Picnic on the horseshoe devil
The end of the world here once was. On a blooming island in the Aegean Sea, there was a culture that competed with Egypt and Babylon. And suddenly – a post of fire to heaven, instead of a white day around Black Maglaes and the sea inserted. From the island and the Great Culture remained in the midst of the Waters only to fly from the Underworld Satan. Over time, she stepped slightly, weathered and kept kept. Gulls were sitting on her, and then people reached the damned gods. At the edges of the horseshoe, on the cliffs of a half-kilometer height, they began to sculpt their toy houses and paint them in different fun. So reborn Santorin.
Why doesn’t the most expensive hotels of the immense Greek archipelago nest on this brown of the lava? Why there are jewelry stores on a unit of urban square, perhaps more than in any European capital? Why is the island of you inexorably, subconsciously pulls, as soon as you find yourself within the radius of three hundred kilometers from this ex "Black hole"? Understand this without having been in Santorine, it is impossible.
My friend and I went there from Heraklion, the capital of the island of Crete, by a banal way to order an excursion in the hotel. Getting to Santorina is easily and from Athens – or on the local plane (a few flights daily), or on a boat. Audine, however, drags on all the islands lying on the road, and such a walk lasting 10-15 hours is unlikely to make sense, if you are not going to spend on a volcano at least a few days.
Slightly climbed us at the hotel at the hotel and, according to the custom, traveled on the Cretan coast a few more innovations, brought sleepy and boring tours to the board of a multipalubous tourist ferry. Three-hour tenting and decks on the decks, of course, does not deserve any attention – if only after "Returns of the ends" not start drinking immediately and a lot. But not in the cocks, we went, the right! I wanted to remember something, most importantly and essentially. With the lack of sleep quietly, I sat down in one corner, then in another and, spoiling a nose to the guide, deepened in the story of an amazing island.
Yes, there was once, four thousand years ago, the Great Mediterranean Civilization. The legendary king Minos, which ruled by Crete and nearby Islands, the mysterious Knos Palace-Maze, Mutant Minotavr, wandering around the palace basements. Judging by the archaeological finds (for the most part, they are presented in the magnificent exposition of the museum in Heraklion), it was the brightest, most cheerful and most peaceful of all the most ancient civilizations. And in the XV century BC, the most powerful eruption in the history of mankind happened. One of the islands, which, twenty-five centuries, will be called the name of Holy Irina (Santa-Irini), flew out of the ground, as if a burdens from a barrel with a victorious wine. According to scientists, the power of the explosion was four times stronger than in the monstrous eruption of Krakatau in 1877, and even in the distant Scandinavia, all living things should have shuddered from the thunder, distributed among the clear sky – the fountain of the hot lava broke out out. The height of the tsunami wave, which shown on the parties, reached 210 meters! Crete’s coast shook off the earth and was covered with a huge wave. There is a hypothesis that the legend of the death of Atlantis – "Historical shadow" that unprecedented catastrophe.
Later legend states that the heroes of the harsh and unpretentious tribe of Doriytsev began to prevent the first on the lunar surface of Santorina. Well, then – who was not here. At different times, the island belonged to Athens, Ptolemies of Egypt, Romans, Byzantine. Then – Robber Venetian Admirals. Still somehow – and you won’t speak! – Duchy Naksossky. In the XVI century, the island went to the great pirate of Mediterranean, Turku Highraddin Barbarossa, a red beard. But he gave Santorin his Spanish "Bratka", Avenue and Bangangan José Nasi. Then pirates and other lovers to fight and rob finally increased, and a small hedlemented folk, who has masted here, together with seagulls and lichens – monks, farmers and cattle workers, – was able to breathe calmly on earth, which, meanwhile, continued to shook. It is slightly, then as it should, no one, right, even in the hottest prayers did not care that someday the river will flow here "Easy Money" unarmed and celebrating resort public.
Meanwhile, the sun rose, the Aegean waves festively spurred, the wind warmed, and I noticed a dark robust with a clear white cut – exactly the mountain range with a non-snowing cap. It was implanted that the whole island is shrouded in a weak, fluctuating whitening haze. It was easy to write off this effect on an area of view, but the illusion did not pass.
When the ferry entered the inner space of the horseshoe, this almost illusory haze pulled the blue over her head, and – a new illusion? – There was a clear feeling that I was inside a certain field of high tension, some aura, bunch of energies. Then the water space and formed just at the site of the middle part of the island, once soared to heaven. We sailed past two brown, completely lifeless islets, which was sticking out of the water in almost the center "Lake". This is how, quite miniature and harmless, it looks like a volcanic crater.
