Akrotiri

In the morning we took a couple of local buses and visited Akrotiri, a Minoan Bronze Age settlement which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption sometime in the 16th century BC and buried in ash. That preserved the remains of fine frescoes and many objects and artworks, most of which have been moved to various museums. Akrotiri started being excavated in 1967. The settlement has been suggested as a possible inspiration for Plato's story of Atlantis.

The excavation is named after a nearby modern village. The name of the ancient village remains unknown. The modern roof structure which protects the site collapsed just prior to its completion in 2005, killing one visitor but no damage was caused to the antiquities. The site was closed to visitors for seven years until reopening in 2012.

The trip to the site was worth it just for the views from the bus. We also passed many vineyards and wineries. The grapes just grow as they are, no wires or posts. Picking must be back breaking.

After lunch we went back to our cave-house accommodation, packed for our first ferry trip, and took our last looks at the spectacular view, and yet another wedding couple being photographed.

The drive to the ferry was down a very steep zigzag road. At the the ferry terminal we met up with our Canadian friends Doug and Carolyn who are travelling round the rest of the islands with us.

Only we seemed surprised that the 6.30 p.m. ferry would be late. It's always late apparently and no one expected it before 8.30 so we settled in at a bar. The ferry, a catamaran, eventually arrived and we left before 9.00 p.m. The bumpy ride wasn't pleasant so not all were up for dinner at Folegandros. Again our arrival in the dark means we can't wait for the morning to see what our new island looks like.

Yamas.