OIASUNSET HOTEL

http://www.oiasunset.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oias-Sunset-hotel/192034884163273

A hotel that is run by Panos and Stavros two very friendly and love by all in the village and guest who stay there .The hotel has a lovely buzz in the morning when the visitors want to plan their day and see the boys as their personal guides of information on what to do and see with joyful smiles they will booked excursions,arrange car hire etc.On the return to the hotel in the afternoon /evening there's another sound of buzz when questions are asked as to where to go and eat this let's you know if it is a good hotel  
I meet Panos many years ago and he still has that enjoyment of having fun with the guest if they allow him. The hotel is very child friendly where the children as are the adults sad to leave but not for long because as soon as winter has gone they are booking again to return or a few book just before leaving for the following year>

LEPTOMEROIA ART DETAILS IN OIA

Elisa a young local person from oia who opened this shop with the help of her lovely parents behind her in guidance 3 years ago has shown with long hours and determination in knowing what she had in mind has created a shop comprising of her father's frescoes  sand painting and mosaics themes on the walls inside. Also her aunt's handmade pieces of jewelry using lovely gemstones can be found when you browse at the windows or displays within.

You will also find several greek artist work in the 
front of the shop and several lovely works of art mounted on the walls or shelves that are ideal for taking away. If you are worried about the transferring safely to your family home or as gifts to give of your memories of Oia Santorini 
take my word you will not be disappointed in what you see or buy .     
      

ORIA GALLERY in oia Santorini#

http://www.rigopoulos-santorini-wedding-photography.com/

I have observed many times in the last few days couples having their wedding photographs taken and they might be nice but i have felt they have been rushed a little due to time, or not knowing those mystery places on the island that  relax the couple and  has the couple posing in an environment where there are tourist all around but the couple have forgotten and so taken away with the shutter of the camera and Nikos gentle calm tone of voice that will  bring the photograph alive when they look back on it in times ahead.
Check out his website above to understand my comment on Nikos Rigopoulos 

LOCAL OIA BAKERY

Everyone says in their own countries they make great bread but why do i still hear visitors saying "wow great bread it  is so good "
Me personally i love when eating a greek salad or a greek meat dish that has a sauce there is nothing more better than to sorry to say but dip a piece of bread into the sauce or the oil of the salad .
A great start for greek people on their way to work or school is to eat a cheese pie or spinach pie and are known to everyone  in the world for their feta pies  

Do i have to remind you of the second most famous
sweet pastry  "Baklava" chopped nuts,cinnamon,honey wrapped in a flaky pastry drizzled over with a sugar syrup great if you are needing something sweet and is also a lovely gift if visiting a greek home .    

KASTRO Restaurant Oia, Santorini | tel: (+30) 22860 71045

http://www.kastro-ia.gr/en/home.htmlhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Kastro-Restaurant-Oia-Santorini/493001127428625?fref=ts

Kastro restaurants is situated directly opposite the minion castle in Oia overlooking the steps leading down to  to Amudie and the most famous sunset of Santorini. It is one of the longest restaurants stemming back to 18 years and catering  menu of mediterranean cuisine.
The restaurant is open from 11am-12 midnight serving a variety of freshly made salads, fresh pasta dishes and a variety of  marinated meat and poultry dishes .
Coffee,soft drinks.wine are served until just before the hours of sunset where i recommend you reserve a table prior to sunset as it is a very popular restaurant to dine and wine watching the sun setting.

Kastro has a lovely atmosphere of been relaxed and is great while having a wine and dessert and watching the buzz of people on holidays,or to sit back and observe the boats cruising into one of the sea entrances of the Calader .

On behalf of Greek tourism i wish you a great 2013
                                summer 

MIAOY! SHOP! Handmade gifts and accseeories

We all do it pass by a shop and never check what is inside,but take my word go into the shop and for sure you will come out with something even if it is a small gift for someone or for yourself. Hidden to the back of the shop are some lovely dresses for those hot days and sandals for keeping you cool.
Why not try on one of Maria's hats for men and woman or the colourful t-shirts you can't go wrong and the shop has more items that are fun to give to a child as a present to remind them of your stay or visit to Oia     

KALIVA TOU KALIVA ON THE SEA ROAD IN BAXEDES

Kaliva tou kaliva sits across from the beach in baxedes the bottom road of Oia .The only taverna in oia where you can still find grilled lamb,  kooreci and kontosouvli all  famous family greek meat dishes grilled on a spit over charcoal and served in an old traditional way in greaseproof paper brought to the table having been taken off the grilled and chopped into portions.Excellent accompanied with their greek salads and tzatziki and freshly fried chips.   

 This taverna is family owned and has a lovely simple  atmosphere about it and is great for family gatherings for lunch, evening sunset or having a traditional greek wedding meal with live greek music that can be arranged in advance. 
There are times i go there after a hard stressful day just to take time out to relax by the sea and feel im in another part of greece but im only 10 minutes away by car from Oia or 20 minutes on foot.

