Old Blue Door, Pyrgos in Santorini

Today I took the bus to the medieval village of Pyrgos which is the highest village on the island and was once the capital of Santorini. I was there last year for Holy Friday for which the village is famous. In addition to the Greek Orthodox Holy Friday Service, including the procession of the Epitaphios , the village is ablaze with lanterns on every wall and rooftop and can be seen from miles around. This unique way of celebrating Holy Friday, instituted just a few years ago, has put Pyrgos on the tourist map, but otherwise it is the village least spoilt by tourism on the island.

Today's visit was more tranquil and I enjoyed an outdoor lunch at Franco's, a famous cafe at the very top of the hill. It was cold and windy but I enjoyed good music and panoramic views of the whole island. In spite of the beautiful views and scenes around Pyrgos, this door was my favourite capture of the day!

After visiting Pyrgos, I walked all the way back to my hotel, 7km away. The walk itself was unremarkable, but I did stop at Santo Winery, just outside Pyrgos for a very brief wine tasting while soaking up the view of the Caldera. I made it back to Firostefani just in time for a delicious dinner of Greek mezes while watching the sunset. The restaurant was busy but I was the only guest brave enough to sit outside and the staff thought I was pretty crazy!