Santorini is a magical Island that requires no introduction to explain it’s extraordinary beauty, also known as Thira. The dramatic Santorini has been a spectacular and famous vacation destination for decades, especially for young couples and family holidays. The economy of the island is greatly depends upon Tourism, wine, tomato and nut exports, delivery of soil to the cement Industry discharged from volcano.

Santorini is one of the most famous tourist attractions of Europe. The villages with dazzling white buildings, narrow streets, the snow clad mountains, the breath taking sunsets, the gorgeous landscapes, unique villages, museums and beautiful beaches of the Santorini Island are enough to amaze the tourists in all ways. All kind of accommodations are available on the Island including apartments, luxury hotels, resorts, camping sites and villas on a budget for visitors.

Fira is the capital of Santorini and probably the most popular place in the Island. The towns Fira and Oia cling to the edge of the volcano and you can get an unforgettable view by catching a ferry across the caldera. Fira is the busiest and crowded town in the island and filled with tourists and all kind of shops, restaurants, Villas, resorts, jewelleries, cafes, night clubs and bars.

Fira is the best for shopping. Here you will find huge jewllery shops in the center of the city, selling jewelleries at affordable prices. During the time of shopping, don’t forget to ask for discount as everything seems to be negotiable. The town consists of clothing stores, large number of luxury hotels and most of the hotels have swimming pools and verandas to attract their customers for a relaxing stay. Most people go by cable car that takes 3 minutes and you can experience some amazing views, which you can store in your camera as a life time memory.

Santorini beaches are one of the prime attractions for visitors in the island. The island is gifted with many beautiful beaches such as: Perissa, Kamari, Red beach, Monolithos, Perivolos, Vourvoulos, capecolumbo and more. Among all theses beaches: Perissa, Kamari, Monolithos and red beach are the most popular. Red beach is the most famous beach in the Island, located near Akrotiri. To allure visitors the beaches are offering water sports, sun umbrella, beach resorts, night clubs, hotels and bars.

Santorini is the best place to view breath taking and romantic sun-set on the earth. One can view this sunset from many villages from top of the high rock, especially from the village of Oia. The romantic Santorini sunset is so beautiful that it compel the couples to spend the let afternoon with the company of each other. Couples come from all over the world to view the extraordinary sunset of Santorini. To attract targeted couples come from different corner of the world, the hotels and restaurants have made necessary arrangements to view the spectacular sunset.

By Dian Hasan | November 21, 2009

What would a resort stay experience be without a pool? Unthinkable for today’s travelers. They’ve come a long way, playing a central role in creating a distinctive experience and the common denominator as a social hub. Integral to a hotel’s brand identity. Here’s a glance at some of world’s most gorgeous resort pools, sharing the same traits regardless of their locale: sexy and chic!

Renown as the ultimate romantic destinations for unforgettable wedding experiences in Greece, where couples are invited to say “I do” facing the majestic Aegean Sea sunset in Mykonos & Santorini Islands of the Cyclades, Rocabella Resorts & Spa propose a complete array of wedding services.

Whether the couple wishes to have a totally romantic wedding in Santorini Island or a glamorous party in Mykonos Island, Rocabella Resorts organizes unique wedding civil or religious ceremonies & receptions and takes care of every detail that will make the difference for every couple and their precious guests.

From wedding licenses to flower arrangements, from bride and groom’s special treatments to personalized wedding receptions and parties, each Hotel, Rocabella Santorini Resort and Spa and Rocabella Mykonos Art Hotel and Spa, make sure that everything is taking care of for a dreamy wedding.
Having planned weddings in Santorini since 1995, Rocabella Santorini Resort & Spa has gained an excellent reputation throughout the years and guarantee a unique experience, according each couple needs and envies. Rocabella Mykonos Art Hotel and Spa, has also a very big experience of wedding planning and organization in the most cosmopolitan Island of Greece.
With incredible accommodation facilities and complete personalized services in the most dreamy locations of the Islands of Mykonos and Santorini, Rocabella Resorts & Spas offer the best wedding celebrations for every couple’s and their esteemed guests unforgettable memories in Greece.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others”
Pericles

Eran las 2 am, estábamos cansados, agotados, nos conocíamos hacía pocas horas, pero no podíamos dormir, perdidos en la nada, maravillados de habernos encontrado.

Como chicos, jugábamos en la popa, hacíamos titanic, bailábamos, cantábamos.

La magnificencia del paisaje era conmovedor, so touching.

Recorriendo el Mar Egeo, avizorando Naxos, Paros, con destino a Santorini, una de las más firmes candidatas a ser la atlantis perdida.

La luna gigante, iluminaba la oscuridad absoluta de esas tierras míticas, mágicas, que acostumbré a soñar en las aburridísimas clases de historia del colegio.

Las pocas palabras que sonaban eran griegas y llenas de antigüedad

Y él y yo, nos apoyábamos en la baranda, ante la solemnidad y soledad de la noche griega, tratando de abarcar la noche, inútilmente.

Mirando sin poder creer que estábamos ahí, en ese lugar perdido del mundo.

Juro que se sentían los dioses.

Sale el capitán, nos mira, le contamos de donde somos.

En eso el uru le dice:

Yo le dije que largue al novio aburrido ese que tiene, y que se ponga a viajar conmigo y nos casamos en alguna de estas islas.

El capitán me intentaba convencer…

Mi rigidez moral de por entonces, ciega, no soportó ni siquiera un beso, pero me moría de risa y de amor.

Y empezó a cantarme:

Cada día que pasa crece esta locura
El unguento de tus labios es mi cura
Tu me domas con el circo de tus besos
y milito en la frontera de tus huesos

Es mejor vivir un día contigo
que vivir mil años sin tu abrigo
Es por eso que hoy te pido

que me des tu cariño
para yo quedarme
Un minuto me basta vida
para enamorarte

Escalar el cielo abierto de tu boca
y orbitar en tus galaxias se me antoja…

Aclaro que al día de hoy, nos seguimos viendo con uru y esta canción es una de mis favoritas…

Contrariamente a lo que yo mismo opino, completo la nota que empecé acá.

6. ¡Bucear! Ya van como tres veces que por una razón u otra (llegué un día más tarde que el grupo en una invitación de prensa turística y la actividad se había hecho el día anterior, condiciones climáticas adversas) me quedo en las puertas del mundo del buceo. Probabilidad de que viva la experiencia: 1 (me empeciné).

7. Cubrir periodísticamente la muerte de uno de los Papas más populares del siglo XX. Un agonizante Juan Pablo II me encontró a menos de 100 euros de distancia de Roma. Pero como ya llevaba unos cuantos días en tierras turcas, preferí volver a Buenos Aires. Más o menos durante el avión de regreso, empezó a emanar el característico humito blanco. Probabilidad de que viva la experiencia: 0 (salvo que Juan Pablo II resucite y vuelva a morirse justo cuando yo esté cerca de allí o que Ratzinger le ponga un poco de onda antes de estirar la pata).

8. Nadar en aguas termales naturales en Santorini. Paraíso sobre la tierra. Desde la pequeña barca que me trasladaba veía con exactitud la línea en la que el agua dejaba de ser perfectamente turquesa para convertirse en perfectamente esmeralda. La diferencia cromática marcaba también una distancia termal: la parte verde, aseguró el guía, estaba calentita. Y a disposición de todos los que quisieran animarse a saltar de la barca, atravesar más o menos unos doscientos metros de agua congelada (la azulcita) y eludir las centenas de aguavivas que se vislumbraban desde la nave. Pagué mi cobardía con este deseo inconcluso que me acompaña desde entonces. Probabilidad de que viva la experiencia: 0.

9. Esquiar en Aspen (Colorado). Luego de pasar unos días en Denver (ciudad de la que no recuerdo nada, a pesar de que estuve perfectamente sobrio durante toda mi estadía) cubriendo un evento de prensa, nos ofrecieron quedarnos una jornada más para ir a la célebre formación montañosa con nombre de clásicos musicales. Me negué, considerando que tenía mucho trabajo atrasado en Buenos Aires y necesitaba volver cuanto antes. Esa misma noche, mi avión no salió cuando correspondía y quedé varado en Chicago. Probabilidad de que viva la experiencia: 0 (salvo que me inviten alguna otra vez a Denver).

