Ode to Oia, Santorini

Allow me to reintroduce my travel girls.  The Fearsome Foursome.  The best group of gals you could ever have the pleasure of going on an adventure with!

I have often received comments about the picture above, & interest in where it was taken. With it being such a dreary, cold & wet day here today, it seems an opportune time to share the story of this photo & the chance to reflect on this warm & beautiful destination!

For the past 10 years, as a Fearsome Foursome we have had the good fortune of planning a number of adventures together, visiting Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal & Morocco. You can read about how we got started here.

This particular trip was our 2nd together & was in celebration of “P’s” 50th birthday.  “P” is the smiling gal pictured on the left in the above photo.  I know, we’re all smiling but as you can see, the sun was shining a little brighter on “P”, thus making her look like the happiest girl on the planet!  She was!

Because it was her special birthday, it was her choice to pick a destination.  As per her desire, we headed to Greece, spending 3 weeks exploring various parts of the country.

As with any trip we plan together, we spend months in advance, researching where & what we would like to see. Dividing tasks, we each take on a part of the research, whether it be finding accommodation, sourcing transportation needs or highlights to see while visiting. .

We only have one rule.  Once we collectively agree on something, there is no complaining. If we get to a property we have booked & it is less than the standard we expected, we simply make the best of it.  Often these situations lead to the funniest stories!

Our challenge with Greece was in deciding what parts to see in the 3 weeks we had.  We settled on arriving in Athens, heading north on the mainland, stopping in Kalambaka & Ioaninna.  Taking the ferry over to Corfu, flying to Santorini followed by Paros & back to Athens.

It seems that on most of our trips, we have sourced out one stay we consider to be our splurge.  Travelling as a foursome allows us to do this as when you are splitting the cost 4 ways, an expensive accommodation becomes quite reasonable.

Our splurge on this particular trip was on the beautiful island of Santorini, in the small town of Oia. Oia is a picturesque town that sits on top of the massive cliffs of the Caldera, boasting beautiful vistas for the eye to behold.

Oia, Santorini

Us, with our hostess, Matina.

From the moment we stepped into our accommodations in Oia, we felt like we were experiencing a little piece of heaven.

Greeted by our lovely hostess & owner, Matina, she gave us a tour of the property, kindly offering us whatever assistance we might need in order to make our stay ideal.

Arriving to a stocked fridge, a lovely welcome basket, complete with wine & the promise of an unforgettable stay, we soon felt like we should never leave this place.

Breakfast is served on the upper terrace in the morning.  I use the term breakfast loosely as it a 7 course meal, that will keep you going for a better part of the day!

Matina & her partner Aris, prepared our feast, encouraging us to just sit & enjoy the view as the morning sun warmed the terrace.

So back to the popular photo at the start of the post.  Included in the our accommodation were our lovely cozy white robes so we decided to take advantage of this beautiful place for a fun photo shoot.  After all getting showered & into our robes, we made our way to the lower terrace with wine in hand.

I tend to be the photographer in the group, which translates to meaning I get to set up the timer & run back forth between shots to see if we managed to capture that perfect pic. This is usually accompanied with fits of hysterical laughter from the rest of the group as I madly run back & forth to my camera, often making the task much more challenging.

As you can see from the picture, we look absolutely relaxed in this shot.  I was in a complete sweat by the time we captured this moment.  It was about 85 degrees on the terrace & while the other girls lazed on the lounge chairs, posed & sipping their wine, I ran up & down the upper to lower terrace to keep resetting the shot. It is a wonder I even have my robe on as I was so f#*cking hot!  Note my dirty feet from my running!

Regardless of the workout, this remains one our all time favourite shots of us on our travels.  It captures the essence of our travels together.  4 girls hanging out, enjoying a glass of wine & feeling like they are the luckiest girls on the planet to be sharing this experience together.

Sunlight Villa continues to rank at the very top of our list when it comes to memorable places we have stayed. I think you can see why!

The view is breathtaking, no matter which direction you look.

The steps I had to run up every time we reset the timer!

Our private hot tub on the terrace.

Santorini boasts gorgeous sunsets!  This one was taken from our terrace, most likely sipping on a glass of wine.

My travels with these girls were instrumental in the concept of Life After 50.  What started out to be an adventure shared with a gal pal turning 50, has turned into a travelling pact made with the Fearsome Foursome.  For as long as our health allows us & our finances hold out, we hope to continue exploring parts of the world together!

50 ain’t so bad after all!  Cheers!

Wishing you amazing travels & memories to last a lifetime!

Hugs,

L♥