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telegraph.co.uk/travel Sunday 5 July 2020

NICK TREND VIVA ESPANA! THE HISTORY MAN Foreign holidays are back! Here’s how Twenty reasons why we can’t Simon Schama reveals the highs to make the most of your travels wait to get back to Spain and lows of his travelling life page 7 page 4 page 8

Travelon Sunday KATIKIES HOTEL – STEPHANE FRANCES/ONLYWORLD.NET – STEPHANE HOTEL KATIKIES Santorini resets for summer As one of the first to return to this glorious Greek island, Rachel Howard discovers that its long-lost go-slow charm has been restored

IGLETS FOR SALE”. Scribbled in fishing, hunting and boating equipment) minister, staged a press conference against finished airport was deserted. In the island Greek, the sign pinned outside the and a handful of supermarkets, takeaway the flattering backdrop of Santorini’s world- capital, Fira, every jewellery shop on “Gold shop struck an unexpected note on souvlaki stalls and coffee joints, almost famous sunset to announce that Greece was Street” was closed. Almost every hotel was ‘PSantorini, where most signs, neatly every shop and restaurant on the island was “open for business”. When I arrived a couple still in hibernation. Without the usual ar- painted in English and sometimes Chinese, shuttered last week. of days later, there was little evidence to mada of catamarans and barrage of cruise point you in the direction of a “verry nice On June 13 – two days before Greece’s bor- back this up. With all international flights ships, the submerged caldera looked naked, sunset” [sic] or the “best volcano view”. ders partially reopened after almost three grounded until July 1, and only three domes- Apart from the pet shop (which also sells months – Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime tic flights a day from Athens, Santorini’s half- Continued on Page 2  2 *** Sunday 5 July 2020 The Sunday Telegraph COVER STORY

ESSENTIALS GettinG Where there to eat Greece is As Santorini’s included on the wines have list of countries grown in stature, from which UK local wineries visitors can have developed return without increasingly the need to sophisticated quarantine; this tasting rooms. applies from Vassaltis July 10. Direct Vineyards flights to Greece (vassaltis.com) resume on July has the most seeing 15. Aegean exciting food red Airlines (aegean and wine A sea of dried air.com) flies pairings, while tomatoes in the several times a Venetsanos village of Oia day to Santorini. (venetsanos in Santorini Information: winery.com) has discovergreece. sensational com/cyclades/ views. The santorini wine list at Oia Vineyart Where (oiavineyart.gr/ to Stay en) ticks off the Of the seven island’s greatest suites at The hits, served with Vasilicos Cycladic meze  Continued from Page 1 precarious moment for travel. The (thevasilicos. and heaps of complete absence of tourists on an is- com), the most charm in a its navel of solidified black lava land that has become wholly reliant on intimate is Efta, courtyard and smouldering with even greater in- tourism felt both wonderful and sur- a romantic