10. Conocer las Cataratas del Iguazú. Los años 1998-2000 fueron un desmedro de invitaciones de prensa para viajes relacionados con eventos de tecnología. Así es como en un momento me llamaron para ir, durante la semana 2 de marzo, a las Cataratas. Miré mi agenda: la semana 1 iba a estar, completa, en Punta del Este; la semana 3, de punta a punta, en Cancún. “No puedo”, fue mi escueta respuesta. “En algún momento tengo que trabajar”, pensé Todavía no fui a la potencial nueva maravilla del mundo que podemos tener los argentinos. Probabilidad de que viva la experiencia: 1.

   October is often a quiet month in Greece and Santorini in particular.  The hard partying students have left back to school and the village people come out to play, although many Greeks choose to leave for the villages on the mainland or to Athens where the action truly is.

   This October during In Search of the Real Greece I had the great pleasure of instructing an advanced student, Dr Gary Kipp, who produced some extraordinarily sensitive portraits.  Gary has devoted his life to medicine and the treatment of the human condition.  He truly loves people and it shows in his work.

-Glenn, Instructor, Greek Island Workshops in Photography

On the church steps

Pride

Vangelis

Oia Church

Anafi Worker

Hopping off a plane always has me itching to hop back on. I went to Texas last weekend and now I’ve got that pack-up-and-go urge again. So because I like to make lists, and I enjoy daydreaming, here are five random places I would like to visit someday, in no particular order:

Svalbard:

It’s a group of icy islands north of Norway. They don’t get sun  from Nov. 14 to Jan. 29, but you can go weasel watching. How  can anyone turn down weasel watching? And there’s an entire  week-long festival in March to celebrate the return of the sun.

Positano:

This small Italian city on the Costiera Amalfitana in Campania,  Italy is pretty much built up the side of the mountain lining the  coast. The sides of the buildings are painted in an array of  colors. The town doesn’t necessarily boast the widest range of  activities, but it seems like a good place to go for those adventurous, cultural types who don’t mind exploring nooks and crannies.

Fes:

Is there any reason not to go to a place called Fes?

Santorini:

The entirety of Greece is on my list of  places I want to go, but Santorini is a must. The set-up of the  town looks similar to Positano, but the pictures of the white  buildings with the blue rooftops set against the back drop of the bluer than blue Aegean is breathtaking. I can’t imagine how gorgeous it must be in person.

Çatalhöyük:

It’s not a place to visit so much as an archaeological site, but if I  ever got the chance to check it out, I would. It’s in Anatolia, a  region in Western Asia comprised mostly of Turkey. It’s the site  of on-going digging and research. I’ve always wanted to explore Turkey, and if I wasn’t pursuing journalism, I don’t think I’d be able to resist the siren song of field research.

Anywhere cool you want to visit?

The island has felt gentle these last few days. After months of intensity in many forms- intense sun, rain, living, happiness, longing, friendships, dreaming, scheming, missing, loving, food, adventure, books, music, etc., the island suddenly feels calm and gentle. The sky is a soft and clear blue while the breeze is neither cold nor hot. A silence has settled over Oia, a place that stripped of the tourists, truly is just a beautiful, simple village tucked away in the rocks. I’ve felt immersed in the slow pace that I’ve longed for and sought after since I got here, as its easier to lose yourself working in the shop, taking a lunch at Roka, or playing music in the little courtyard.

Here is a song to start off the blog that was played MANY times in the shop in the last few weeks. Luckily, it doesn’t really get old.

Raphael Saadiq- Sure Hope You Mean It (download here/MySpace here)

Following a great stint of bookstore personnel, there are now only three of us, me, Amanda (who has returned) and Pete (who owns and runs an independent bookshop in Sheffield, England and plays some great folk music). This is down from six just a few days ago. Ali is back in San Francisco. Debbie and Ellie have gone back to London and onto Paris, respectively, and Desirina left just yesterday to head to Charlotte for a family visit. I was worried that this mass exodus would leave me in a bad place, worn out from more goodbyes and ill-equipped to mentally prepare myself to leave. This, however, was not the case. While I admit I am emotionally exhausted, I feel invigorated by my time with these people and thankful that my last experience with a big group in the shop was with them, because I’ve been left with a sweet and celebratory taste in my mouth (which could also be due to the absurdly and gluttonously good food we regularly consumed). As opposed to thinking upon each respective departure with a mix of hope and worry, “Well, I wonder what is next,” I found myself taking a deep breath and thinking to myself, “Ok. It’s fitting that they’re leaving, because I’m leaving soon too.”

