Santorini, Greece: Life on the Edge

No Snow Here, Just Beautiful Santorini

Snow capped mountains.  Cruising into Santorini, that's what it looks like: short rugged mountains covered in snow.  As you get closer and closer you can see the outline of the the pure white buildings and the signature blue domes of the Greek Orthodox Churches.  It is truly breathtaking, but not quite as amazing as the view from the top.  

After walking up the 600+ stairs from the port to Fira Town at the top of the cliff, we decided that when we come back we will pay the four euro each to take the cable car from the port.  This isn't because it is a

long walk and not something we could physically handle again.  It is because the entire way you are dodging donkeys...and everything that comes out of donkeys.  Nothing quite like a 30 minute climb through that smell to wake you up.

Eyore and a Few of His Closest Relatives Cascading Down the Steps

The View...'nuff said

The climb could not have been more worth it.  The stark white contrast of the buildings against the brown cliffs, blue domes, shutters and doors is beautiful.  The view of the other islands is amazing.  We made our way to Oia, another town on the island, that was even more beautiful.  This is where the quintessential  white building and blue dome pictures of Santorini are taken.  I was immediately struck by the beauty of these towns, however as a Landscape Architect I have so many questions.

The town is set on the top of a cliff and has been built up...by actually constructing from the top down the side of the cliff.  Talk about a feat of engineering!   I can only imagine the amount of reinforcement that must go into tying the buildings back into the cliffs.  Additionally, not only is the town built on a clifftop, but it is actually the edge of a gigantic volcano caldera that erupted thousands of years ago.  As nature is completely unpredictable, this seems like risky business to those who originally settled here.  

Built: From the Top Down

View From the Top...Down

Stone and Concrete Retaining Wall

I am also amazed at the amount of site grading that must have had to go into the construction.  Although a typical grading plan as we know it probably doesn't exist for construction of this town, I would love to see it in all of it's complexity.   For example, finished floor elevation of one dwelling would have to equal the elevation of a second floor stair landing of another.  In another area, one ramp would have to tie into another staircase leading to the entrance of a restaurant.  And so on and so on.  

Stairs, Ramps, and Walls, Oh My!

The buildings in many locations have been carved into the side of the cliff.  There was one building currently under construction and at this point in the process was a series of caves with the cut rock still resting in the base of the cave.  At this point the construction process there is more cave than building giving it a very primitive appearance.  Even the finished buildings painted in pure white come across as simple but elegant.  This selection of basic materials and color helps to create a place that appears simply beautiful while underneath it all is beautifully complex.

The Building Under Construction is at the Center of the Image
This Gives you an Overall Idea of the Complexity of Oia

There is no doubt in my mind that we will return here...sooner rather than later.

Corfu, Greece: The Greek French Riviera

Our Magnificent Cruise Ship...
Seriously though someone should tell this guy
that the water goes on the outside of the boat.

After cruising for a full day and a half we made it to our first port of call, Corfu, Greece and the port of Kerkira.  We walked from the port through the streets making our way into the narrow alleys and shop-lined streets of the 'old town.'  

Narrow Streets in the Old Town

 We met a woman in one of the shops who was eager to talk.  She was born in England and had relocated to Corfu about 13 years ago.  She began to tell us all about her life, maybe a little bit more than necessary, but as I said, she was eager to talk.  She told us about her divorce, and about her three children and where they lived, how old they were, and what they did.  One was a model in Thailand, one lived in England and I can't remember the profession, and one son was a Landscape Architect in Australia.  Normally I would be suspicious about such a claim, like the exchange was more like a sales tactic and she was just trying to find common ground before trying to get me to make a purchase. However, this was an unsolicited conversation from her about her life. It's a small world!

Anyway, she gave us some tips about what to see and where to go and what to do.  She directed us to the main street in town that was near the esplanade and the old fort.  Before we left the store she told us that the main street area was known as the 'Greek French Riviera,' and when we arrived it was very clear why!

It was a beautiful wide street lined on one side by stores and restaurants, and on the other was the esplanade with the Mediterranean Sea beyond it.  The street itself was wide and incredibly clean.  It was predominantly for pedestrian use with only a few vehicles thrown into the mix.  Smooth 12 inch stone tiles were selected as the material for the street surface.  Above the first floor of the restaurants and shops the buildings appeared to be primarily residential.  Many of the buildings were clearly influenced by French style down to the small balconies and the color of the paint.  As these entries are supposed to be Landscape Architecture at a Glance I will wrap this up and let the photos tell the rest of the story.  

The Wide Main Street Looking Back into Corfu

Main Street Looking Out Towards the Sea

The Pedestrian Area

An Old Fountain at the End of the Esplanade

Residential Buildings as We Walk Closer to the Sea

The View at the End of the Main Street

Pardon the Delay

I realize it has been a while since I wrote my last blog entry, and to any regular readers I apologize. We have been on the move a lot lately. We have been spending on average 3 nights in each location and this doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging. It doesn't mean I have not seen anything worth writing about.

Currently we are docked in Piraeus, Greece as part of an 11 day Eastern Mediterranean Cruise aboard the Holland America ms Eurodam. This is my first cruise and I wasted no time settling in and have found it quite easy to enjoy myself aboard this magnificent vessel!

As you only have hours in any given port of call you do not have a ton of time to experience each place we visit. It is for this reason I would like to introduce a series of upcoming blog entries called 'Landscape Architecture at a Glance' for select ports of call. Each entry will be an abbreviated account of unique examples of design and construction I have encountered along our cruise.

As anyone else who has been on a cruise recently can tell you Internet on the boat is outrageously expensive. Therefore these entries may not be able to be published until after the cruise. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy each port, room service, the 2 pools and the beautiful Mediterranean weather.