nook roof terrace tensity. A single white sailboat real. The Instagram pin-up of the Greek on the rim of the hidden in Oia’s inched across this expanse of silvery islands, Santorini welcomed more than caldera; if you backstreets. blue – a spectacle that was mine, all two million visitors in 2019. want to make a Aktaion mine, as the only guest at The Vasili- That’s a lot of people for a small is- grand gesture, (aktaionsant cos, a seven-suite hotel poised on a land with a population of around book the orini.com) in cliff edge. 15,000 – and a huge strain on the is- Belvedere for its Firostefani has “We were a socially distant hotel land’s fragile infrastructure and eco- huge terrace. been serving long before social distancing,” said system. This year, nobody knows how Don’t miss the white aubergine Artemis, the hotel’s upbeat somme- many tourists will turn up. Anecdotal tour de force, a rolls with feta lier, gesturing towards the huge ter- evidence suggests that around one five-course and mint since racotta terraces, screened by giant third of hotels on Santorini will open degustation 1922; here, the geraniums and volcanic boulders this season. The rapacious hoteliers menu available caldera views that glistened in the sunshine. with multiple properties intend to for just two come without On cue, a squabble of seagulls per- open only one, rewarding the lucky tables at a time the sky-high formed a slow-motion dance routine, guests able to make the trip with up- (including prices. gliding in concentric circles, before grades. Although cancellations out- non-guests, if Overlooking the landing on one of the whitewashed weigh reservations, most small hotel you ask nicely). fishing harbour roofs in single file, then swooping off owners are gamely soldiering on to For something of Vlichada, one at a time. I could have sworn self-contained, To Psaraki they were two metres apart. try Vora (topsaraki.gr) Sheltered below the 200-year-old (voravillas.com), is the monastery of Saint Nicholas, The Va- three ultra- quintessential silicos is situated at a safe remove exclusive villas seaside taverna; from Imerovigli, a white tumble of dangling over order the interlocking roofs and balconies, the precipice, or smoked eel and domes and chimneys. A quiet study Cycladica lentil salad and in good taste, the hotel’s tiered suites (cycladica.com), swordfish are expansive in comparison to most a cluster of skewers. yposkafa, the humble cave houses beautifully Pentozali, a burrowed into Santorini’s challeng- restored cave Cretan kafenion ing landscape. houses in Oia, in Mesaria Once the summer house of a char- owned by a village, serves a ismatic art collector who fell for San- family of few delicious torini in the 1980s, The Vasilicos still architects who dishes under the feels like a home; not least because of have worked eucalyptus the endearing staff, who walk the hard to preserve trees, such as tricky tightrope between obliging the village’s lemony greens and familiar with finesse. This com- architectural and beef ragout bination of peaceful seclusion and men of the cloth heritage. with spaghetti.

