When we were heading from the South End open market and to the SoWa open market, we saw a guy walk by with a tie dye Downeast Cider shirt, carrying plastic cups. There were lots of incredible local food and drink at both markets that you can read about in Britts post here. As soon as I saw the guy, I suspected Downeast was giving out samples of their delicious cider!
We went over to the tent to get some samples. We tried the summer and spring ciders. The spring cider was made with New England in mind because it was almost a winter warmer type of cider. It had maple tastes and a bit of vanilla. Really good for the cold New England winters. We also tried the summer cider which had a hint of lemon and was more of a "session" cider at 4.5% abv. It has a hint of ginger in it as well to round out the flavor. The summer was our favorite seasonal. The ginger and full body of the unfiltered cider balanced out the sweet lemon flavor. Because of this, the sweetness does not overpower any of the flavor and is more of a compliment to the richer taste of the cider. It reminds you of summer at the first sip and makes you want to play a game of cornhole or can jam.
While we were sampling the ciders, we were talking with the people in the tent and taking pictures of the whole operation. We told them we wrote a travel blog that also talked a lot about Boston. (We've realized that Boston is a destination city for lots of travelers. We're just lucky enough to live here.) They asked us for our information so we gave them a business card and thanked them for the sample.
The next week, we got an email from Max, the Taproom Manager, about coming and taking a tour at the facility. We were so happy that he reached out to us. For those of you who don't know, Brittany and I grew up in a little town in Maine. Well Downeast Cider was also born in Maine.
Tyler and Ross started making cider when they were seniors in college, then graduated and moved to a farm in Waterville, Maine where they really "honed their craft" of creating incredible cider. They then rented a space in an old mill in Waterville and started making their cider for others. They were kegging and selling bottles of the cider there but quickly outgrew the space. They also had another problem, supply. While they were up in Maine, they had a late frost that made stalled their supply. They looked into getting the apples trucked up from Massachusetts but that proved to be much more expensive so they decided to go where the supply was and moved their operation down to Leominster, Massachusetts, the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed.
They continued to grow quickly and out grew another space. They are now located in Charlestown Massachusetts where we headed over after work on Tuesday to visit the Cider House.
We were walked out to the office area to meet Max and Tyler. They walked us back into the taproom area where we shared some ciders. Britt and I both got a pour of a cider that's only available in the taproom. It was the Original Blend (OB) cider with a little extra alcohol content because sometimes you want a little buzz with your cider! It was really good. Tasted a bit hotter than OB but still just as full bodied and refreshing. We're hoping this one is available in cans soon! Tyler took off for a bit while Max brought us through the cider making process. The cool part of the tour is both the amazing story that Downeast has, paired with the fact that the cider house is "broken in". By that I mean the stereo speakers were hand built, there were hoses running across the fermentation area, and the canning line, as we were told, is partially run by hand. There was art around every corner too. There was an American flag made of cans and some amazing chalk art on the mixing tank. It is amazing.
When you walk into a brewery, distillery, or cider house and everything is perfect and untouched, it feels so fake. The Downeast Cider House makes you feel right at home when you walk around. Every single person we met was laid back and loved to talk about cider. You immediately understand that these guys love what they do and really put their pride and heart's into everything that bears their name.
We learned about the ingredients that went into every can of Downeast Cider and how they are committed to using local farms for the apples that get pressed and trucked into the cider house and into the fermentation tanks. The apples are straight from Stow, Massachusetts. They use an ale yeast to ferment the pressed apple juice instead of champagne yeast like others do. This gives you that full flavor we were talking about. That, paired with the fact that they don't filter the final product, yields a real, natural, and unfiltered cider. If you haven't tried it, you need to. It is unlike any hard cider we've had on the market and is definitely our favorite cider. (Honestly. not just saying this!)
As we were walking through, I noticed these barrels racked next to the cider and asked what was in them. Max got some help from one of the other guys in the cider house to pull the nail holding back the amazing rum barreled cider glory. He kindly gave Britt and I a bit to taste and man were we impressed! Really boozy nose but when you drink your first sip, you get all of these warm vanilla and oak notes that envelop the cider really well. I wish I could fully describe the taste to you but it was complex and so delicious that I was popping in and out of cognitive thought. Seriously, great work outta them and really nice of them to allow us to try some of this great cider.
Tyler met us back at the taproom area and shared some more cider with us. We had some more Summer which might be our new favorite summer barbecue drink of choice! We talked a lot about their story and everything about the cider house. We talked about distribution, good beers we love, good places to drink beer and cider. Then we started talking to them about their big move in the September time frame. They will be headed out to East Boston to an even bigger facility! It's really impressive what they've been able to accomplish. They are growing at a great rate, they are producing an irresistible product. sticking to their mission and keeping the cider fresh, natural, and local, and creating a place where people can enjoy their cider.
