After a late, light breakfast of fresh fruit and yoghurt, and another disgusting cup of filter coffee, I went off exploring Oia, where we are staying.

I started by walking to the famous place at Oia where everyone goes to watch the sunset, which is an old run down castle and church. A young local guy, Panos, came along with his dog to sit and have a cigarette and I started talking to him, as I tend to do with strangers! After chatting for a bit Panos helped show me how I could climb past and beyond the "keep out" sign and barrier to get a better look at the church and castle. It was a bit of a tricky climb (and I wish I had worn long pants instead of a dress!) but Panos helped me navigate the way - and it wasn't unpleasant at all having a good-lookin, 20-something year old local Greek guy put his hands on my bum to help me climb down the rock wall!! Ha ha!! It was great to see inside this old, run-down church and to know that I was getting to see something that not all the other tourists here got to see. Actually, I felt like a kid again exploring some fantastic new place with a friend.

After scrambling back up to the usual lookout platform, I met Liliana, a really lovely, friendly young university student from Columbo. She lives in Eix en Provence in France and is studying Foreign Relations. We decided to walk all the way down the 130+ steps to the bay way below to have lunch at a taverna that Panos recommended to us owned bu his friend Stavros and to check out a small rock island where locals go to swim. It was well worth the rather strenuous walk. Liliana and I shared some bread and taramasalata, grilled calimari and Greek salad and I tried a glass of the local Santorini white wine. The food, and friendly company, were both excellent. We even scored a glass of the local sweet dessert wine (can't remember it's name) on the house! All this fantastic food and drink for only €15 each! Food is really, really cheap in Greece!

I wanted to find the small rocky island that is separated from the mainland of the island by about ten metres of rather deep deep water. I can see this small island from the balcony of the place I am staying at called Virginia's caves. As soon as I saw the little island after arriving at Oia I wanted to find out how to get to it. So Liliana and I gathered some vague instructions from Stavros and went off exploring to find the island. The rocky path around the edge of the cliff was mostly ok, apart from where it had collapsed in places!! Through these sections, we had to scramble and climb over the rather jagged volcanic rocks, which was a bit tricky, but ok. Some sections of the path were reduced to 30cm wide concrete retaining walls, which I was a bit worried about falling off because of my recent bout of vertigo. But we both made it ok and we're able to find the most quiet, tranquil spot in Oia to dangle our feet in the freezing cold water. After 4.00pm sometime we watched the Blue Star ferry boat, that I had caught over to Santorini the previous day, pass by in the Chanel between us and the next island. I wished that I had packed my swimming togs so that I could have swum even though it was cold. I may just have to buy one just so I can go for a swim tomorrow!

After this fun expedition we then had to make our way back up to the top of the cliffs of Oia by climbing the 130+ steps again!! We could have hired one of the many donkeys on offer (only €5!! Ha ha!!), but we didn't! We took our time and made it all the way back up, and even went further so that we could take each other's photos in front of one of the famous Santorini windmills!

Thanks to serendipity and Panos, Stacros and Liliani, I had a really fun day today!