genuine warmth felt just right at this Greek Orthodox priests in the capital, Fira HARDING; ONLYWORLD.NET ROBERT PRESS; CAMERA IMAGES; AWL 4CORNERS; ALAMY; XINHUA/SHUTTERSTOCK;

avoid laying off loyal staff. Both busi- shining eyes and a cloud of white hair, ness owners and seasonal workers are she was embroidering sequins on to a nervous about the possibility of tour- velvet altarpiece, destined for a church ists importing Covid-19 to an island festival. Her husband sat behind her, that bypassed the pandemic thanks to a quiet but comforting presence. an early and draconian nationwide Their house sits at the entrance to lockdown. The Greek government’s Emborio. Zampeli has a habit of plying U-turn over its initial policy to test all passers-by with homemade biscuits. incoming travellers for Covid-19 – opt- Once, she was making a batch of to- ing for random spot tests instead – is a mato fritters when two foreign women high-risk strategy, especially for more peered into her porch, tempted by the isolated islands than Santorini, which aromas. Zampeli offered them a taste. have limited healthcare facilities and Suddenly, 30 people were clamouring transport links. around her front door. “I didn’t realise Right now, though, Santorini feels it was a tour group. When I came back like the safest, most beautiful place in inside, the whole tray was gone,” the world. There are no sunbeds on the Zampeli said. black pebble beaches; only a few fami- This kind of spontaneous generosity lies picnicking on meatballs and water- squids in is what the Greek hospitality industry melon under wonky parasols. In Oia, It’s still possible to eat cheaply in Santorini was built on. “Now, people want gold, the usual crush of people, filtering the not god,” Zampeli said matter-of-factly. sunset through their phone screens, outcrop from which you can dive into Long before the lure of the tourist has vanished. There are no Asian cou- the caldera. dollar, Santorini’s most successful ex- ples posing for faux wedding shoots, Papagiannopoulos lives in the dust- ports – cherry tomatoes, wine, and no blonde influencers straddling coloured kastelli (fortified castle) of pumice stone quarried from the teeter- whitewashed walls in hot pants. I Emborio, a medieval village marooned ing cliffs – brought great wealth to the seemed to be the sole resident of Im- above the (now empty) fray of Perissa island’s landowners and shipowners. A erovigli, apart from a shadowy figure beach. Churches almost outnumber terrible earthquake in 1956, which de- listening to a tinny transistor radio be- the houses. There is only a smattering stroyed hundreds of homes and caused hind the lace curtain of a tiny house of Airbnb rentals amid the pressed dozens of casualties, signalled a sharp cloaked in bougainvillea. plaster cottages, but the quaint village decline in the island’s fortunes. Tour- “It’s an incredible privilege to see has become a favourite backdrop for ism kick-started Santorini’s economy Santorini like this – I’ve never experi- wedding photographers. again in the 1970s; it has since altered enced anything like it in my lifetime,” “Only one bride and groom have the landscape almost beyond recogni- said Yannis Bellonias, as we surveyed come by all month and they were tion. From Emborio, you could once the empty fishbowl of the caldera from Greek,” Georgia Zampeli confided, as see a sea of red tomatoes as far as the Vora, three high-impact villas carved we chatted over homemade baklava in shore. Now it is a sea of white houses. into a cliff face. Slender, soft-spoken her living room, surrounded by a daz- The value of land has put enormous and faintly rakish, Bellonias is a major zling tableau of religious iconography, pressure on the island’s acclaimed player in Santorini’s tourism industry. family photos, and dolls in hand-sewn wine industry: the price of grapes has His family opened one of the island’s outfits. A local who has lived here all shot up fivefold in recent years. “Plant- first travel agencies in the early 1980s. her life, Zampeli still works as a seam- ing low-yield vines hardly makes finan- What started as a seasonal sideline stress in her seventies. Pin-sharp, with cial sense when you could sell a plot of mushroomed into a business empire including hotels, luxury villas, and rental cars. It’s the kind of success story that has played out in many local households, fast-tracked by the influx of cruise ships, day trippers, and Chi- nese tourists during the past decade. Today, the few locals who are not di- rectly involved in the tourism industry depend on it indirectly – from con- struction workers to taxi drivers and farmers. Even the high-school physics teacher, Thanos Papagiannopoulos, moonlights as a walking tour guide during the summer. After stints on the wildly remote islands of Amorgos and Sikinos, Papagiannopoulos moved to Santorini five years ago. He wasn’t pre- pared for the high prices, heavy traffic, or lack of affordable housing, but he has tapped into the underlying magic that no amount of unregulated con- struction and careless consumerism can diminish: the comfort of rituals, tight-knit communities, and rural tra- ditions that run as deep as the volcanic fissures in the crater’s abyss. If you book a tour with Santorini Walking Tours, Papagiannopoulos will share unimaginable secrets with you: chapels suspended in the perforated cliffs, hot springs bubbling up through the lava, a zigzagging path to a rocky ship shape Boats docked in the harbour with clifftop Oia village as a backdrop The Sunday Telegraph Sunday 5 July 2020 *** 3