Featured in this photo: A yellow car we rented that we came to call "Tiny Taxi," the newest bookstore worker known henceforth as "Tiny Pete," and a blue sky that is anything but tiny

Debbie won a prestigious award for her theater venue, so Amanda and I made her this fruit tart.

Ellie was jealous so she stuck her tongue out at it. Yeah, real mature.

The profoundity of the calmness I am feeling is only understood when I remember the urgency with which I lived during my last few days in New Orleans. My last few weeks there were a blur of last times, goodbyes, and the milking of every second for all it was worth to the point of exhaustion. This is not to say that the last few weeks have been without excitement, though. The days before everyone left were, for lack of a better word, epic. We crammed in as much adventure and whimsy as possible while always making time for good food and loving and tending the shop in a way I didn’t know was possible with so many people.

INTERLUDE! I now present a new photo series called, "Boy and his oar." This specific one is called "Boy and his oar and his confusion"

This one is called "Boy and his oar and his friend who lives in a cave and won't come out because she is afraid of the boy and his oar."

"Boy and his oar and his beard and his jacket that doesn't fit very well in the sleeves"

Finally, "Boy and his oar and the victory of climbing a moderately-to-small sized hill"

One of these adventure-filled days, we adventured to Therissia (which has possibly turned into my favorite trek to make on the island) where we all agreed to not speak a word from the time we stepped off the boat from Santorini to the moment we left the island. This proved to be a powerful experience which heightened the views and the silence and made me feel closer to everyone. Ali mentioned it in his blog, too.

Let's play a game. It's called Real picture or fake picture. Alright. That picture right there, real or fake? If you answered fake, you are wrong. I've been there. I know.

Next picture. Real or fake? If you answered fake, this time you were right. This is a scene from the Land Before Time. If you answered real, I really don't know what to tell you.

Loudon Wainwright III (yes, again)- Come A Long Way (download here/MySpace here)

In the midst of all this, I accepted a mission from my sister, which was to have one day of completely new experiences- new food, new places, new music, etc.- and one day completed filled with familiar and comforting things. I have managed to fill many of my last days with things I love and find comforting. These are things that fit nicely into the calming of the days and enjoying the last of my time here. It was the new day which proved to be the most interesting.

The day was filled with new music (here, here, and here), my first perfectly pouched egg (thanks to Ali and Debbie), a picnic in a field where we all stuck in a tight circle in order to keep the wind out, the exploring of a dilapidated building with three people I’ve never met before which resulted in us being kicked out and followed by a furious Greek woman, and was my first Halloween out of the United States (we watched a terrible scary movie and I fell asleep). Perhaps it was cheating, but I actually started the time on the new day the night before, when we went to the house of a friend of the shops who is a local fisherman. He made us a wonderful dinner of fresh fish (many of which he had caught) and we shared dancing, music, and various forms of Greek alcohol. Following the meal, Ellie and I were taken out in the tiny fishing boat where we (kind of) helped with some night fishing in Ammoudi Bay. We hauled in the load, picked the fish out of the net ourselves, had them fried there, and ate the fresh fish. Now, this night included a variety of first-time experiences. I have never had such a wonderful dinner of things someone has caught, eaten it in their home overlooking the water, gone night fishing, picked dead fish out of a net, and then eaten the fish I helped cook. Folks, I am a vegetarian. I really am. This is big. This night was something else, though. Goodness.

Scene from our dinner at Ammoudi.

