I spent the weekend looking at old photos and I came across these old photos. So I thought now would be the perfect chance to tell you that time I got a free holiday to Santorini.

This happened quite a few years go now, it was when Richard and I were still dating – we weren’t married then. I remember being at my parents’ house and I got a call from him, saying ‘how would you like a free holiday?’ I was like ‘huh, what’. He went on to explain that his brother booked a holiday but now couldn’t go on it, so he asked if we would like to go instead.

I’m a smart cookie (well I like to think I am anyway) and even I could see that this was quite frankly bargain of the year. At that point, Richard and I weren’t really living together and we couldn’t afford a big holiday – only places to Brighton or to Butlins, so a chance to go on a proper abroad holiday we basically jumped on it.

We did however, had to pay a small charge for our plane ticket – but that due to changing the name over. But apart from that – we didn’t have to pay for anything. All we had to worry about on the money front was getting some euro for spending.

Anyway we packed our suitcases and waved goodbye to England for a week, we soon arrived at Santorini.

We were staying at a self-catering hotel and from all the photos before we left, we were expecting something like this:

But instead we got lots and lots of this:

(Not exactly you see on the brochure!)

All the pretty building and the beaches were on the other side of the island; we were on the isolated deserted part.  Where we were staying, there was nothing to do – no shops, no amusements park, no swimming pool, nothing.

Now I shouldn’t grumble, but we were really bored. So bored in fact we ended up booking on another hotel package tour that let us on. On this, we did tour a volcano (Santorini is basically a volcanic island), went on a boat ride round the island and go on an archaeology dig site. So that filled our time but in the evening, apart from eating – there was nothing to do. I didn’t even bring a book with me – so I had nothing to keep me occupied and Richard didn’t have anything either.

We were about half an hour away from the beach, but it wasn’t sandy golden sand – but black pebble sand, and when the wind blew you get pelted with the black pebble.

Nearing the end of our holiday, another holiday maker gave us a tip and told us to jump on a coach/bus and it will take us to the other side of the island where all of Santorini main towns are. So we did and we really enjoyed walking around the shops, looking at all the pretty building and the sea.

It was unfortunate we were so far away from the main attraction of Santorini; by the end of the week we were glad to get home. We both were very grateful for Richard’s brother to give us a free holiday but next time it should be somewhere near the main town.

Now I don’t want you to look at these pictures and think that Santorini is a boring dull deserted place and you won’t be going there. Well stop thinking like that as Santorini is a beautiful place and I enjoyed going on the various tours and visiting the main town.  My tip would be to book near the main town area and research the hotel area.

So yeah that was the time I got a free holiday to Santorini. Now if only I could get a free holiday to the Maldives, anyone got a spare ticket?

Here are some extra photos: