Oia (EE-a), like Fira (aka Thira, the other major
tourist center of Santorini), is strung along the rim of a large
ancient
volcano, whose crater is now filled with Aegean Sea except for some
central islands.
From the crater - er-r-r Caldera
rim toward the
outer ocean is mostly pretty gentle sloping land. From the rim down
into the caldera, things are precipitous to the point of breathtaking.
Residential Strangeness
![defaulttitle defaultalt](pix/2009/img_1252.jpg)
![defaulttitle defaultalt](pix/2009/img_1266.jpg)
Most accomodation in Oia is still closed for the Winter. This former
fishing village caters mainly to the package tour business, with little
provision for independent travellers. And package tour season is still
a few weeks away.
The only accomodation I found open is on the caldera - i.e.
expensive - side in a "Residence Villa" operated by a
"Wellness
Spa" that
is so empty that the manager took
pity on me and rented me a room at only an arm more than I can really
afford. Above, we see the way from my digs back up
to the rim. Below, the caldera itself.
The Museum Spa, to give its formal name, is just a tad
strange.
The manager is a Greek woman. All the other staff are young Romanian
women who speak fair English and little
or no Greek, They study English online,, but don't seem to be
encouraged to spend time learning Greek. Go figure.
The manager did her best to
sell me a massage ("two hands or four hands"), which I am not
interested in, and can't afford anyway after what she is charging me
for a room, even if she
thinks the room rate is an act of charity. Mercifully, she has given
the massage a rest. The only man in sight appears to be a sysadmin(!).
Y'see, the Museum Spa
is also the local Easyinternetcafe
franchise. The only net connection in town that I have found. That too
may be seasonal.
![defaulttitle defaultalt](pix/2009/img_1291.jpg)
![defaulttitle defaultalt](pix/2009/img_1299.jpg)
![defaulttitle defaultalt](pix/2009/img_1302.jpg)
Yeesh - I am running on disproportionately about a strange, but
liveable
situation.
The town is pretty, sometimes breathtakingly so. Imagine an
architectural team of Gaudi, Seuss, Escher, Oog the Caveman and Owsley.
More of that in
the second half of my planned Oia pix.
![right view Atlantis Books - entrance below, terrace above](pix/2009/img_1308.jpg)
Local people have been friendly and helpful. Atlantis Books here
has only been open for the season a week or so. The proprietress, a
kind woman who lives otherwise in Munich, did her best to help me find
cheap digs on the cheap side of the rim. In her shop here, she has
taken a subterranean
flat that could have felt like a dungeon, and made it feel as homey and
comfortable as the Gryffindor common room.
Restaurant and grocery store owners often light up when I try
to use my few Greek phrases on them. It is a great icebreaker.
![Meow! sign: MIAOY!](pix/2009/img_1296.jpg)
![defaulttitle defaultalt](pix/2009/img_1321.jpg)
Yes, that sign is pronounced "Meow!". Miaou,
actually. I think it will be some kind of shop soon.
Like most of Greece, Oia is chock full of cats. Unusually,
many of these are quite friendly.
Also unusually, Oia has lots of dogs, most of them sweet outgoing
schmoozers.
Contents Copyright 2012 Jeff Bulf