All this has passed now and I feel myself waiting calmly and feeling at peace the best of what has happened and what will surely come next, just like the island seems to be gently at peace with the changing of the seasons as it wields the best of summer and fall, an intricate balancing act I know won’t last too long. I am absorbing and cherishing the last of my time with the things I love most here- being amongst the books, on the terrace, eating pitas, going to Ammoudi, playing chess, and talking with John and Zalina. In fact, just yesterday, inspired by the clear blue skies and the calm air, I took a dip into Ammoudi where I was welcomed by refreshingly cold water and a loss of breath, something I welcomed right back. And while these moments are fleeting in nature, I can’t help but rest assured that these are all things and places and people that I will carry with me forever. I can’t help but feel that these are the moments for which I came all this way.

Gillian Welch – Wrecking Ball (download here/MySpace here)

This post is from guest blogger Cari Miller, Alison’s daughter.

Adam looking out from our villa in Oia

As my mom mentioned in her post on Santorini, my husband and I were lucky enough to spend an entire week in Santorini for our honeymoon in 2007. She’s asked us to put together a few of our thoughts and recommendations, as well as go over a few highlights from our trip.

What a perfect trip that was! We started our two week long honeymoon in England, as that is where my husband Adam and I first met. We spent a few days in the lovely town of Bath, where I studied abroad for a semester while attending Purdue, and then had a few days touring London. Neither Adam or I had been back to England since we’d met there four years earlier, so it was a great way for us to reminisce and revisit the places where we first met. Then, off to Santorini!

As my mom often recommends to honeymooners, we picked Santorini in part because neither of us had ever been. It’s great to explore a place together as newlyweds. I often find if you go somewhere where one person has been and the other hasn’t, you don’t get the same experience out of it.  One person tends to take on the ‘tour guide’ role, and if you’re both learning about the place together, it can become a special place for both of you. We definitely found this to be true in Santorini.

First of all, let’s talk about travel specifics in Greece. Since we started in England, we ended up taking a discount airline, EasyJet, from London to Athens. When you’re in Europe, there are a few airlines that offer very inexpensive flights – sometimes as little as £1 plus taxes (usually that ends up £30 or so)! We kept our eyes on deals and got a great price to Athens as a result. Once in Athens, we had to find our way to Santorini – one of the islands in Greece. We had a few options. We could take a ferry, which is often the cheapest option, but can take an entire day (or night) to get you to Santorini. We opted instead to fly – using Aegean Airlines. It cost us a bit more, but the flight was only an hour – so I think it was worth it! I’d highly recommend Aegean Airlines to anyone considering flying within Greece. While it was only a very short flight, the service was wonderful!

Unfortunately they only have two flights a day (or at least that was the case at the time) and we missed the morning flight, so we had about 6 hours to kill in Athens. Luckily the Athens airport is connected to the train, meaning we could very easily check our luggage at the airport and take the train into Athens for a few hours. If you do this, I’d recommend you research Athens a bit as the train stops can be a bit confusing since it’s all in Greek!

Santorini is an island, and the main airport is in the town Fira, or Thira. We were staying in Oia, or Ia (most Greek towns have two spellings of their names). The villa where we stayed, Chelidonia, was kind enough to arrange a taxi pick up for us at Fira. The woman we arranged with advised us that taxis are hard to come by in Santorini – and it’s best to have it prearranged to avoid long wait times. The drive was less than a half hour total, and we were lucky enough to get a view of the island just as the sun was starting to set. What a beautiful view! We were greeted by the Chelidonia staff, a young man likely in his late teens, who hoisted our two suitcases up onto his shoulders and made his way down the path to our villa with ease. Even with two suitcases he made better time than we did, carefully maneuvering the cobblestone steps. The villa we had chosen was a bit of a trek from the main part of town, a perfect secluded spot for honeymooners, but if you’re not up for a 5-10 minute walk to get up to the main street, you may want to ask for a villa with easier access.

Inside our villa, which also included a small kitchenette.

Our villa was absolutely amazing. A little apartment, really – an old residence that had been carved into the side of the island. The cave-like setting helped keep the villa cool during hot days, and was really quite cozy. It had a nice little kitchenette with fridge and hot plate as well, which was great for cooking a few simple meals in.  The best part, by far? We stepped out to this every morning:

What a view!