I WISH YOU A GREAT SUMMER OF 2013 

KRINAKI TAVERNA FINIKA

http://www.krinaki-santorini.gr/krinaki/krinaki/contact_eng.html

Krinaki is best known for it's excellent grilling on charcoal and variety of
meat and local vegetable dishes,.But today they have on the menu as one of the dishes of the day
 OCTOPUS COOKED IN VINSANTO SERVED WITH MASHED POTATOES .

Krinaki is also a beautiful place to go for lunch or to watch the colours of the village change when the sunsets in the evening and listen to what we all love greek background music and the local people getting on with a simple life they have always known .     

GRILL HOUSE IN OIA TEL: 22860 71105

The grill house is positioned just  off the main square
at the bus station and has seating area to the side set
a lovely garden and in the summer it has a lovely
breeze.

γυρος / gyros the most famous snack food in greece can be found in the grill house. I remember when i first visited greece i had lunch in a friends  family home and ate so much ,but in the evening it was a tradition to pass by the local gyros shop and have a gyro.Served in a pita with grilled pork or chicken and tomatoes,onions ,chips and tzatziki it is a great snack.
Souvlaki is another traditional snack or even as a meal it is  pieces of pork or chicken grilled on souvlaki stick and served with pita ,tomatoes,onion tzatziki and chips.

Santorini - Golden Sunset Villas in Oia

https://www.facebook.com/SantoriniGoldenSunset?fref=ts

http://www.goldensunsetvillas.com

Goldensunset villas sits looking over one of  the famous views of Oia the wonders of that magic sunset which you can see from the comfort of your balcony situated at the end of the village. Only a couple of minutes from the hub of Oia
Kiriakos the owner has a lovely relaxed character and always with a smile in his hotel and village ,he loves making his guest feel part of the island in giving them advice and directions on where to go and what to do 
while staying with him.

  The views from here are for those  have not done it yet propose or renew your wedding vows again on the steps with a background like this only a yes or ...we don't need the opposite 

  Just in time for all of us to go and watch the sunset and for me to pass by kiriakos for a lovely local sweet wine vinsanto.
                                         I wish you and your family a lovely 2013 summer  

Hassapiko Bar in Oia

https://www.facebook.com/groups/8635899246/?fref=ts

Hassapiko is on the main street of Oia heading towards the sunset.  I have many fond memories of finishing work and going here with friends for one or two drink after a summer nights work just to relax and catch up with their day. we would sit outside on a hot summer evening chatting, laughing and even dancing to the dj's music that catered to all ages ( wonder what he will play for me now :)

The bar got its name from it's passed use as one of the local butchers for that reason the owner has kept the hooks outside where the butcher would display his products and even today some of the young generation  use it as a place to do some pull-ups after a hard game of backgammon

. The lovely thing about here is it is an all day bar serving coffee /tea ,fresh juices,milkshakes/smoothies, sandwiches,toasties , to alcohol 
On behalf of the local people and visitors i wish you a great 2013    

NAVAL MUSEUM OF THERA Oia, 847 02 Santorini tel. (0286) 71156

 THIS NAVAL MUSEUM  IS SITUATED ON A VERY QUIET LANE IN OIA IN AN OLD CAPTAINS HOUSE

Where to start writing about a generation of people who i never knew, but for sure i know  some of their children or grandchildren and i have been given so many stories of how Santorini  life was like then .
Even this morning on my way into oia i had the chance to sit with a lovely lady who told me that in oia before telephones the way of communication as to when a ship or boat was due to arrive was so simple,what is now the local post office use to be the main warehouse for the merchant ship owners who would come  to sample the harvest from the land. If a farmer from perivolos  in OIA had some wheat to sell to naxos to make beer he would take it there and then it would have been transported down to the port of Amudie onto small boats to row out to the cargo ships.
 

To read their charts or diaries while sailing at sea is amazing full of local captains and sailors memories that have been displayed in a handwriting of what we now see as a form of art and history and few of us can now understand in our own languages or countries of the men who brought to all our shores a culture from far afield before airplanes etc.

    I put a bell up to remind us all that in all of the world the bell has been used as a signal in communication of announcing to the people of a celebration ,a birth,at school, a wedding, a death or a warning of danger .(But i have a chance to promote a magnificent museum steeped in greek history of the people and hope you can share this with your friends and families so the young don't lose out on what their great great grandfathers did for them )   

ZOE-AEGAS TRADITIONAL HOUSES IN OIA

http://www.zoe-aegeas.gr/gallery_eng.html

Everytime we see a hotel our first thought is what does the owner  look like  so  Jack (George) as we know him  here  in  Oia  was very happy to be photographed. Today is overcast and not the best day for shots but this shows how proud Jack is in his hotel from the peaceful courtyard to one of the balconies looking over the caldera .
As all the apartments were full i couldn't take any indoor photos, but that is for the rights and privacy to the clients to have a lovely relaxing holiday feeling at home . 