At long last, there

Athens GREECE CYCLADES is light at the end ISLANDS

Santorini of the tunnel CRETAN SEA 45 miles

HERITAGE RAIL Across Britain, steam engines are gearing up for the summer, says Daniel Puddicombe s the country eases its way out of lockdown, many of Britain’s celebrated heritage and steam A railway lines have announced dates for the first journeys of the sum- mer. They have had to make modifica- tions, adapting to the changed times with face masks and social distancing. There will be tighter booking condi- tions – gone for the time being are the rover tickets, allowing you to hop from train to train throughout the day as you please. Instead, in come limited, pre- THERE by a w HiskER booked round trips. Compartment car- Cats play on a staircase in the shade riages will be more in evidence than the more common open versions. different things. But this year, visitors On-board dining will be more modest. will experience the island’s raw beauty But the UK’s trains are slowly gear- unadulterated. ing up to get back on track. Here are fOLLOw THaT RiVER… The red and black beaches will be six great journeys to whet the appetite. A stop on the Severn Valley Railway gloriously free of sunbeds and jet skis. All aboard! (Though, of course, not all You won’t get stuck behind a snarl of at the same time…) train”, The Jacobite, linking Fort Wil- coaches, have to jump out of your taxi liam and Mallaig, runs along the and run down the hairpin bends to ENGLISH BEAUTY stunning West Highland Line, cross- Athinios port, trailing luggage, so you ing the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct. In don’t miss your ferry. You won’t have SAPHOS TRAINS summer, two trains a day run. to grapple with selfie sticks to watch The Crewe-based mainline charter West Coast Railways says it will the sunset from Oia, or anywhere else. company operates long-distance day board passengers in a staggered There will be no need to make restau- trips with steam; the first post-lock- formation, and the overall seating rant reservations weeks in advance. down trip involves its flagship locomo- capacity has been halved to aid The local winemakers, chefs, shop and tive, No. 70000 Britannia, at the head social distancing. hotel owners will have time to chat. of the train running along the Settle- o The Jacobite resumes daily from sTEpping They might even offer you some piping Carlisle line – arguably the most scenic July 17; return fare from £43; OuT hot tomato fritters, too. in Britain – which takes in the stunning westcoastrailways.co.uk Descending It might be a once-in-a-lifetime Ribblehead Viaduct. The “Brit” will from Oia town, opportunity. Or perhaps this shift to also have its work cut out climbing up SUSSEX STYLE main; Katikies more meaningful and thoughtful travel the “Long Drag” to Ais Gill, the highest hotel, below experiences will become part of the railway summit in England. BLUEBELL RAILWAY new normal. Seating capacity has been cut by Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 40 per cent in order to adhere to social- August, the oldest preserved railway distancing regulations, with plastic in the UK offers views of the Ash- screens installed between seats. The down Forest and will operate trains dining levels have not changed, with between its southern terminus of meals still being prepared in a kitchen Sheffield Park and Kingscote; East car and silver-served. However, all staff Grinstead station will remain closed. will be required to wear PPE. Three or four dining trains a day are o Saphos Trains resumes charter also planned – these will start trips from July 15. From £95; and finish at either Sheffield Park or saphostrains.com Horsted Keynes. On the dining ser- vices, food will not be silver-served; meals will be pre-boxed and land for €200,000 [£181,000] for collected from the station platforms someone to build a hotel,” said Yannis before boarding. Valambous, founder of one of San- o The railway aims to reopen torini’s wineries, Vassaltis Vineyards. from Aug 7. For prices see “Teachers, doctors and waiters can’t bluebell-railway.com find an affordable place to live, but ho- tel owners are making a fortune. Why MIDLANDS MAGIC not build housing for their staff instead of another hotel? Why not subsidise SEVERN VALLEY vineyards and sell the grapes to the RAILWAY wineries at a reasonable price? It’s time to tone down the excesses and start in- The SVR will operate along the vesting in infrastructure that’s impor- whole length of its line, which hugs tant to locals and will create a better the River Severn with ample oppor- experience for the people who come tunities to take in the view. Two here.” As the prime minister’s press trains are planned to start out of conference proved, the photo opportu- its Kidderminster headquarters and nity and the reality of Santorini are two one out of Bridgnorth at the northern Happy RETuRns end of the line, although passengers The Bluebell Railway turns 60 in August will be able to alight at Highly (which is roughly halfway along the line) FIVE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES ON SANTORINI NORTHERN MAJESTY and have the option of visiting the engine house museum. RAIL CHARTER SERVICES o Reopening Aug 1. Compart- WANDER foot and you’ll discover