Because our villa was a bit off of the beaten path, it meant we found ourselves right on the edge of everything. It was almost as if we had a corner suite – with TWO verandas! One looked out onto Oia, the other out into the beautiful blue of the Aegean sea. Our daily routine included yogurt and honey in the morning (greek yogurt = heaven!), a few hours reading on our veranda until we got too hot from the mid-August sun, a nap, and a visit into town. There is lots to do on Santorini, very little of which we actually did. Usually our vacations are fairly jam packed with touring and exploring, but on this trip we did very little but relax and take in the beauty of Oia. We did take one day trip to Fira, which was quite easy by local bus. Mostly we just hung around Oia and sighed a lot as we took in the beauty of it all.

Definitely one of the most relaxing and most beautiful vacations I’ve ever been on. I hope I can make it back someday!

As noted in the last post, there is a page for each country in the CIA World Factbook. All have maps and and cover the same categories of facts. Additionally, there are a handful of photographs on some nations’ pages.

What is good about these is this statement that you find accompanying each thumbnail photo you click on:

Factbook photos – obtained from a wide variety of sources – are in the public domain and are copyright free.

But there are several odd things about these photos. The first is the absence of any reason why some countries have them and some don’t. For example, there are 15 photos of Jordan, and none of Iran or Iraq, 10 of Libya and none of Ethiopia, 11 each of Albania and Croatia, and none of Ukraine, Romania, or Bulgaria. The other is that by and large, these are tourist brochure shots: pyramids in Egypt, lions in Kenya.

But they are in the public domain, and it can be hard to find public domain photos of places outside the US since the understanding that photos taken by Federal employees on the job belong to the public is not an opinion globally shared.

So let’s start our world tour by meandering through Central Europe and the Balkans.

GREECE

Santorini, an island 120 miles southeast of mainland Greece.

14th century Rousanou Monastery, Meteora region, Greece

Poros, Greece

Parthenon, Athens, Greece

ALBANIA, CROATIA, SLOVENIA, HUNGARY, SLOVAKIA

The central tower of Petrela Castle outside Tirana, Albania, was erected around 500 A.D.

Tirana, Albania, and Mount Dajti, Dinaric Range

Looking down on Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik, a walled port city on the Adriatic Sea.

Predjama Castle, Slovenia, is built into a huge cave

Slovenia: Church of the Assumption and Bled Castle on Bled Island, and the Julian Alps.

The Danube River as seen from Buda; across the river in Pest is the Parliament Building. Buda and Pest united together are Budapest, Hungary.

Fortress outside Eger, Hungary

Bratislava Castle, Bratislava, Slovakia

Tatra mountains seen from rural Slovakia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Los científicos creen que hace más de 3000 años  la enorme erupción de Santorini produjo en el Mediterráneo oriental un tsunami que asoló las costas de Creta, Chipre, Egipto, Fenicia y Asia Menor.

Las devastadoras olas y las espesas nubes de ceniza tras la explosión causaron importantes cambios culturales en el Mediterráneo oriental durante décadas, incluso siglos.

Un nuevo trabajo de investigación científica publicado en la revista Geology ha encontrado rastros de la destrucción en esta zona. Durante décadas, los expertos han considerado que la erupción de Thera provocó el colapso de la civilización minoica cuando esta se hallaba en su apogeo. Es probable que el volcán estallara entre el 1630 a. C. y el 1550 a. C, durante la Edad del Bronce. Los últimos datos de los científicos griegos lo sitúan en el 1613- 14 a. C. 

Según los científicos, el tsunami y las espesas nubes de ceniza tras la explosión causaron importantes cambios culturales en el Mediterráneo oriental durante décadas, incluso siglos. Los geólogos consideran que esta erupción, que provocó el colapso de la civilización minoica, fue mayor y más violenta que la del Krakatoa en Indonesia en 1883 que mató a 36.000 personas. 

Investigadores de la Universidad de Haifa, el Hunter College de Nueva York,  la Universidad Makmaster de Canadá y la Universidad de Hawai han estudiado los efectos del tsunami en Israel. El equipo ha excavado en Cesarea, una ciudad costera de época romana poco poblada en el momento de la erupción de Thera.  