White Kaimka on the cliff was nothing but the main city of Santorina fir. From the bottom, from the sea, he looked decorative stucco on the cornice, such as architectural "crackers". What was our surprise when the main, the most dense part of the city really turned out to be stucco on dizzying height! What kind of people?! There would be no push the town away from the edge to the depths of the island! Why praise each other, increasing almost negative angles over the abyss? What is the challenge of fate? It is impossible to believe that all these acrobatic tricks under the circus dome are arranged specifically for tourists – so that those threading heads, spawned mouths and lurished baseball caps. Mind is incomprehensible!
Another when we rose to the city by bus, we had fun of the guide, the our Kontrick Girl, Boyko Lopota in different languages. But, of course, the excursion went in English, and the girl, making a harsh face, began to say that the sleep of the old volcano is becoming more restless that from the middle of the last century he is increasingly rich and boils, and in general, the big-predicted shakes are waiting for a year. Everyone in silence looked at the wonderful "Swallow nests", After all, it is worth a striking – and they all fall down.
In fact, the town consists of two parallel streets, similar to the foaming thermal moves. On the main tourist "Broadway", The width of the meter of one and a half, the dense mass of curious ants is always moving. Both sides of the street – solid and, alas, not a remarkable "Jewelirka". But the current all the time sticks out something from it and carries out in the stream – although prices are not lower than in Athens or in Heraklion. No reason – oh, no reason! – Hadican Devil Unisana by this Golden Necklace.
Flowing out of the stream, we jarled into the world into some lanes – and found themselves in the three-dimensional labyrinth of the ladder and courtyards hanging over the sea. There were many warning signs: step to the side – and the fate of Ikara is prepared for you.
Yes, there was beauty, behind these pictures was worth come. Of course, residents turned their courtyards to the scenery for photography. But with what love! What designer shine! White avant-garde cubes with arched impurches (this is to withstand earthquake), blue doors, red and yellow corners. Something among the puppet cartoon and the most fashioned showroom. For three quarters, the city from the abyss is a multi-storey open cafe in which charming chokes with bright blue making.
Volcano, the main threat of this beauty, looked from here a black shapeless cake in the middle of the sea. The breeze came from him barely noticeable sulfur smell. It was possible to go there on the boat. Only not in the resort shoes – nothing should burn the soles – and better with the respirator. Earth there in places hot, sulfuric spirit is still the sea around, as in the procedural bath Sanatorium. But the full sense of the primacy of the world. Many will have to do.
What is still famous for Santorin, it is a small volcanic beach and its special, ancient wine. Well, the beach – he is the beach, only. black. You lie on it and stabbing, like potatoes in ash. But wine is a separate story.
Wine – red, called "Visant" And it is done exactly how basically his ancient Greeks did. That is, first the collected bunches of grapes for a long time – to a certain drying action – withstand on metal lattices under the open sun. Subsequent processes are to ensure that the drink turns out as strong as possible for dry wine – something about 14 degrees.
It happened that the time of staying on the island has already approached the end, and we also have drops of this rare wine in the language. Returning to the Fir, we already tired, they began to abandon how proteins, down-top taverns. I quickly asked a cup in English "Visant". To our first unpleasant surprise to find the desired was not easy. It was the beginning of the fifth afternoon – an important detail! – When finally on one shady terrask, an important mistress with barely noticeable perplexity asked: "Visant". I nodded: "Visant".
– Better not, – she shook her head.
– IT IS TOO STRONG FOR THIS TIME – she answered literally.
– For ours Never and Nothing IS Too Strong, – I rushed vulcanically.
Without blinking the eye, the hostess turned back to me and a minute later appeared with a glass full to the edges "Visant". She matched me a glass and retired again. We sat down at the table of one-sameness in the whole tavern. I made the first sip.
Wine, of course, was very good. Something, say, the average between "Caberne" And decent "Jerez", only sustain and bouquet of fond. But something lacked for complete harmony. And suddenly I understood what. I have a bad hiking bottle in my bag "Rakia", Clear, like a tear, grape vodka island Crete. 43 degrees! I drank a couple of sips, then crushed the screw cork and, having fun at the master door (the feeling was like in the anti-alcohol era), added "Rakya" To "VIENTE" in proportion, approximately one to three. Oh if the hostess found out what "Too Strong for this time".
And then the moment of truth has come. Just in these moments in heaven and white walls of the town, the first color shades of approaching twilight appeared. Guidebooks are not lgut. Santorine unique sunsets. SETs underground neurotic magma rose over the sea. Apocalyptic Baghus covered the world.
