Oia Santorini: 1-year anniversary… reflections of a cave dweller

It was twelve months ago (just over actually) that I decided to start writing a public notebook about life in Oia. Somehow it seems longer… maybe because a great deal has been written or maybe it’s just been a long year. If I had known what I was getting myself into I probably wouldn’t have done it… but, “live with no excuses and love with no regrets” as they say…!

I think blogging should be called “Hidden… in full view” !

Don’t get me wrong… I have enjoyed every minute of it – well, in truth, maybe not “every” minute… but most of it. It’s a love-hate relationship really. I love the discipline it imposes on you… I use it as motivation to see and capture all the wondrous sights this mystical island has to offer. But on the other hand I dislike the “exposing” aspect… something I suspect a lot of bloggers who are usually fairly “private” people,  find difficult to get used to. I can certainly understand why some bloggers hide behind a pen-name. Now… again, don’t get me wrong. This little blog is not about to make me famous and there is no fear of being mobbed in the middle of Oia… unless its’ by donkeys or stray dogs in the dead of winter. That’s not what I’m talking about. By “exposing” I mean peeling layers off one’s self. Discussing things that have always been considered personal, private, out-of-bounds for people that know me… let alone total strangers.

The good news is that it does get easier the longer you do it… as in it gets easier to open up and talk freely about all kinds of things. I suppose the “mystics” and “new-age sensitives”will claim that openness is good for the soul and writing your thoughts is a good way to cleanse. But that’s the mystics… we all know they smoke bird droppings and talk to playing cards with pictures on them (they all inhale btw).

So here we are…a year later… and 139 posts later. Lots of words and lots of photos… which is what most people tune into this channel for. There are literally thousands of photographs I have taken in the past twelve months… only a small fraction of which have made it in this blog. Photography has been one of the most pleasurable aspects of blogging… and its something that I will continue to explore with great enthusiasm. Its a record in time… of the island, Oia, the cave house, the family and Greece… at least through my eyes & lens. The new blog design will highlight photos a lot more and also feature them in a more referenced way – I know its late in coming… but there are many things happening here which are taking priority at this point in time.

There are things one is supposed to do when reaching this milestone… but I don’t exactly know or don’t remember what they are, so I won’t bother. What I will do however is show some of my favourite photos from the past twelve months. There are too many to include in one post… so this week’s posts will be dedicated to the year that was. This is the first instalment  of memories from the past twelve months:

as a friend of mine said “this picture says it all” !

dreamtime…

nature’s show…

beauty  in simplicity…

unforgettable Christmas eve image…

magical Aegean sunsets…

and mystical Aegean islands…

morning mist…

and stormy weather…

ancient sacred sites (300 Spartans)

and images that capture the essence of a Greek island village
in winter (Naxos)

religious traditions…

and magical moments in time…

the staggering beauty of this mystical island…

and the sheer pleasure of being able to experience and share it…

It’s been a great adventure… one which continues. I hope the “dedication” of this blog touches those “undecided” people… those who want to explore and pursue their dreams but who, for whatever reason, haven’t been able to as yet. I hope our adventures serve as reminders to people that you don’t have to be anything special to live your dream… you simply have to want to do it. To take a chance… to realise that the worst thing that can happen is that you may… just may feel “alive” again, doing what you have dreamed about for years. You may actually have some fun breaking your comfortable routine… and doing what most people will only ever talk about.

I’m not preaching… I just happen to believe that sometimes the greatest gift is to encourage people to answer their own prayers……