Los científicos han recogido muestras de los fondos marinos y han identificado claros signos de tsunamis en rocas volcánicas, fósiles y piedras similares a los encontrados en la playa. En el trabajo se informa de tres tsunamis, los dos ya conocidas de los años 115 d.C. y 551 d.C. y un tercero a partir de la erupción de Santorini. 

El tsunami dejó su huella:  una capa en el fondo del mar de piedras, fragmentos de roca y moluscos, todos con la misma orientación. Esta capa se encuentra a pocos metros bajo el lecho marino en aguas que alcanzan los 22 metros de profundidad. Estos resultados son la mejor evidencia que tenemos de que el tsunami de la erupción de Santorini abarcó todo el Mediterráneo oriental.

 La erupción de Santorini fue la mayor erupción volcánica que tuvo lugar en el mundo en 10.000 años y su investigación siempre ha fascinado a los científicos. Según los últimos datos de los científicos griegos, no es el único volcán que ha dispersado en la atmósfera 150 mil millones de toneladas de roca, pero supuso el comienzo de un invierno en el Egeo. El sol se ocultó y la temperatura descendió gradualmente en las Islas al menos dos grados centígrados.

En la primavera de 1613 o 1614 a. C. una enorme columna de ceniza comienza a elevarse hacia el cielo. Dos horas después, tras un ruido atronador, las cenizas y piedra pómez que ascienden de las profundidades de la tierra superan las 10 millas de altura. Más tarde, la altura de la columna alcanza las 35 ó 36 millas y los vientos dispersan en la estratosfera la mayor parte del material volcánico hacia el sur y sureste. Seis horas después, el cielo se cubre con 4,6 millones de toneladas de magma que cuando cae al suelo forma una capa de seis metros de espesor. Al poco tiempo de la explosión la supervivencia en la isla es totalmente imposible, ya que la concentración de ceniza en la atmósfera es superior a los límites y provoca asfixia. 

Así describen la explosión científicos griegos del Instituto de Geología y Exploración Mineral (IGME) y el Centro Griego para la Investigación Marina (HCMR) en un estudio con colegas de los EE.UU. de la American University de Rhode Island en Santorini. 

Los expertos han concluido que la explosión tuvo lugar en cuatro fases. Durante las tres últimas se habría formado la caldera que provocó olas de 20 metros de altura que golpearon el Mediterráneo oriental.

Imagen: Wikimedia Commons. Imagen aérea de Santorini, donde se aprecia el contorno de la caldera volcánica

Leído en Ta Nea

A partir de hoje começo uma série de entrevistas com profissionais do mundo casamentício para ajudar as noivas a sanarem algumas dúvidas.

Célia Lanzadera

10 dúvidas SOBRE LUA DE MEL que toda noiva tem antes de casar:

1. Fale um pouco sobre você e seu trabalho:

Sou uma pessoa apaixonada por línguas e viagens, por isto, apesar de ser formada em Química Industrial, resolvi seguir a carreira de agente de viagens. Há 15 anos possuo uma operadora de turismo que no início era especializada em Pacotes de Esqui, mas atendendo à demanda dos clientes e também à necessidade de diversificação, criei diferentes nichos de viagem, sendo o de Lua de Mel através de cotas, um dos principais e mais procurados.

2. Quero que meu casamento seja diferente. Em que você pode colaborar para isto acontecer?

Acredito que no conjunto de serviços que envolvem um casamento, a Viagem de Lua de Mel, seria o que se pode chamar de “A Cereja do Bolo”, pois como tudo no casamento ela tem de ser perfeita, pois será esta viagem que fechará com chave de ouro toda a magia do casamento.

3. Com quanto tempo de antecedência devo te procurar para fechar um evento?

No caso de uma viagem de núpcias, o ideal seria o processo começar com um ano de antecedência, para que todo o roteiro possa ser meticulosamente analisado e os noivos terem uma idéia de custo. Além disso, quanto maior a antecedência maior a chance de se conseguir boas tarifas.

4. O que é IN e o que é OUT em viagem de lua de mel?

No caso da viagem, o IN e OUT são discutíveis, porque a decisão do destino da viagem de Lua de Mel, tem de ser tomada a dois, levando em conta o que cada um dos noivos sonha para este momento.

