Italy and Greece: Day 11

thI can't believe we've made it this far! There is only one day left until we head home. I know we're all missing home and are excited to be reunited with everyone. Let me recap the day for you.

The wake-up call today wasn't as bad as yesterday, but it was still 6am...We had our breakfast and waited for our group to be called. The boat was able to dock at the port, so no tender boats. We walked right off onto dry land and immediately loaded our bus for our excursion to Knossos, the Minoan Palace. The Minoan's were a civilization that was around over 4000 years ago. They were extremely advanced and had developed things far beyond their time. For example, they had pipes to bring water into the palace. They had amphitheaters well before the Romans or Greeks. When the Minoan society was destroyed by a volcano and subsequent tidal wave in 1500 BCE, a lot of their knowledge went with them. Many of the techniques they had already discovered were lost, and had to be reinvented again.

Our guide took us through the palace and explained many of the things that were discovered as the site was excavated. She also told us about the legend of the Minotaur, which is how the Minoans came to be. After our walking tour, we were given free time in the city. A Starbucks break was in the near future. Fully refreshed, we got back on the boat, stopped in for some lunch, and then started making our way to Santorini! There may have been some naps taken to fully refresh.

We arrived at Santorini excited and ready to explore! This was the moment everyone was waiting for. Our excursion on this island was a trip to the village Oia. This is the place where all of the pictures of Santorini are usually taken. The bus ride was full of twist and turns and up steep switchbacks. Did I mention that Santorini has cliffs on 3 of its sides? Half of the island fell into the sea after a volcano erupted. Remember the Minoans? This was the same eruption that wiped them out. We made it to Oia and were immediately given free time to explore and take pictures. The views were AMAZING. I can't say I've seen anything more beautiful in my life. The houses are white, the cliffs are dark, the ocean is blue and it all works together so perfectly. Our time was not long enough. Before we knew it, the bus was there, ready to take us down. We said goodbye to Oia, but I have a feeling some of us will be back.

The bus didn't take us down at all. In fact, it took us further up! We ended near the cable car at approximately 1000 feet above sea level, the highest point on the island. It was a little scary and thrilling at the same time. The cable car definitely moved faster than I thought it should, but we made it down in one piece. The tender boats took us back just in time for dinner. Since it was our last night on the cruise, we had dinner as a family (that's what the kids like to call us!) There was pasta, mashed potatoes, salad, antipasto and so much more. I turned in after that, but I know there was karaoke and dancing to be had by the kids. Hopefully they got enough sleep for our last day in Greece tomorrow!!! Enjoy the pictures :)