 Please if or when you go to stay here Jack's pride and joy is showing off his flower pots a few but they are his joy as are the breathtaking  views while sitting in the morning having your breakfast or wine and cheese on a summer's evening watching the moon coming over the cliff of the caldera .

FEREDINI RESTAURANT OIA

http://www.feredini.gr/

Feredini the traditional name given on the island for the small knife that was and is still  use by a few  who  have small plots of land and grow wine to prune and harvest the local santorini grape has decided to change their menu and bring forward the local greek cuisine with a touch of Mediterranean combinations that incorporates local produces from the land and villages of Santorini.

As i didn't take my camera with me today trust my choice from their menu for this evening   
                                                  Starter: Fava eggplant with a drizzle of  orange fused with some herbs
Main course: Risotto with wild asparagus
                          Veal with fresh tomato sauce and pure ad eggplants
    Desserts: Yoghurt with grated fresh lemon 

Have a great 2013 summer to you all and a lovely sunny evening  

  

   

FORGET ME NOT ....FLOWER SHOP IN OIA

http://www.forgetmenot.gr/index_en.php
https://www.facebook.com/pages/FORGET-ME-NOT-flowers/118958984813938?id=118958984813938&sk=info

This shows in the work of Spiros and nikos to create wonderful art in beautiful flower arrangement that is to fulfill a moment of time never to forget .   
It is amazing 
 Bringing  out the colours of flowers and the sun in Oia and Santorini  to respect  nature we have around us, and is used in every celebration we have in our lives. From the smells of a natural creation of the earth and tender care in growing flowers can be used as a symbol of love .
Knowing Spiros and Nikos  for several years the love and joy in their work shows and the hours they put into their arrangements to fine details of displaying and setting up table settings with flowers ,to creating surrounding colours on walls or water features.
I love and feel with my eyes closed to say Weddings ,Special moments and just to pop in and take away a plant for memories to put in your garden ,Contact Spiros and Nikos  
  

ORIA GALLERY

http://www.rigopoulos-santorini-wedding-photography.com/

My first meeting with Nikos was someone who had this lovely big smile and eager to help me when my old canon camera had a problem which he fixed and cleaned. There are a lot of photographers on the island as we all know, but few who can catch on camera moments that express the magical and  special day every couple wants " Their Wedding Day." Niko through his gift and studies in photography has created a lovely way of relaxing a couple to capturing natural and breathtaking photographs that makes you want to display them in your house rather than putting into the traditional wedding album.

You can find niko's shop just beyond the famous church St Nicholas which is in the direction towards the castle in Oia and well worth taking time to explore his wonderful pictures of thymes and views of Santorini that he has captured that can never be created again in time .

 Niko may you have a great 2013 summer capturing those magnificent moments that                                                        reflect the joy you have here in Oia.

OIASUNSET HOTEL

http://www.oiasunset.com/
 What started with a chill in the air turned out to be a 
lovely sunny day and the guest at the hotel returned from their excursions and shopping trip in the village.
Some to relax in their apartments and one or two saw the swimming pool which was so inviting went quickly to change that made me jealous.
But with a little trick with sunglasses i created a lovely sunset, and from the hotel it is lovely to sit on the higher balconies and with a glass of wine watch the sunset after a day full of excitement 

KYPRIDA RESTAURANT In OIA: Traditional Cypriot cuisine

http://www.kyprida.gr
https://wwwfacebook.com/groups/152620534761104/

What a great start to bringing  Kyprida onto the blog ,tonight live greek music to start the summer of 2013.The weather is lovely and warm but i suggest you take a light jacket or jumper with you in case .But for sure you are going to have a great evening .

 This lovely Cypriot restaurant is situated next to the Maritime museum and has a lovely feeling of combining both the Cypriot and Greek cuisine together with the spices of middle-east due to passed history and life styles.

EPILEKTON SHOP IN OIA

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Epilekton/313662712081815?fref=ts
http://www.epilekton.gr/gr/

Summer is here and there are going to be lots of time spent outdoors on our balconies and gardens where it is lovely and relaxing to see artwork displayed on walls or trees.
why not go in and see the different sizes tasos has from miniature to large pieces that bring colour to a plain wall in the garden or outside walls 

SKIZA COFFEE, CAKE AND MORE INSIDE TO SIT OR TAKE AWAY WITH YOU

https://www.facebook.com/SkizaCafe?fref=ts

The view  says it all to sit at this table and dwell into the pass of Oia while enjoying their homemade pies or cakes over a lovely coffee is living a holiday of a dream come true .

Sampling sun dried tomatoes with feta cheese in a lovely flaky pastry for breakfast or lunch with a salad and a glass of local wine is to die for .

   And the experience with a lovely fresh cheese cake and  a Sigalas vinsanto will leave you wanting to return again to sample another traditional pie or ordering one of their great homemade pizzas that is rich in taste and toppings .