CYCLADES
GREAT ESCAPE
FEBRUARY 2017 45Amanda Canning, on her first visit to
Greece, discovered the advantages of a
diet based mainly on cheese and ouzo.the Greek army for over a decade. As the old
machines spring to life, a contented smile
spreads over the face of Antonis, former
chief engineer and now occasional guide.
‘When the factory was built after WWII, it
was very harsh times for Santorini,’ he says.
‘It provided a lot of opportunity. It’s how the
villages of the island survived.’
It has now been resurrected as a museum,
with all its Heath-Robinson-style machinery
intact, art exhibitions housed in the old
warehouses and concerts staged in the
grounds. No-one leaves without trying the
sweet, freshly pressed juice of a Santorini
tomato, served in a plastic cup – red from
the blood of each farmer and with a scent
like the sun, according to Antonis. ‘To the
people of Santorini, this factory is a temple,’
he says, knocking back his juice. ‘So come
here first, and then go and see the sunset.’
Sun Rocks has 18 beautiful, all-white rooms
with terraces spilling down the cliff, with luxury
touches such as Nespresso machines and CD
players. There are top views from all, and from the
pool and restaurant (from US$205; sunrocks.gr).
Entry to the Tomato Industrial Museum^
costs US$5.20 (santoriniartsfactory.gr).Essentials
GREAT ESCAPE
FEBRUARY 2017 45