In preparation for our wedding, we took a weekend trip to Santorini, the first weekend of July. We stayed at Roula Villa, where we will enjoy time with our guests in Santorini this October. We also got a chance to meet our wedding planner in person and to visit our venue, Yalos, for an evening out.
During our trip, we explored the island, scoping out great restaurants, good local spots and checking out our accommodations, while finalizing plans for the wedding.
One of our favourite evenings was spent enjoying wine with friends at Santo Wines, overlooking the Caldera. We then ventured down the road to the little village of Megalochori, which we kept mispronouncing a Megalovicchi. It quickly became an inside joke, in which any time something was great or super lovely, we exclaimed it's "MEGALOVICCHI!"
We stumbled upon a cute little family restaurant, at first thinking this was the spot our friend had recommended. We quickly realized this was not the restaurant we intended to find, and moved along our way. Although, Moustafa felt so bad that we made sure to return to the little cafe and buy a few desserts on our way home, to support this family business.
We followed the winding roads of Megalochori to the town square, at the foot of a church. The locals and tourists alike were gathered in the square enjoying the live music presented. The restaurant that had been recommended was packed, as it looked upon the performance, so we wandered a little further to find a spot to dine.
Another quaint family run restaurant served us amazing seafood, feta, and tomato based dishes. We sat at tables adored with red gingham table cloths and chatted with the waiters. After our meal, we wandered back through the town square, where Greek style dancing had begun. Lindsay was quickly thrown into the mix, being pulled into the dance circle and twirled around the ring. We had such a great time, stumbling upon gem after gem of experiences.
We ended our night in a local leather shop filled with beautifully crafted items. Moustafa is often found in flip flops, and Lindsay offered to gift him a nice new pair made of leather. After trying on a few pairs, Lindsay spotted just the right ones, a cinderfella-moment, with soft leather uppers and comfortable soles. Moustafa loved them and now sports them all the time. We hope this shop is still open when we return in October so that we can bring our family and friends.
The next day, Moustafa planned a tour to the volcanic island, treating Lindsay to a spectacular time in and around this Mediterranean island.
We rose in the morning and caught the bus that would take us to the port. We were a bit late, as our tour bus had taken a wrong turn, so we didn't get a chance to grab a coffee or tea, usually a morning must for us both.
The large sailing vessel left the port, and we headed to the volcano. We climb the rocky slopes, ascending and descending the trails and scoping out the different craters formed through the various eruptions over time. We took in the vantage points from all angles of the island, and even met a tour guide from another group that used to work at the same company as Moustafa (See! We're always running into people he knows or to whom he is connected).
Next we took the boat to the volcanic hot springs, and we were the first to dive into the salty sea. We swam over to the hot springs and sat on the shoreline rocks, which were covered in reddish-brown sulphur. With our bathing suits stained with this rusty colour and our skin covered in the thick salt from the sea, we were having a great time.
Our boat then ventured over to another small island, where we sat and ate a delicious lunch by the water. We attempted to ascend the cliffside walk-way, but after a day in the hot mediterranean sun, Lindsay was too sunbaked. We bought ourselves some new hats and drank some Coca-Colas by the waterfront before we left to return to the port.
Later that evening, we had reservations at our wedding venue restaurant, Yalos. We had booked a table to meet the owner/manager, however a big party was happening that night, which made it difficult to connect with him. We had a delicious meal, satisfied that we had made the right choice for both the location, a beachfront spot, and the fare. That evening, we both ate the best mussels of our lives, making sure to drink all the savoury broth left at the end. When we returned the next evening to meet with the owner again, Moustafa declared that he wanted another order of mussels, with which Lindsay had absolutely no qualms.
We can't wait to share this place with our guests on our wedding day as we know the food and the ambience are going to be a perfect combination that will help us create memories with our loved ones that will last our lifetime.