Every year on the 15th of August I have a quiet glass of wine with family and friends… partly because it’s almost always a hot august night, but also because I am another year older.
This year it was no different… except now days the quiet wine is usually had at my favourite taverna… watching what many call the best sunset anywhere.
It was certainly a hot August night… in fact every night this August has been hot. The “meltemi” winds did not appear in late July as always… and the island got hot, very very hot. This means people spending all day at the beach and going out at night after sunset. The tavernas, bars & cafes filling up and the buzz of summer echoing through the whole village. For the casual visitor it is the only way they know Oia… but for me it is a welcome sight after months of winter and relatively quieter spring. Seeing happy, relaxed, tanned people enjoying romantic dinners by the water is what island life is all about . You know that each table has it’s own story to tell… each couple or group of friends having planned this holiday for months and often for years. They are finally here… Oia Santorini, at sunset. You can feel the magic in the air…
M
Oia Santorini... a notebook about life in Oia 
i am one of those many. the most beautiful sunsets!! happy belated birthday!
agree with you Paulette…. saw one from Imerovigli last night…stunning. Pics soon ; )
Hi, Michael, my husband and I are presently enjoying 3 weeks in Oia. Magic! Rejuvenates the soul and senses. One week in Santorini changes ones attitude….3 weeks changes ones life!!! From past postings I know that your wife has a shop or craft boutique somewhere – not sure if it is Fira or Oia. Are you able to email us with this info? or is that too much information??? We have just experienced 3 days of the Meltemi winds but find it just another experience in this island’s temperament. Kind regards,Wendy & George,
Hi Wendy..there is her studio in Firostefani…walking up from the church towards Imerovigli… and the shop in Fira.. couple of doors up from the Jazz bar. Hope you enjoy the rest of your stay… drop in and say hello to Allison.
Happy belated birthday dear Michael!
and i apologize a hundred times for not having visited you in such a long time..
oh dear…i can’t even blame the heat or the lazy summer.
Yes, one can certainly magic in the air in your wonderful island !
Enjoy it all and cheers to you !
xoxo
Lala
ps : i’m so sloppy i completely forgot to tell you i had a Beautiful Blogger award for you—back..hum..in march ..(on that link http://mycastleinspain.blogspot.com/2010/03/fragrant-jasminmy-favorite-scent.html) ..Please take it as an early and belated birthday gift ! :-)
thank you beautiful girl… I havent been very active lately… too much on over summer but will start blogging with a vengeance again soon. Hope all is well with you in your paradise. Thank you for thinking of me with the award too… kisses to you xxx
Happy belated birthday Michael….have a glass for me and know that I am wishing you a wonderful year with many magical sunsets….xv
thnx Vicki… will have a glass for you and a glass with you when you visit the island ; ) xxx
Stumbled across your website today. I had the good fortune of living in Oia for over two years…30 years ago! We weren’t able to buy property or even work legally, so you’re very fortunate. I enjoyed your slide show even though the village has changed so much as to be almost unrecognizable! Thirty years ago, it was really a village…two small grocery stores, two restaurants, a couple of small hotels, one new large hotel and not much else. Just before I left, the airport was built. No shops for the tourists! I did get a glimpse (I think) of the church complex where my then-boyfriend and I built a small living space within a church room. Wonderful little space, owned by the Darzentas family. Ah, what memories. And what a life-changing experience living there was! I wish I had known about your contest! I’ll look at your site often. Nikki
M –
I had just mentioned you at lunch today and wondered how your summer was going. I came back to my blog and there you were with this post.
Your birthday sounds perfect. Best wishes to you for another happy year in Oia.
Catherine xx
Catherineeeeeeee…. always great to hear from you….I hope whatever you were saying during your lunch was all good ; )) Hope the heat is not too bad there…. it’s a lot better now on the island – the breeze has arrived and breathed life into all of us again. Look forward to your good company over fall & winter ; )) xxxx
Happy belated birthday Michael! Sounds like you had a lovely one – have a wonderful year ahead!
Hey Stephanie… thank you…love your tweets : )
Good to hear from you again… I was starting to worry you’d lost interest in your blog… because I know I haven’t! For those of us who wish we were there, but can’t be right now, you’re our eyes and ears. Thank you and happy birthday.
Haven’t lost interest at all Antoine… feel refreshed and ready for some great stories & images to come soon ; )
I am SO enjoying your images and your writing about your experiences in Oia! I’ve looked at more of your website and am looking forward to hearing more about the building of your house! My husband and I will raise a glass of retsina and have a plate of moussaka tonight!
Your time here was around the time I first visited the village Nikki… I’m glad the images are bringing back fond memories for you. Great to have you here ; )))
Belated Happy Birthday,Michael.I was so glad to see your blog this am. as it is so long since you have posted one,and I have kept checking every day since the last one! A beautiful picture,as always.I shall be in Santorini in early October and hope that I get a chance to meet you and Alison.I shall certainly be looking into her shops.
Hi Carolyn… October is a great time on the island… look forward to seeing you. ; ))
Caro Michael,
So happy you’re back. I hoped you would be. Dropping your Oia magic moments from time to time. And happy Oia birthday! Magic as well, it appears.
There have been two somnambultistic months. Umbria was (and still is) hot as well. Slowly, slowly we are getting back to “normal” activities. Hope you will keep us posted, caro Michael. Bacione, Ingrid
Ingrid…great to hear from you… looking forward to both our worlds entering autumn and the zen-like images that we will both witness. Filakia from Oia ;~?
Very happy to see you are still blogging. what are Meltemi winds? happy birthday!
Meltemi is the summer breeze that graces the Greek islands from July till September Dawn… they are the natural lifeline… nature’s air conditioning for all of the Aegean islands. This year they were a bit late… but they are here now and what a welcome feeling it is ; ))
Oh happy birthday!!! I’m glad you had a perfect night surrounded by your family, friends and Oia ;)
nothing is ever “perfect” Ana… that’s the enemy of great…. and I would take great every time ; )))
Happy Birthday Michael! So glad you’re back! I was getting worried. Am also wondering, is your shop the same as your wife’s? And if not, where is yours? Loved your birthday sunset photo. Looking forward to more.
Ciao, Kirsten
Hi Kirsten…no need to worry…. although I did ponder life without the blog I do enjoy writing when I do and I look forward to doing a lot more writing over winter… even though I think it’s going to be a very busy winter. The new shop is only tiny and it’s in the heart of Fira…. it only stocks Allison’s works and was meant for Courtney… my eldest daughter… who then decided to spend the winter in Melbourne. Either way it’s a gorgeous little place and it’s done very well already without any promotion. Look forward to having a couple more by next summer. I’m really looking forward to my photography during autumn and winter and catching up with with my regular blogging reads as summer starts to wind down…. Thanks for stopping by to say hi ; ))) x
I was in the mood for connecting with Greece tonight…so glad I stopped by to see your reply, which I would have missed otherwise. Wish I was there. A vacation next week, though. Not on your side of the ocean…but very excited anyway – catching up with my Greek relatives on the coast. Hope it’s been a good summer for you.
Catherine