The summer of 1999 on Santorini

Continuing on into another summer I again worked in the same hotel but not in reception as I am a person with good interaction with people and my boss thought it would be better for me  to work in their bar restaurant which was fun as I had time to talk and suggest places to go and do while the guess stayed at the hotel and loved creating drinks and food from the bar that had the guess coming back again and again  .As in life some times all good things have to come to an end and for reasons I won't go into I left the hotel and needed to find another job as you all know it is not easy to do towards the end of summer ,but yes I found a job as a helper in Skala restaurant .Here I really learnt how to work and serve quickly and was the beginning of several years working as a waitress building my confidence and learning more skills and peoples skills .(On the whole it was another great and wonderful summer ) In my free time I would go swimming and now knowing a bit more about the island would meet up with visitors to show them around the island.

After a very busy evening at work myself and some of the staff would go to the local bar

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to unwind and we would sit outside on those hot nights with the  refreshing breeze from the archway it was a chance of meeting new people who came to the island to work and for friends to catch up on life (yes and also many starts of relationships ) It was  also known as our disco bar where the dj played some great music that had us dancing which I love to do and learnt several dance styles .When going into the end of the season here we would play the  league games of backgammon ,bridge and the game using dices as a way of unwinding and enjoying the early hours because of the ending of the season. T hey were the days for me were I could go at any time of the day on my own and feel at home and it was the place where I got my nickname Jamson and still is used today by very good friends .   

 

Funny thing about the streets of Santorini or villages even I did it for many years, you tend to only walk so far and think there is nothing beyond of interest but not so to my own experience for example this lane if you follow it will take you to some excellent views and takes you off the busy pathways.

   

 



#My first winter in Oia way back in 1998

As the season of 1998 finished in Oia  it was my time to really introduce myself to the village as i had time and back then i was use to also working in the winter so i needed to find work so i went into another field of work i love helping (teaching )young children english using games .I had several children and slowly slowly i had a timetable for the week with saturday mornings bringing the children together to interact with games and you got it some goodies to encourage the use of english .

It was also my real first time of understanding as i now say to people who visit Santorini there is a top and bottom road when i lived in a house that had two exits ....Depending on the winds you chose which way to go as the winds were so strong then that would blow you away haha.Yep i got to meet more of the friends i still have even that life has changed we still try to find occasions  even if it is to smile and say hi or in a taverna sit together.It was the only year that i went home for christmas for three weeks as i had my lessons and it was not fair on the children to stay longer in my family home in Glasgow .

It is nice to have the village empty for a few months just to relax but not for too long,  i'm always asked what it is like when everyone leaves for me it is getting back to a simple lifestyle of getting up in the morning having my coffee hmm about 10am and then going to Canava which is no longer open and meeting up with friends for coffee and if at times we would have lunch their.But by about 4-5pm we would all be back in our homes for the evening .There were other times as a small community we would go to a lovely local taverna called spitidoula yes it also closed as they retired and there the menu was traditional even serving rabbit or santorini snails ( i like the sauce but not the snails ) .

On the return from Glasgow in 1999 i continued giving lessons and spending time with friends as written above and then the shop, hotel and restaurant owners started to return for the season I love that time catching up on how they had spent their winter and my own .The village slowly slowly comes a live and of course the weather has picked up wind reduces it's speed more sunny days but oops some times rain and every one prepares for easter when the buildings have been all painted all the renovations are done and the seasons start again ....To be continued

The local people of Oia Santorini

For the respect of privacy i haven't used their faces in this piece as i haven't asked them for the rights to You might ask  why an old boat but this represents the generations of the pass as 80% of the village in Oia has a connection to the sea (Fishermen or Captains).

 Take my word they have made me feel part of their community.as with every community in the world you show who you are by what you do in your everyday life style and i love that i could have tea sorry coffee in papayiannis the now retired  priest 's house and chat about my life and family and even a little about religion.The local young  people of Oia are changing as the years go by and now becoming more involved in tourism opening up shops and involved in the behind scenes such as electricians and plumbers.( which is lovely as it is their village and island and have studied to get the qualifications by living in Athens,Piraeus or Crete).Their parents have and are involved a lot from the early days of tourism in the development of Oia such as the nursery school,  kinder garden school and their primary school which nearly closed due to children going to the school in fira until the mayor of Oia requested they return back and now it is lovely to see the teenagers  that i remember when i first arrived  are now the parents at the local schools standing outside the school gates.

My favourite moments of Oia are when you walk into the village or when im working they will stop and say hi and ask how or what am i doing  and taking an interest in my life .Or when their is a community gathering i see the welcome on their faces and for it must be 10 years now where some of the ladies are joking about me having to marry a local gentleman so his sister can marry hahaha .  

Need to go just now but will add more to this post over time as there is so much to write about the people of Oia       

The summer of 1998 and the beginning of meeting friends that i still have today :)

This was on my first few days of the summer the place that back then became my place of feeling like at home and made to feel part of Oia's village that i still feel today .Nothing has really changed apart from the fact i have got older but there are so many memories of gatherings of friends and celebrations .But Oia is a place with my eyes closed that i could recommend knowing sure the guests would be very happy food wise and pocket wise .

Everyone comes to Oia to sit and have a lovely meal watching the sunset and i remember having to reserve tables for guests I would phone them and as you can guess i always got my reservation even if it was at the last moment .When the season was over the now friends were shocked when we got together in the autumn we had lots of laughs because of my phone manner polite but sharp and were shocked as to how lay back and funny i was and still am.

Amoudie bay it is a place I remember on my first summer when I went down those 270... steps  as you would to buy fresh fish, but didn't think until I went to one of the many  great tavernas and asked if they would sell me some fish so I could cook for lunch hahaha. The owner ( you guest became a good friend ) first invited me to have a coffee and after a chat said "martina we don't sell fish like that "but he gave me some fish and I went home and baked it in the oven with potatoes veg for friends I had invited for lunch .

Here when I need to really take a break and be near the sea I love that closeness to the sea and going to with friends for a wine over some mezes .or just to be a lone taking photos of the boats and even have been known to have caught fish and kalamari which I didn't keep but gave to friends :)

My first job in Oia way back in the season of 1998

When i went to Oia for the first time way back in march of 1998 arriving on a cold very overcast windy morning, i asked myself what have i done and where am i going .Seeing everything boarded up and not a person insight you can imagine how i was feeling ... simple gee !!!!!!!!. But that all changed, started looking for a job and went for a few interviews and found myself working in one of the well known hotels in Oia in reception. That is when my love started for Oia and Santorini when my first understanding of tourism the enjoyment of finding information ,making reservations booking activities etc   

The island was then a mystery for me as i didn't even know where it was on the map let alone knowing or suggesting to guests at the hotel where to go and what to see, and having no knowledge of computers (But now i have become an expert hahaha )I found myself  in my free time checking out and asking chatting with the guest and local people to learning within a short time the places to go and where to eat.But as i still do today i check them out and make myself known as someone you don't mess with when it comes to  recommending or been i the company of visitors to the island .

   

The hotel was a great start of a journey for me that gave me an understanding that i love working in tourism and meeting people but keeping my principles of life never pretend you know all and never be afraid to ask and learn from others which i have been doing and also giving to the people i have come in contact with .I'm horned to be able to live here