The new day dawned to a wonderful spectacle from our little nook outside the room.
We walked down from the room for breakfast at the restaurant, which was at the same level as the pool.
After brekker, we set off towards the bus stop, a 5 minute walk along the cliff face.
We boarded the bus for the 20 minute ride into Fira, getting off at the bus station which is a stone's throw away from the centre. We walked up the street and into the Archaeological Museum of Thira, which is well known for its wall paintings.
Civilisation on Thira existed eons ago, and by all accounts they were an intellient and creative people. The wall paintings here are luminescent and its great to be able to see them up close. The one below, fondly referred to as the "Blue Monkeys" is from the 17th century BC, you read that right, 17th Century BC.
The museum also has numerous urns, vases, receptacles and other artefacts.
The wall painting below is called the "Women with the Lilies". It was fascinating to read about the process of creating these frescoes. The wall was prepared with mortar and straw before a layer of plaster and stucco was applied. The design was then roughly sketched onto the surface, and painting began while the surface was still damp so that the colours applied penetrated the plaster.
The iconic Cycladic figure.
These are fossilised olive tree leaves from the layers of the caldera of Thira dating back to 60000 BP.
We exited the gem of a museum and wandered onto the main cliffside promenade of the city.
We decided to go to one of the places highly recommended by one and all - Selene, for lunch. The path to the restaurant was lined with amazing views.
Post lunch, we returned to the main promenade and walked around for the afternoon, taking in the views and browsing the shops.
The donkeys that ferry people up the hillside from the old port below were getting done by early evening.
It was time to grab a spot to watch the sunset, and we found the Rumeli cafe, with a nice terrace to catch all the action.
The views of the town framed in the setting sun were simply amazing.
As the sun bid adieu in a blaze of gold, the lights started coming on in town.
The best colours, as always, came after the sun had long dipped its head beneath the horizon.
We walked back to the bus station and took our bus back to Oia. After a quick freshening up, we walked into the village, which was very quiet today, on account of their being no cruise ships berthed. We had a quiet dinner at the Pherentini restaurant.
We walked back to the hotel and our cozy cave and turned in.
