Friday 16 August 2013

DESCRIBING THE LAST FEW DAYS OF OUR BLACKOUTS


My view on a blackout on the island creating a feeling of an old Santorini when the people didn't have electricity or modern cons but woke up with sunrise and went to sleep shortly after sunset. 

Yes there was a feeling and worry from all the shops,restaurants   coffee shops and hotels as we all live with the high demand for electricity, but it was a chance for all to kick in a plan so that the visitors


 still enjoy their holidays and life on the island continued in an atmosphere of people strolling along the narrow paths full of shops etc some with generators running and some with gas lamps

or candles that created an even more rustic feel to a volcano island. Even on the square the children continued playing with the light reflections from neptune restaurant and the local old lady describing the summer days in the evening singing as they went to 

the local tavernas with friends so things of the village haven't really changed from those days just a bit more people .  

I went yesterday evening to find something to eat on the caldera and words can't describe the sounds of different nationalities chatting or wandering the paths with smiles and relaxation in their stroll after having seen the sunset or enjoying a lovely meal at one of the many restaurants or coffee shops.     

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skala-Restaurant/397904573577881?fref=ts was as usual busy but gee it was so lovely to see all the tables with candles it was definally a place for a romantic couple or family .But i decided to go to https://www.facebook.com/SkizaCafe?fref=ts and as i sat looking out onto the caldera and at the table next to me a family of Italian people were enjoying their pasta and sweet crepes with their beer and visanto ,i felt i was in their country but reminded when looking at the church St Stavros that i was in my lovely village Oia 


I ordered their rigatoni pasta with chicken and it was great with a local white wine and after just sat for a while relaxing thinking of my day and the people i meet today and i was so proud for the village in darkness while the rest of the island glowed in the distance. In the end with the help from  the visitors a feeling was created of not all can be destroyed on a holiday but in fact it brings out the beauty of a village sitting on walls or on their terraces enjoying a lovely 15th of August the most biggest religious festival of  Panayiotis Panayiotou, Maria, Despina & Maria  in Greece and the world .




Monday 12 August 2013

Finika one of the 4 villages of Oia


Yesterday i had the pleasure of visiting Finika as it had been a while since been there and it was as refreshing to touch base again with the residence and strolling along those narrow paths and hearing the chatting and laughing from a warm neighborhood on a sunny afternoon while they relaxed under the shade of their gardens or canvases over local wine or coffees after their long finika  family lunches.  


                                      


 The feeling of how this village use to be before the earthquake in the 50's is pictured in my mind after several chats over the years with the people when i hear and stroll pass each house of how the men would be off at sea with their boats or in their fields while the woman would walk into what is now known as Oia working in the mills producing the woven mats for the exporting trade at the time or making the socks that were needed for the sailors of that period .

When i pass these grand archways i picture the wine traders waiting on the wine merchants going in and sampling the different barrels and buying, to then been transported to the hull of the ship into the grand barrels and sailing to other islands or other countries. It is the starting season for harvesting the grapes with their feredini knives and you can still see in some villages the local men gathering and pressing the grapes using the traditional method of shoes and socks off in a stone made large basin with singing and their last years wine .....If you are in finika go to http://www.krinaki-santorini.gr/krinaki/krinaki/home_eng.html and check inside and you will see  if i can discribe them as two wine wells the bigger of the two been for the white wine and the smaller for the visanto a white grape that is left in the sun to become a sweet wine. 

     

 

                                       

                                           


 


Friday 9 August 2013

Kamari beach santorini

 This beach sits just below the ancient runes of Thira and has a feeling of
catering to family needs with it's seaside games and amenities for everyone .It has expanded from what once was a very small village of one or two houses to have a long  beach walkway of hotels ,restaurant and cafe/bars.
With it's black sand and sunbed recliners and thatched umbrellas there was a feeling of fun and an afternoon of been at the beach ,but when you go into the sea as with a lot of the coastlines of Santorini there are several small stones to walk over so it is best to wai into the sea than walking .



 Kamari has the best open air cinemas on the island and is well worth checking out the movies that are showen everynight in the comfort of a lovely greek traditionalhttps://www.facebook.com/cinekamari?fref=ts

Sunday 4 August 2013

#Vlychada Santorini marina.

Yesterday i went to this marina and was surprised to see the development or should i say the amount of water traffic of catamarans that were waiting for the visitors to board and set off on their excursions of the caldera. It brought home to me that the sea as i know for it's small fishing boats of the island is slowly drifting away and the local people are taking to main land for their livelihood in shops and restaurants.

Stopping to ask permission from one young local fisherman if i could take his photograph and why we started to chat about the changes of the sea life of Santorini and as he was mending his nets for the evening catch .I asked him his opinion on tourism and why over the last few years there are less fishermen at the marina . His reply to my curiosity in tell me that the young and even his member families find to work in coffeeshops etc earned them more money and was easier.

There were some private yachts in and amongst the boats with families or friends just sitting chatting or watching the vessels coming and going under the shade of their canopies,or one or two who were returning from venturing onto the island either on a shopping trip, sightseeing or to just sample on of the local tavernas.

But there is a history of a lifestyle just perched on the hill looking over the marina that reminds me of how life use to be on Santorini one of the many tomato canning factories that stand potted around the island and unaware by visitors.But in statues as an empty shells or have been renovated into coffee shops or restaurants with spectacular views due to their easy access in the days not so long ago as a high export demand for the island