Two travel-loving friends spend a relaxing, restorative and restful time on the Greek island of Santorini.
Written by Leslie Criss | Photographs Contributed by Camille Lebel
In September 2023, dear friends Camille Lebel and Kris Curtiss set off on an international adventure to discover a new place.
Lebel (a native of Tupelo) and Curtiss, who both live in Memphis, realized early in 2023 they shared a passion for travel, and Greece was a destination on each of their bucket lists. They signed on to take a trip to Greece that summer with a group of women, but just days before the trip, Lebel and Curtiss were diagnosed with COVID and could not go.
So, they decided to plan their own Grecian adventure.
Lebel had taken a Greek cruise with her husband Charlie a decade ago, and the cruise ship stopped at a different island daily, so she’d had an opportunity to see a general overview of the country and carefully considered to which island she’d like to return.
“Trying to select one island in Greece seemed like trying to select only one chocolate from the box as a child,” Lebel said. “But we finally decided on Santorini.”
Santorini is a small island in the southern Aegean Sea. It’s known for its rare natural beauty, the views of the underwater caldera (crater) and the extraordinary volcanic beaches made of black, red and white lava pebbles. It was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century B.C. Santorini’s two primary towns, Fira and Oia, are recognized by their white-washed houses with blue roofs built among the cliffs.
Preparing for the trip mainly involved the two friends making plans to miss work: Curtiss is a therapist; Lebel, an educator. And with nine children between them, the women had to see everything would be taken care of during their absence. Otherwise, they opted to see what Greece had in store for them rather than follow any itinerary.
“When the kids are along on trips, I am the planner,” Lebel said. “If we go to Disney World, I know what we will be doing every moment, from 6 a.m. on.”
This trip was different, she said. “Except for getting our tickets and reserving a hotel, we planned nothing. No real schedule, just very relaxing and spontaneous.”
The two found plenty to do — from strolling through shops; visiting nearby towns like Oia, Fira, Kamari, Perissa and Megalochori; treating themselves to massages and hydrotherapy at Acroterra Rosa spa; visiting beaches; and taking a catamaran cruise that included swimming in volcanic-warmed waters, a dance party, cliff views and delicious food.
“I cannot overstate the magnificence of the food in Greece,” Lebel said. “Even now, it’s what we talk about the most; it’s what we miss the most. There was no such thing as a bad meal. Even the gas station food was delicious, fresh and usually healthy.”
Only one meal in their eight days in Santorini was planned — when the two were invited by a couple they’d met on the catamaran cruise to join them at a beautiful restaurant on a dock over the water.
“The freshest and most delicious seafood,” Lebel said. “The rest of the time, when we were hungry, we were always about 10 feet away from some adorable cafe on the beach that served a menu of traditional Greek foods like chicken and other meats grilled on a skewer (souvlaki), Baklava, stuffed grape leaves (dolmades), feta cheese soaked in honey, and always cheeses and olives.”
Their favorite meal of the day was breakfast. At their hotel, Elements of Caldera Suites, breakfast was served each morning on the porch area of their suite.
“Breakfast included an incredible number of options. The same guy would show up each morning with this giant wooden tray loaded with every imaginable breakfast item,” Lebel said. “The first morning, we tried to be polite and dainty, only choosing a couple of offerings. The next day, we chose a few more. By our last day, we had everything on the menu.”
Often joining the two for breakfast were a few of the Santorini cats, something for which the island is famous. The island is home to a large population of stray cats of all colors and sizes.
Lebel and Curtiss would likely agree the final night of their trip was one of their favorites. Along with others, the two visited the Akrotiri Lighthouse, which rests atop one of the many cliffs.
“You get this 360-degree view of the water, all the boats coming in at the end of the day,” Lebel said. “It’s restorative and peaceful. And there are a lot of people there, but it’s so quiet. It’s like all these people of different ages and from so many different places collectively decided this is a moment restoring our souls and no one is going to talk. It’s magical.”
Commenti