Once we got all of our things settled into the hotel, I wandered around and petted some cats and dogs, and Andy checked out our hot tub and mini pool. The Residence Suites had a beautiful deck overlooking the caldera and a cute little front porch. You can see really beautiful pictures of the hotel and surrounding area
here.
I wanted to do a little exploring and some shopping, so after we relaxed and changed clothes we set off for a little walking adventure around Oia. As I mentioned in the previous blog, the best and most beautiful part of Oia was the architecture and whitewashed cave-like buildings dotting the sides of the cliff. It was like something out of a fantasy novel or a dream about heaven. It was just so perfect, tranquil and unique. I also enjoyed Oia because it was a manageable area. This was the only part of the trip where Andy and I separated (he staked out a sunset spot for us while I shopped…more on the best Husband in the world later). I felt comfortable walking around alone – people were kind and welcoming, the area was colorful and warm, and everything about Oia was classy and inviting.
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| Cute little house we walked by |
The other iconic part of Oia which I didn’t realize until our arrival was the large population of donkeys, used to transport merchandise and goods, as well as people, up and down from the ocean and port. I just liked watching the donkeys, but didn’t have any interest in riding them. They needed sugar cubes and hugs, not huge tourists on their backs. I fell in love with the many we saw during our stay in Oia. One even was kind enough to let me take a selfie with him. He wasn’t as cooperative as the dogs and cats, though.
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| Selfie with the donkey |
One of the many things that make Andy such a wonderful Husband is he understands and entertains my funny, child-like behavior, including my obsession with animals, and by extension, collection of stuffed animals. When we started dating, Andy would get me a little stuffed animal from each place where we had an adventure. There’s now a mini gang on our bed. Sometimes I wonder whether Andy regrets starting that relationship tradition. Either way, he had clearly chosen to continue it because he bought me a little stuffed donkey in Oia. The donkey was gray with a black mane, a huge smile, little black hoofs, and an “I ♥ Santorini” embroidered on his side. I named him, of course, Don (Donkey). Don immediately became our honeymoon mascot, traveling around with us to our different Greek destinations posing for plenty of pictures. Look for Don featured throughout the rest of the blog.
After Don joined the team, we began wandering around Oia exploring the shops, art galleries, and windy side streets and alleyways. As we were walking around, I ran into a little spa called “The Kissing Fish.” They offered
fish pedicures, which basically involved you sticking your feet into a tank of consistently filtered water with a bunch of little fish in them. The fish are garra rufa, which eat all the dead skin off your feet. I wanted to try it just for a few minutes. I had seen advertisements and spas all over Athens; it took me forever to figure out what it was.
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| Some ads for fish pedis in Athens |
The Kissing Fish offered a ten minute fish pedi for just a few euros so I decided to try it. The salon was incredibly clean and professional. When you walked in they had you clean your feet and legs with a sanitizing scrub and solution, and wear disposable slippers. They checked your feet before your fish pedi to ensure there were no cuts, abrasions, or any other health related issues with your feet. Once you passed, you sat in a relaxing chair, dunked your feet in the tank, and the little fish went to work. It was a funny feeling at first, but you got used to it. It ended up feeling very nice, and the bottoms of my feet were nice and soft at the end of the treatment.
I later learned (yeah I know, I probably should have done my research ahead of time), that many people adamantly decry fish pedi spas, claiming they are unsanitary and spread disease. It is my understanding the state of New York has even banned fish pedis for that precise reason. I imagine this is all likely true, and to be honest, I likely would have said no thanks to the fish pedi if I had known that beforehand. That being said, however, I think, like any health treatment or spa, it depends on the individuals working there, the level of cleanliness espoused by that particular spa, and how adamant they are about weeding out any unhealthy clientele. The Kissing Fish seemed to take all those principles seriously, and I didn’t have any issues later on. Of course, if you choose to go to Greece and do one, make sure you do your homework and make an educated choice as to whether to do one or not.
The cleanliness of The Kissing Fish didn’t stop my mother from sending me a stern email when she got my postcard describing the experience…“Allison you NUT! What were you thinking?” She even called in Caroline, my legal assistant, to set me straight. Whenever Caroline is called in, things get real adult, real fast. Can’t blame Mama Bear for watching out for me; indeed, she was right, as usual.
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| It’s okay, Mom, I’m alright! |
On the outskirts of the main square in the central area of town was a beautiful Greek Orthodox Church. I wandered around inside for a few minutes that first afternoon. The artwork inside was gorgeous, and like the Church at the top of Mt Lycabettus, there was an area to light candles and a space to sit and pray.
That night we thought about going to a fancy dinner but we were exhausted. We had found a tasty gyro place down by the bus stop where we met our porter friends, so we decided to get some gyros to go and eat on our little front porch with a nice bottle of Santorini wine.
Beautiful end to a beautiful day. More adventures awaited us the next day!
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