A Magical Sunrise & Spectacular Sunset At The Sky Terrace
Oia, Santorini is one of the most photographed places in Greece, if not the world for a very good reason. Cycladic whitewashed houses, blue-domed churches and a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets tier the cliff in an impressive manner, offering a spectacular view of the volcano of Palia, Nea Kameni and the island of Thirassia. That makes Oia the best place to watch the sunrise and sunset on the island of Santorini. 😀
Every morning, my sister and I woke up early just to watch the morning fog roll in from the Aegean Sea during sunrise, from the comforts of the sky terrace at Maryloujohn Villas. As the sun rises in the horizon, rays of warm sunlight illuminated the blanket of fog hanging over the sea and the caldera, thus creating a memorable, magical sight for us to enjoy and admire.
One of the mornings, we prepared a hearty breakfast and enjoyed it with a glass of red wine while sitting at the sky terrace with a view overlooking the caldera and the Aegean Sea. Another morning, we lazed on the wooden deck chair, daydreamed and enjoyed the cool sea breeze. 😉 There was nothing much for us to do because most of the establishments on the island are closed during the low season.
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Shopping For Groceries in Oia
As mentioned in the previous blog post, there is a small but sufficient mini market (Village Supermarket a.k.a Express Market) nearby Maryloujohn Villas. It is located at the back of the property, just by the paved road of Oia (opposite of Saint George local bus stop). We bought our groceries and some toiletries at that mini market at an affordable price. 😉
For example, a packet of ham slices and mini sausages costs only €1 each. 4 fresh eggs cost about €2, so does a bottle of chocolate milk. A cup of chilled, ready-to-drink Starbucks Discoveries Coffee costs about €3.50 – €3.90 each (if I remember correctly) whereas a packet of potato chips costs about €1.50 per packet. Besides that, there is a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, bread, salads, sandwiches, and dry ingredients such as packets of instant noodles, grains of rice, and various canned food too.
The shopkeeper is friendly, helpful and always smiling. The mini market is open daily from 8am – 11pm (depending on the crowd). There is an ATM beside the shop too. There is another mini market located in front of Maryloujohn Villas, however it was closed when we were there probably due to the low season. During the peak season in summer, the entire stretch of the main pedestrian road in Oia comes alive and is bustling with people and activities. 😀
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Up next: Sunrise and sightseeing in Oia – Of captivaiting Cycladic architecture, blue-domed churches & steep cobbled steps