Having spent last night at anchor in the lee of Nea Kameni gazing up at the twinkling lights of Fira and Oia, the two principal villages on the island of Thira, we were excited to get a jump on our day on Santorini. Luckily, the transfer into our tenders went smoother this morning than yesterday as the winds had laid down during the night. Soon we were in our coaches bound for Oia along  the lower road that weaves in and out of the farms and small boutique hotels that dot the eastern plain of the island.

Oia, once the home to many a wealthy mariner before it was almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1956 , clings to the cliffs on the northern end of the Thira. Famous for its skaftia (cave) houses, sunsets, pastel-colored houses draped in purple and scarlet bougainvillea, and blue domed churches—Oia is a delightful place to spend a couple of hours doing photography and browsing the galleries and shops for those last-minute gifts to take home. Most of the shops were still shuttered when we arrived so we had the streets to ourselves for the first hour—a bonus to be sure!

The highlight of the day had to be the extraordinary lunch of mezedes we had Nektario’s Taverna in Pirgos. Homemade bread and white Santorini wine waited for us on the tables before they brought out the chopped shepherd’s salad. Tomato fritters—hot out of the fryer—and the bougiourdi (recipe to follow), followed in quick order. The local fava beans were cooked, pureed and served with chopped onions, salted capers, and olive oil on top. The island is famous for its cherry tomatoes and they were served, baked and stuffed with seasoned rice. Gilled white eggplant and keftedes (Greek meatballs) rounded out the meal—and to think this is what most people have as starters before the main course. The house specialty—orange sponge cake made with filo—was served for dessert. This truly is what travel is about—experiencing not just the sites, but the tastes and smells of a peaceful village, away from the crowds

Bougiourdi

Fill a small shallow casserole with soft, crumbled feta cheese. Top with diced cherry tomatoes, slivers of green pepper, dried onion flakes, a few drops of Tabasco sauce and drizzle with olive oil. Put in either a toaster oven or broil in a regular oven just until the cheese starts to bubble. Serve hot with fresh bread or crackers.