Santorini | WTN? Canaves Oia Suites | Highlight - Temple of Poseidon

Dear Traveler,

I have some exciting news to share today!

But first I want to touch on two other things...

Our world and the travel industry are once again going through some challenge times - significant ones like the war in Israel and other ones like many more last minute cancelled flights, lost bags, continued high demand and prices and a mixed bag of service levels. I think it's worth talking about the impact of these to help you understand what you and I have control over and what we don't. I will save this topic most likely for next week and hope it gives you some insights to help manage expectations as you plan your adventures.

For now, I'm going to share more about my trip to Greece so you know some of the amazing experiences you can have in this beautiful country!

Note:

While traveling last week I had some technical issues. The newsletter did not save properly so the text of the details for the Highlight - Tsachpinis in Paros was not included. It's now fixed and you can read about it here.

The country of Greece is FULL of special moments, places and people. Today I will focus on Santorini and a bit on Athens.

Did you know that Santorini has 330+ days of sunshine a year?!

My trip dates (October 12-21) are considered at the very end of the season, as some hotels and restaurants on the islands had already closed. However we had spectacular 70-75 degree sunny days every single day! Combine that with fewer people and I can not think of a more perfect time to be in Greece. Of course weather is different every year, so there are no guarantees, but this trip solidified in my mind the benefit of traveling in the shoulder season vs peak dates.

One of the favorite things to do in Santorini is watch the sunset. And there are many places to do this. One of my personal favorites is from Ammoudi Bay - on my last two trips to Santorini we went there. And you can see why below.

After dark at Ammoudi...

Many of my clients, especially with teenagers and college kids, love meeting local artisans and having hands on experiences. In Santorini we went to a local pottery studio to learn about the methods they use to make beautiful pieces and try out making some on our own. I chose to make a chubby pitcher that I plan to use for cream or maple syrup.

Most of you consider yourselves foodies, so having culinary experiences is also a priority. Those include visiting local markets and off the beaten path restaurants, cooking classes, back of the house kitchen tours, tasting tours, wine tasting and Michelin star meals.

Santorini is known world-wide for their delicious wine. During our trip we had a cooking class - you can see me making tomato fritters below (delish!) and did wine tasting.

Another favorite for all of you - being active.

DING DING DING DING!!!

The blaring radar alarm from my iPhone woke me from a solid slumber at 6:15a. It was pitch black outside and my idea from yesterday to wake early and hike from Thira to Oia as the sun rose felt unfortunate in this moment. However in addition to our guide, four of my colleagues and partners agreed to join me. I wasn't going to be a no-show. It was time to get out of bed.

We were squeezing in this hike before everyone else was awake and we were under time pressure to make it back to shower before our 8:45a departure for our full day.

Arsenio, our guide, was happy we were all on time. He was also pleased to be able to accommodate our last minute request that he squeezed in before another client's hike at the more respectable hour of 10a. He has a great job!

From the windows of our van, I observed the deep black sky, while the sparkle of a few stars still remained from the night. As we reached our starting point the sun's glow was just peaking above the horizon. I knew we were in for a treat.

The trail was rocky, but nothing that required more than decent gym shoes. It's an old donkey trail that was used heavily when donkeys were the main form of transportation until the 1960s.

The harsh weather conditions, with relentless sun, little rain and strong winds at certain times of year, pummel the vegetation and it shows. What survives are prickly pear cactus, scrubby bushes and fragrant wild thyme, oregano and sage. Arsenio told me that in spring the sides of the trail are blanketed in thyme and its purple flowers.

Photos don't do this hike justice. When you come to Santorini (you must!) absolutely put this hike on your itinerary. Especially during sunrise or sunset.

Tip: at sunrise you have it to yourself!

There is another must-do when you are on Santorini - getting out in a boat on the water. See more details below in this week's Where to Next.

And now for some exciting news to share... you may know that you can find every issue of the newsletter going back 2 1/2 years on the Truvay Travel website here. Starting August 8, instead of a simple link to the newsletter on another platform, we have recreated the content of the newsletter on the webpage.

Why is that important?

Because we've also added a search bar!

Now you can search on a specific place that you may recall reading about but don't remember the name, or you can search on a destination you are dreaming about visiting to see what I've written about it or look up any of the articles I've posted. Prior to August 8, the only searchable words are those in the subject line of the email. But starting August 8, the search results will display anything that was included in the email.

Enjoy!

This week's inspiring articles include 7 secret hotels, luxury trips to Peru, adventuring to other countries to see Taylor Swift live on tour, the best destinations around the world for a girls' getaway and the 6 most adventurous hotels in the world (I stayed at #1 last year and it was over the top!).

The informational articles include the what the US State Department's worldwide travel advisory really means and why it's so important for kids to travel.

Warmly,

Mimi

Below:

• This week's highlight - Temple of Poseidon
• Where to Next? Canaves Collection
• Articles to Inspire+Inform

Click here to continue reading this week's newsletter.