Santorini, Greece: As predicted, we are moored in the caldera of an extinct (we hope) volcano looking up at the partially remaining rim. That rim is encrusted with white, looking like birdlime on a wharf piling, or snow atop a very tall mountain.
The white ‘encrustation’ is buildings, all plastered and painted white. The rim edge is where the villages are located, looking down into the now-bay.
When this super volcano blew up eons ago it emptied itself below sea level and blew out one section of the crater wall. The sea rushed in and over time cooled it down and created the bay in which we moor.
Somewhere along the line Greeks colonized the island and built along the rim. This was chosen maybe for the view but more likely so as not to waste arable land on the outer slopes.
This is always a “tender port” where “tender” doesn’t mean the opposite of tough, but rather means a motorized small boat carried by the ship. There is no deep water dock at which our ship can tie up.
The Santorini reality is that local small boats/ships are used to ferry pax from the ship to shore and back. It provides employment for locals and saves wear and tear on our lifeboats.
Santorini is striking to look at but difficult as anything to enjoy unless one is part mountain goat. It is worth seeing once but this is maybe my fourth visit so ... meh, I’ll stay onboard.
