Spectacular Santorini

I hiked up above and then followed the zigzag trail down the mountain

 
One of my favorite ports on NCL's  cruise was Santorini, Greece.  It was so exciting to see the petite white houses and shops as our ship pulled up closer to the island.  The tugboats led us along; I watched it all from my balcony.  The views were just incredible!

There's our ship, The Norweigan Epic, our comfortable home away from home  for twelve nights

I had only seen photos and movies of Greece.  It was a thrill to actually be there.  My aunt took a trip there when I was a little girl; she brought me back the sweetest little handmade dress.  It was red and creme colored, with hand stitched embroidery.  Ever since that day,  I have wanted to visit Greece myself.

I longed to ride a mule, but elected to walk back down,  instead

We took a small boat, or tender, to get to shore.  From there,  you can buy a ticket to ride the trolley up to the top.  It is a very steep journey.  The ticket cost six Euros, if I remember correctly.  The views were magnificent.

such a peaceful, serene scene from my balcony

I went back to on board  to have my meals.  Since I had already paid for them, I didn't stop at a restaurant.  I did order a juice at a charming cafe, though.  It cost ten Euros!  The ambiance and scenery was worth it, though.  The friendly owner of the place encouraged me to order a cactus juice, but I got the mixed fruit.  He was drinking an espresso out of a lovely cup.  I kept studying the design and shape of  it.   

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