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Santorini / Thira is a magic place. Formed by near-catastrophic earthquakes and volcanic eruptions within historical memory, and tied to mythological Atlantis by various authorities through the millennia (starting with Plato) this island weaves an indelible spell on all who partake of its ethereal pleasures and its otherworldly, craggy landscape.

Fira, Santorini's main town is perched implausibly on the edge of a steep cliff high above the sea. In the old days one had to negotiate the precipitous trek up from the port by climbing a million steps either on foot or on the back of an obstreperous donkey. Now, that the island has become an upscale-holiday destination, there is a funicular and also a car-road, though for purists there is nothing better than those smelly, wily donkeys that wait wearily by the ferryboats, passing wind in readiness for their customers.

A proper visit to Santorini should include some deliciously fed, luxuriously entertaining days in the heights of Fira, intoxicated by the adobe-whiteness of the Cycladic architecture, the wide-open views into the Aegean, and the fabled sunsets during which one can actually perceive the rotation of the planet. This should be segued by another few days on a volcanic-black sand beach on the other side of the island, within diving sight of the remains of a sunken ancient city (Atlantis?). That would be an exquisite holiday to talk about and to remember forever.

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