5. Estou começando a organizar meu casamento agora. Que dicas você me daria?

Alguns fatores são muito importantes na escolha do destino da Lua de Mel, um deles seria casal ter a noção do número de dias disponíveis para todo o roteiro e das condições climáticas que irão encontrar, pois dependendo do período do ano, alguns locais podem se tornar totalmente incompatíveis.

6. Me conta alguma história interessante (pode ser boa ou ruim) que você já tenha presenciado num casamento?

São muitas as estórias que envolvem o planejamento de uma Lua de Mel, mas teve uma que foi marcante para mim. A noiva queria um lugar quente e com praia e o noivo um local frio e com montanha. Foi muito difícil de administrar isto, mas após longas conversas e muita troca de emails, consegui apaziguar os ânimos, dividindo a viagem em duas partes, envolvendo continentes diferentes, e agradando a ambos.

7. Como é possível fazer uma lua de mel boa, bonita e barata?

A palavra chave para esta pergunta seria PLANEJAMENTO. Uma viagem planejada com antecedência e levando em conta o budget que o casal tem para ser gasto, pode sim, ser boa, bonita e barata. Existem lugares maravilhosos que fora da alta temporada, costumam ser ótimas opções.

8. Qual o diferencial do seu trabalho em relação aos outros profissionais da sua área?

Em primeiro lugar acho que o fato de já ter viajado muito e conhecer bastante o meu trabalho, pode ajudar bastante aos noivos na hora de escolher o destino da Lua de Mel. Além disto, por ser uma agência de pequeno porte, tenho total condição de oferecer um serviço personalizado na elaboração da viagem. Como gosto muito do que faço, não há como não haver um envolvimento pessoal neste planejamento, e é por isto que considero como a minha maior motivação, ver os noivos voltarem da viagem felizes e com lembranças inesquecíveis.

9. Se você não puder me atender por qualquer motivo, quem você indicaria?

Certamente recomendaria algum profissional de minha total confiança e que teria o mesmo comprometimento que tenho para com meus clientes.

10. Onde posso conhecer melhor o seu trabalho?

Através do meu site ou melhor ainda, agendando um horário para uma boa conversa a três, através do telefone 4063-5148

Santorini - Grécia, durante minha lua de mel programada pela Skiviking

Beautiful Santorini

How many pictures have you seen with the beautiful blue and white of Santorini?  It is one of the places that never disappoints me.  Luckily this time we are in the age of digital cameras because Kodak made a fortune selling film on earlier trips.

We came by ship, so we tendered in to the bottom cable car station.  We had a bit of a wait (15 minutes or so)  to get tickets to get on the cable car.  It was 4 euros each way.  Some in our group walked up the hill, and said it was an okay walk (not too strenuous) but you had to dodge the donkeys and the donkey droppings which made the stairs slippery.  No one chose to ride the donkeys which I understand can be a bumpy, smelly and fearful!  I think the cable car was the better choice.  The cable car takes you to the town of Fira and all the shops and restaurants nearby.  We went straight to our bus and drove to the Santos winery.  The wine was good, but the scenery was even better!

We then went to Oia Village (pronounced “E ah”).  Each street, doorway and shop is a picture stop.  You see the beautiful Greek churches with their blue domes and the whitewashed buildings.  The doorways seem to lead to nowhere, but there are steps on the other side of the doorways that lead down to homes tucked along the cliff side.  The cobblestone streets are full of artist galleries, shops and restaurants, and there are many places you can get to beautiful panoramic views.

My daughter and her husband honeymooned in Oia – I will have her add a few words from someone lucky enough to spend a week in Santorini and not just one day cruise stop.  There is an airport serving Santorini with a few flights daily from Athens.

By Dian Hasan | November 19, 2009

What would a resort stay experience be without a pool? Unthinkable for today’s travelers. They’ve come a long way, playing a central role in creating a distinctive experience and the common denominator as a social hub. Integral to a hotel’s brand identity. Here’s a glance at some of world’s most gorgeous resort pools, sharing the same traits regardless of their locale: sexy and chic!