If you're free on a weekend, catch them before they move! Every weekend day, weather permitting, they go out in the parking lot, put out some tents and some lawn games, and serve up the best cider you can get. We will definitely be back in the area this summer to check out a sunny weekend day to enjoy a couple of ciders with our new friends!
We received some Downeast product while we were on the tour and some to take home but in no way were we swayed to write anything over the top of what we would've already written about these amazing guys, the cider house, and their delicious product.
We woke up on Day 1 in Santorini ready for our hike to Oia. We fueled up at our favorite breakfast joint and then walked straight towards the Aegean Sea. We went past some of the shops in Fira and stepped out to an incredibly breathtaking view.
We turned right and headed up a few sets of stairs made of cut stone. While hiking in and out of different shop fronts and villas, we continued stopping in awe of our surroundings. We had arrived the night before without being able to see all of the amazing sights of the island so, other than photos and other travel blogs, this was our first time we could see the unbelievable views with our own eyes. At this point, climbing the stairs in 85°F (30°C) heat was already starting to wear on us but the views surrounding us were too unbelievable to let it deter us. We heard something coming around the corner and realized that the sounds we heard were donkeys.
Once again, the view was breathtaking.
At this point, we were in Firostefani and looking back on Fira, where we had just come from. We had climbed up and up multiple flights of stairs but how could you not enjoy this hike. We continued on through the stone walkway, in and out of villas, but we had to stop often to catch our breath and wipe the sweat from our brows. We continued to Imerovigli, which lay both in front of us and above us. We wanted to take a quick break to grab a beer and a cold drink for the hike.
We were able to see the large rock Skaros. Once a fortress that offered protection from pirates, Skaros is about an hour detour on a side trail when you take pictures.
After our beer, we bought an iced tea to bring with us on the hike! There were some rock stairs on this path but there was also a lot of loose rock and steep paths on this part of the trail. I would highly recommend bringing a pair of good hiking shoes or something with good grip. Britt and I did this with shoes without great grip and we were sliding a lot.
The hike out to Skaros felt more like a real hike with a bit more challenge. The pathway still had some stone staircases that were helpful in heading all the way down to the far side of Skaros to a small church. The church was beautiful and felt like it was in a different world. You could see Oia off in the distance from the church. Our destination at the end of our hike.
The walk down the trail to the church was down a very long flight of stairs. As we walked down them I joked that we were going to have to come back up this incredible amount of stairs. We trudged back up the steps to the top, stopping a few times to catch our breath. I guess the beer before the hike down wasn't the best decision. When we got up, we noticed a path up to what we figured was the top of the rock. We tried climbing all of the way up and got stopped at more of a rock climb than a hike. I started heading up one route and I froze. I noticed that I was on a rock that was only wedged between two other rocks and, from what thought I saw, I was hanging over the ocean. I got down low, took a couple of photos, and turned right around. I wish heights didn't bother me as much as they do but I was unable to make it to the top. Probably a good choice with the shoes we were wearing.
When we got back up, we grabbed a beer and some waters and headed up to Imerovigli. It was yet another beautiful village on Santorini and, I thought, the most photogenic. When you're there, you have a 360 degree view of most of the island. Instead of telling you, I should just show you.
Like I said, beautiful village. After Imerovigli, the hike started to get a bit more challenging and went onto dirt paths instead of the stone paved walkways through the villages. At this point, we want to reiterate, wear good hiking shoes with traction. We were able to get through it but some of the higher spots had loose rocks under your feet and we would've been better off with hiking shoes or just shoes with better traction.
This part of the hike was really different from the first part and what I had thought it would be like. There were little lizards that looked like geckos throughout the hike and tons of them in this part of the trail! The trail goes onto the road a couple of times and then back up into the mountains. It is a beautiful journey as you're headed into Oia. You can see so much around you and how far Oia is off in the distance. It was a tough hike too. There were a few challenging spots where you had to make sure you had good footing before proceeding. There were a few places in this stretch with a few hotels, houses, or shops. We would also make sure you have a liter or two of water with you because there were not many places to buy water on this part of the hike. Stay hydrated! Especially when it's 85°F (30°C).
After about another hour, we started heading down towards Oia. We were excited to have finished the journey! We were ready to get some food and drinks and enjoy the sunset! We love that there is a pathway from Fira to Oia and we had a great time hiking it. We would have definitely worn better shoes and applied a bit more sunscreen! We would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to see a lot of Santorini in about 5-6 hours. (If you stop, have a beer, take pictures, and enjoy yourself) We hope you enjoyed following our journey and let us know if you have any questions about the hike!
