10/22 - Santorini, Greece

10/22 - The 21st was another sea day as we had to forego Mykonos after the tragedy. It was somewhat somber, but everyone did their best to maintain an upbeat feel as it was vacation. Some were still sleepy since we weren't allowed back to the staterooms until around 1:30am. Ended up doing a lot of the activities again, from being a horse jockey (basically moving horse pieces during a horse race you could bet on) to the usual dancing in the disco club from 11pm til 3am.

October 22. Today, I turned 28 yrs old. I haven't looked forward to a birthday, much less wanted to celebrate one in 9 or so years. Today, it wasn't just another day in October. It was my birthday, damnit. Santorini... I'd seen pictures of white-washed houses and shops with blue rooftops... This is the place. I woke up around 10am considering I'd been up late. I skipped out on breakfast, and we had to leave for shore just when lunch was starting so... no food for me.

No one told me the first stop on this excursion was wine tasting... So, for brunch, I tried three different types of wines, preferring the one called Vinsanto, a dessert wine. A good deal of wine tasting... Making sure that it really was Vinsanto that I liked and not the other two. and then verifying that by trying them out again.

So we got back on the bus after the wine tasting and picture taking and continued on. I met a Greek girl in a shop there and also got a picture with her. Really cute. Also picked up some hand paintings on canvas (the other shops only sold reprinted lithographs at high prices, while this one shop had real paintings for lesser). I am thousands of miles away from home. I am buying these paintings because one, I liked the views... two, I wanted REAL oil on canvas paintings even from an unknown than reprint/lithographs from someone known...but the funny thing so I can tie on the fact that I am thousands of miles from home? The store owner actually once lived in my hometown. And as I paid for the item... small world. The girl I met earlier happened to be the shopkeeper's daughter. Smiles exchanged again, and once again, it was time to go.