up the volcanic island.

The soil was almost completely made up of dacite lava and ash.

We began our climb up the slopes of the island making our way towards the 130 meters high summit.

Walking up the slopes of the Nea Kameni Island

It was a hot day with a temparature of 29 degrees celsius. We took several breaks along the way to enjoy the views and catch our breath.

Ray taking a break along the slopes of the Nea Kameni

We continued up the slopes until we reached the highest point. From there the views were stunning. We could see Santorini Island and for miles around the entire area.

Shelley and Ray near the top of the Nea Kameni Island

Ray even climbed the small rock marker that indicated the highest point so he could get a photo.

Ray at the highest point of the Nea Kameni island.

The view from the top of Nea Kameni Island

After enjoying the views and taking a well deserved break we took one last selfie before heading back down to the boat.

Ray and Shelley at the top of Nea Kameni Island

Shelley heading back down to the shoreline of Nea Kameni

Ray heading down the slope of Nea Kameni Island

We arrived back at our boat and prepared for our second adventure of the day. We were heading to the hot springs that were located in the shallow waters on the other side of the island.

Ray getting ready to go swimming into the hot springs at Nea Kameni island.

We approached the bay area where the hot springs were located. The boat was not able to get close to the springs and anchored off shore. Everyone that wanted to go swimming in the hot springs had to jump into the water from the boat and swim to the hot springs.

People swimming to the hot springs at Nea Kameni Island

Ray jumped in and swam to the hot spring located near shore. The hot springs are noted to have therapeutic benefits. The mud there contains sulfur and many people rub the mud on themselves for the theraputhic effects. After a short swim in the hot spring everyone returned to the boat.

Ray in the hot springs of the Nae Kameni Island

After everyone was back on board, the boat returned to Santorini. It was a very enjoyable experience, spending the day exploring the island of Nea Kameni.

“Απολαύστε τη ζωή και ζήστε τη στιγμή.”

Greece

Exploring the Island of Santorini

June 28, 2019 chaput@live.com

The town of Thera on the Island of Santorini was very beautiful and interesting. The white washed buildings and stunning views from the cliffs made for great vistas.

View of the town of Thera on Santorini Island

We walked through the narrow streets of the town admiring the different shops and the views.

Ray and Shelley in the town of Thera in Santorini

Pedestrian walkway along the cliff edge of the town of Thera.

The streets were adjacent to beautiful white washed buildings.

Shelley along one of the narrow streets in Thera Santorini

Some of the stores and shops were very impressive with beautiful art and unique items.

White washed buildings along the streets of Thera

We walked along the streets which were either leading upwards or heading downwards toward the Aegean sea. There was very few areas without some form of incline or decline.

We walked up stairs along the cliff edge and eventually came to a restaurant with a perfect spot to enjoy a glass of local wine. We relaxed at our table which provided us with a perfect view of the island.

The views at our table also provided us with a fantastic view of the caldera which was caused by a volcano which is still considered active today.

Satellite image of the Santorini caldera. Photo courtesy of NASA – http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02673

The volcano was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, which occurred about 3,600 years ago.

After enjoying a rest and admiring the views, we headed back down towards the old port of Santorini. Along the way we would stop and just take in the moment admiring the views.

We decided to go down the steps which lead to the old port located at the base of the island. Each step was numbers and they were fairly steep. We took our time and walked carefully and slowly down the 587 steps to the bottom.

Stairs leading down to the old port of Santorini.

Along the way down we came to an area which had lots of donkeys. There were people selling rides down the steps on the back of a donkey for five euros.

Donkeys along the steps leading down to the old port of Santorini.

We continued walking down the steps and about half way down we came across more donkeys. These were just standing on the stairs and were not tied. They just stood there and we had to cross behind or in front of them. It was somewhat apprehensive for some people.

Donkeys standing on steps on the way down to the old port of Santorini.

It was not a pleasant walk down because of all the donkey fecal matter on many of the steps. Once we reached the bottom we came to a cruise boat offering tours to the volcano. We decided to take the tour and explore the volcano, but that is for another post.

“Κάντε μια υπέροχη μέρα και μείνετε ασφαλείς.”

Greece

Wine tasting in Santorini Greece

June 22, 2019 chaput@live.com

We enjoyed a very unique wine tasting while we were on the island of Santorini. We went to a wine restaurant called “K’nttos” in the town of Fira on the Greek island of Santorini.