If you are planning to go to the beautiful Greek Island of Santorini anytime soon, we have got the perfect place that you should stay. Located in the beautiful capital village of Fira, Costa Marina Villa is the perfect location for you to bunk up and relax during your nights (or days if you choose). We would go as far as to say that this is the best place we have ever stayed while on vacation.
We stayed at Costa Marina Villa for 3 nights in April. The hotel is in the perfect location for a Santorini vacation. A short 5 minute walk from the hotel will take you to the village center square of Fira. While researching which village in Santorini to stay in, we found that Fira was the best village to stay in if you want to see the whole island. Though Oia is beautiful, Fira is centrally located right in the middle of the island, making it easy to access both scenic Oia in the North, and the beautiful Red and Black beaches in the south. In addition, Fira is also much more affordable to stay in. In April, we paid only 59€ a night.
The hotel is beautiful. Located on a less busy road close to the center square, it is quiet and peaceful. We felt safe walking to our hotel from the main village at night. The hotel looks like a villa out of your dreams. In true Greek fashion, stucco white walls and hunter green shutters make you feel like you were transported into a tropical fantasy. Bright and vibrant plants line the walkways and stairs, and vines of flowers spill out over walls and from balconies.
The rooms are equally as beautiful. We booked a Double room with a balcony. The rooms were classically designed, a reminder that you are in fact in Greece. White walls and sheets add to the simplicity of the room design. The bed was comfortable, so comfortable that I fantasied of sleeping in it when I returned home. We had a small night stand on each side of the bed, a desk to keep ourselves organized, a mini fridge and a tub with a detachable shower. The tub was smaller than your typical US standard tub, but big enough for me to take a bath in comfortably. The rooms also have a TV, electric kettle, hair dryer, and safe box. The hotel had free WiFi, offering 10 WiFi spots that we never had difficulty accessing.
The view from our balcony was beautiful. You could see the ocean from our window, and a field of horses laid in front of the backdrop. The balcony provided a view of the sunrise, which were were never up quite early enough to see.
The hotel itself was amazing, but what we loved the most about the hotel was the hospitality. The friendliness of the owner Marina and her best friend Lila was incomparable to anything we have received at any hotel that we've ever been to. I don't think that we will ever meet hostesses as nice as these two women ever again. Marina and Lila were so helpful in our travels. They live in the villa, so they were always there when you needed them. If you need anything, you can just call them! Lila told us never to hesitate, even if it was something we needed in the middle of the night. Every morning and night, Marina and Lina would go over our plans for the day and help us to find the best spots and plot out our route. They will provide you with maps, and will circle places that they like to go.
One of the best pieces of advice that we got from Marina was when we were off to see the sunset in Oia. She told us to avoid fighting the crowd at the lookout and go down to Ammoudi Bay where we could enjoy a seafood dinner right next to the water. It was the best advice we have ever gotten, and we were so lucky to have received this advice from Marina.
We also highly suggest booking a ATV through the hotel. The prices vary based on the machine and time of year, but we only paid 25€ for a full 24 hours or rental. We only spent 15 Euro in gas, and we didn't use all of it. It was the best way to see all of the island. You can drive the ATV all over the island, on the main roads. You drive on the right side of the road in Greece, and Derek had no issues driving over there. We were able to get to Oia in the North and the beaches and wineries in the south. Make sure you ask Marina and Lila about ATV rental! We planned on only renting for 1 day, but after having a blast all day, we booked it for a second.
Another tip we have is to email the Villa a couple days before your flight into Santorini to arrange for a pick up "transfer" service. A nice comfy van will pick you up at the airport and bring you to the hotel. You can also arrange for them to bring you back to the airport. Again, prices may vary depending on the time of year, but we paid 20€ per trip. Our driver was on time both times, and it alleviated stress of travel. Especially since our flights were at midnight!
While staying at the Villa, you honestly feel that Marina and Lina are your best friends. When I came back cold and needing my jacket, Marina offered me her own coat to wear. Have you ever had any hotel owner literally offer you the clothes off their own back? Every night, when we returned from our adventures, they genuinely wanted to know how our day was. When we were getting ready to leave the island, and were in the lobby waiting for our taxi to the airport, they sat with us and told us about their own story, and how they came to run the hotel in Santorini. When we left, we felt like we were leaving friends behind.
Check out Costa Marina's website if you are interested in booking with them. We think you should!
