Jumping to Santorini

OK...I know that Santorini comes a bit later but...I forgot to put it in so...here's a preview. 

View from caldera island toward Oia 

The islands of Santorini have created a very unique volcanic caldera. The crescent moon shaped islands known as Santorini, Thirasia and Aspronisi form an imaginary circle in the middle of which is the caldera of Santorini, the largest in the world. The volcano first erupted about 2.5 million years ago and is still active today. There have been 12 major eruptions, each changing the shape of the islands. Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni, two volcanoes in the center of the caldera, were formed by underwater eruptions and are the latest pieces of land in the Mediterranean. The formation of New Kameni began 440 years ago with the last pieces of volcanic lava petrified of just over 50 years. The last eruption was in 1950.

Oia churches on the hill

We spent the day roaming across the island, avoiding the hot areas and holding our noses to avoid the sulphur. It was a barren landscape but very interesting to hear about. The boat ride was an opportunity to view more of the caldera and that inner ring. It’s amazing to see how steep the sides are and how all of the cities are perched at the top of the cliffs.