Oia Sunset © Travelsignposts

Oia is only a small village in the north-western tip of Santorini, but its beautiful setting and magical sunsets has made it one of the most photographed places in Greece!  Many travel images of Greece and sunset shots of Santorini are taken from Oia. Yes, Oia is the Santorini village that has become synonymous with the sunsets.

Like many travellers, I have seen spectacular sunsets in various travel destinations around the world. But what makes the Oia sunset special is its romantic setting. The silhouette of the windmills, the beautiful architecture of the whitewashed traditional houses with their blue trimmings, the churches with their blue domes and the enthusiasm of the crowd all combine to make Oia’s sunset magical.

Sunset in Oia

Each evening at about 18:30 streams of visitors can be seen rushing to the tip of the village to secure their vantage point. Some gather in the old fortress area which is the remains of a watch tower which the Venetians built as a lookout for pirate ships. Some are comfortably seated on the verandas of cafés and restaurants enjoying a sunset drink, while others just jam in along the narrow streets facing the sea.

Some of the smarter people join sunset cruises and you can see the beautiful timber sail boats racing around the bay area to secure their positions.

Watching the Oia Sunset © Travelsignposts

We find that watching the people watching the sunset is just as enjoyable. Cameras are flashing all around the cliff-edge and couples are asking strangers to take a photo of them against Oia’s famous sunset.

In September, the sun sets at about 19:00 in Oia but in the peak of summer it is a little later. And just as the sun dips into the horizon the crowds quickly disperse into the shops or the many eateries in Oia or they just hang around in the village square to enjoy what else is happening there.

We retreat to the terrace of our traditional house and enjoy a sunset drink and the beautiful caldera views and discuss which restaurant to try for the evening.

Changing of the Guards Ceremony, Athens

Syntagma Square, in front of the Parliament House, is the main square in Athens.  It’s also known as Constitution Square and around this area you’ll find the banks, airline offices, shopping centres and malls, restaurants and hotels.

This is a good starting point for a walking tour of the city, something that you can easily do on your own with the help of a street map.

We came here in search of the American Express exchange office, which we recalled as being a little office in Ermou Street off the main square. However, as the area had been totally overhauled for the Olympics, what we recollected was outdated information.  The moral of the story is if you need to get to an American Express office, or any other place in particular, always check the latest address before you leave.  We asked quite a few of the locals before someone was able to point us to the new location.

Catch the changing of the Guards Ceremony

In front of the Parliament House is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  It is watched over by two special guards called evzones and each hour on the hour, a changing of the guards ceremony takes place.  This is quite an impressive ceremony and a great photo-opportunity.

The guards in their traditional uniforms (apparently there are some 400 pleats in the kilt-like skirt) and pom-pom shoes look extremely smart.  In the heat of the midday sun, it must be unbearably hot in the heavy outfit, and yet these guys look very together.  When taking your snaps, be careful not to get in the way of the guards as they high-kick their way away from the tomb at the end of the changeover.  They will not veer from their path and you won’t want to risk a nasty kick!

Across from Syntagma is the Grande Bretagne Hotel. This grand and luxurious hotel was established in 1862 and its guests usually include foreign dignataries and the more upmarket travellers.

Behind the Parliament House is the National Gardens which we didn’t call into as we wanted to complete our walk circuit. Walking down El. Venizelou Street, you’ll see some magnificent and grand neoclassical buildings like the Academy of Arts, University and National Library. The university students are very fortunately to have their university smack in the middle of town and surrounded by other historic institutions.

Finish off your walk in the maze of shops at Monastiraki

At the end of Venizelou Street is Omonia Square and if you head southwards, you’ll be walking in the direction of Monastiraki. This is the most picturesque area of Athens with its flea market and streets that are packed with all kinds of shops.  Once you hit this area, you’ll probably lose yourself in the maze of shops. And if you’re in the market for some genuine, hand-crafted sandals, the Melissinos Sandal Shop is nearby at 2 Aghias Theklas Street.

The Parthenon © Travelsignposts

A highlight of any holiday in Athens is a visit to the Acropolis.  One of the earliest religious complexes in ancient Greece, this awe-inspiring heritage from its the Golden Age still dominates the skyline of modern Athens.

The Acropolis is an extremely popular tourist attraction and each day bus loads of tourists of different nationalities descend upon the site.  Shuffling in the queue as you wind your way to reach the top can be a test of patience as sometimes the less public spirited group tourists may jostle and push their way through causing others to lose their cool.  If you’re able to get there early in the morning or in the late afternoon when there are less tour groups, you may have a more pleasant experience of this impressive site.  The complex is open from 8am to 7pm in summer and from 8am to sunset in winter.

To reach the plateau, you enter through a large portal, and at the top are the ruins of three of the most important temples built in the 5th century BC.  The Acropolis is under various stages of restoration and photographers may be a little frustrated by the scaffoldings.

Temples of the Acropolis

The Parthenon is the largest building on the Acropolis and one of the world’s most legendary man-made structures. It was built by Perikles to honor the virgin goddess Athena.  Except for the wooden roof, the whole building was constructed entirely out of marble. The Parthenon’s architecture and illusion of perfect symmetry has been the study of many architects and historians and thousands of buildings around the world have been modeled on it. Most of the artifacts from the temple are housed in the Acropolis Museum nearby.

The Temple of Athena Nike, also called the Temple of the Wingless Victory, is a small temple that once contained a sanctuary and an altar for animal sacrifices. The temple was restored to its former splendor in time for the 2004 Olympics.

The Erechtheion © Travelsignposts

The old Acropolis Museum hidden behind the Parthenon has been closed since 2007 and all its contents are now displayed in the impressive new Acropolis Museum nearby. It contains all of the portable objects removed from the Acropolis since 1834.  It displays antiquities including three of the original sculptures from the Parthenon’s pediment and sculptures of humans and animals dating back to the 6th century BC.

From the top of the Acropolis, you also get a sweeping view of Athens and the Saronic Gulf.  Crowds and scaffolding notwithstanding, this ancient sacred site never fails to impress its visitors.