When you think of Greece, you think of the Greek Gods. The land was made for and by the gods. It shows in every city and every island. You can easily get swept away with its color and charm. And let us not forget about the food. I have eaten all over the world and the Greek Mediterranean diet is one of my favorites. I decided to concentrate on one island that I have been dreaming of going to for years. That island is no other than the amazing Santorini.

But before you enter the jaw dropping islands, you have to pass through Athens. I love athens. I have been here before. Since I was here for just one night, I wanted to live like a local. I seeked out some art and culture. Luckily enough there happened to be The Athens Art Festival. I decided to attend the African dance version of Swan Lake. After buses and trains and walking many miles. I was outside my comfort zone (which I love) and far from city center. I was of course lost yet again. I finally found the warehouse theaters, and it was worth everything. It was breathtaking, beautiful, and tragic. Happy with my night, I had to get ready for my early ferry to Santorini.

The island lived up to it’s very big shoes it had to fill. I could feel the Greek magic over take me as I pulled into port. I wanted to beach hop, and the island is way to big to walk. We figured 4 wheels were safer than 2, so we rented an ATV. We were a little naive. It was scary, but we managed to explored the entire island. I wanted to see the famous sunset and eat fish. I did both, everyday. I saw the red beach and the black sand. We toured and sampled local wines at Santos Winery. At the winery the views could be one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. We finished our last night by riding our ATV to a local outdoor movie theater. We had no idea what to expect, but were just excited to see an English movie. And it just happened to be Pompeii. We were there just weeks before. And the magical little theater might have been my favorite thing on the island. It was all outdoors with recliner chairs and jazz playing in the background. You could drink wine and beer and sit among new friends. We all couldn’t help but share in each other complete happiness in the moment. It didn’t matter what movie was playing. It was the perfect night.

I was very happy with my last hurrah of European island hopping ending in Santorini. I was once told by a friend that Santorini was the only place she had ever been that looked better in person than it’s google images. It is true. It’s hard to explain how gorgeous the island is without experiencing it firsthand. Everyone out there make sure the Greek islands are on your bucket list. The gods created them for a reason!