Vlychada was state-of-the- Another variation on the stunning Set- ments, which can seat up to six thriving farms, medieval art when it was built in tle-Carlisle line comes with the launch people, cost £75; svr.co.uk THROUGH AN chapels, abandoned 1945; recently converted this summer of a new thrice-daily char- ANCIENT CITY villages, and a deeper into an industrial ter service connecting Skipton with Ap- COTSWOLDS CLASS connection with the museum, the Santorini pleby and including the Ribblehead Surprisingly few visitors austere, intense landscape. Arts Factory (santorini Viaduct, to run for eight weeks. GLOUCESTERSHIRE to Santorini bother to visit The most famous hike is artsfactory.gr/en/ It is only the second regularly timeta- AND WARWICKSHIRE the extraordinary the three-hour trail from museum) is an intriguing bled charter train in the UK. The trains archaeological site of Fira to Oia, which slithers relic of this agricultural will be formed of four BR Mk3 First RAILWAY Akrotiri, a Bronze Age city along the perilous edge of heritage. A couple of Class carriages, hauled by vintage Class The volunteer-run organisation is buried under ash by a the caldera. The two-hour warehouses also contain 47 locomotives. The service is aimed operating round trips out of its base devastating volcanic trek from the charming a contemporary art not at enthusiasts but families looking at Toddington along the 14-mile line, eruption around 1625BC. village of Pyrgos to gallery and design shop. for a nice day out. Optional onward ex- which offers views of the rolling Without the whistle-stop Ancient Thera offers cursions to the Lake District, England’s Cotswold Hills. Unlike the other tour groups disgorged equally giddying views, DISCOVER highest market town – Alston – and the lines and companies mentioned from cruise ships, it’s an with a prize at the finish South Tynedale Steam Railway are ex- here, face masks are unlikely to even more poignant line: spectacular ruins SANTORINI’S pected to be offered from Appleby. be obligatory when passengers are experience to wander suspended in the sky. FORGOTTEN o From July 20. Return fares from seated in their compartments. An among the dusty streets Santorini Walking Tours £29 per person, or £99 for a family open carriage will also be offered for and houses full of (santorini LITTLE SISTER of four; railcharterservices.co.uk single travellers. ghosts. To fully walkingtours. On THE caldera, without the It’s a 10-minute boat ride o Reopening Aug 15. appreciate the com) specialises RigHT paTH customary cruise ships from Ammoudi to the SCOTTISH SPLENDOUR Compartments £25 per person for scale and in private and The monastery of and catamarans cluttering tiny island of Thirasia, a minimum of two people, with a significance small group Profitis Ilias, above; the horizon. If you’re up but it’s like travelling THE JACOBITE £10 surcharge for additional of Akrotiri, hikes. cherry tomatoes for adventure, catch your back decades to a time Better known as the “Harry Potter passengers; gwsr.com you need a with feta cheese own lunch on a fishing trip before mass tourism. good guide, SEE THE and capers, left; with Georgaros Fishing Day trippers occasionally such as and the Ibex statue Tours (santorini-fishing- flood the tiny harbour to Eugenia ISLAND at the Museum of tours.com). The traditional eat at one of the seaside Papadopoulou FROM THE Prehistoric wooden vessel is tavernas. Very few of (santoriniguide. Thera, below skippered by the them hike up the jagged gr). Afterwards, visit WATER enterprising Anthi, a staircase to the village of the Museum of Prehistoric Thousands of years of young woman whose Manolas, which is Thera (santorini.gr- history are etched into family have been fishing charming in its lack of santorini.com/museums/ Santorini’s multicoloured for generations. pretension and prehistoric_museum.htm), cliffs. The frosting of gentrification. in the island capital Fira, white pumice marks the TAKE A POTTED Fewer still venture as to admire some of the Minoan explosion that far as Potamos, a hamlet Minoan frescoes that created the sunken HISTORY TOUR slotted in a canyon, or adorned Akrotiri’s houses, caldera; black Fifty-odd years ago, there into the terraced hills as well as ceramics, boulders were nine tomato-canning speckled with deserted jewellery and objects of studded in the factories on Santorini. cave houses. Be warned, exquisite artistry. red magma Tourism has squeezed most Thirasia’s handful of represent of the juice out of the tavernas are mediocre. BLAZE YOUR OWN volleys of island’s sweetest crop: Save your appetite for a molten lava that shot the cherry tomatoes late lunch of grilled fish TRAIL out of the volcano. This that ripen by and tomato fritters at First impressions suggest geological marvel is even absorbing morning Dimitris taverna there’s not an empty plot more impressive from dew from porous (dimitris-ammoudi- of land left in Santorini’s sea level. Now is the pumice stones. The restaurant.com) when

arid hills and craggy time to take a sunset Nomikos tomato you disembark at CHRIS HEWISON IMAGES; GETTY IMAGES; AWL perimeter. Strike out on cruise around the canning plant in Ammoudi. TakE THE HigH ROad The Jacobite crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland