Aug 2017
Truth be told, Oia is very touristy. But it's just one of those places you ought to see for yourself once in a lifetime.
Oia is perched atop the northern tip of Santorini. Built along the edges of volcanic caldera, this Greek island has the most interesting architecture from narrow alleys cascading down to layers and layers of cave houses. In the main streets itself, it is populated with the iconic white and blue domed churches and has the most photogenic alleys whether it's overlooking the sea or just framed with beautiful flower vines.
I just love the soft curves of the domes and bursts of colors from staircases and building tops.
On that day, the sun was due to set around 8pm. Many tourists scrambled to secure the hot spots starting from 6:30pm. My partner and I made our rounds to scout out the best spot around 7pm and bought some white wine for the occasion. Afterall, sunsets should be celebrated right?
As expected the sunset was beautiful. It felt like everything had frozen in time - except the sun, which slowly dissolved into watercolors of blue, orange, red and purple.
It was so romantic and meditative at the same time, as I thought about how lucky I am to have embarked on a 3-month journey across the world. And when the sun finally set, everyone clapped and cheered.
I love watching sunsets - on hikes, at the waterfront, from the infinity pool - but have enjoyed very few sunrises. One of these days, I will wake up for one in somewhere beautiful.
