So after 4 weeks…we were still at Perissa Beach in Santorini…couldn’t seem to get away because now we had made all these great friends to hang out with and have drinks with! He had our favorite hang-our spots…Yazz when we went to the beach – and then mostly Atlas to eat and drink….occasionally we would make it to Beach Bar late night! We were starting to feel like locals! 
Our quad!
With that said, we did finally get a chance to go out and explore the island…so some of the tourist things! On one of my mornings off, Brad and I rented a quad and went all the way to Oia at the other end of the island! It was really really nice, with a paved side walk where no cars (or quads) can drive, which makes it sooo much better!
The view in Oia!
It was filled with lots of little shops, which we did our best to avoid! But there were breathtaking views, and apparently Oia is famous for its sunset! Unfortunately, i had to get back to work, so we had to skip that! We headed to Fira, the capital, where we had a disappointing lunch, and were actually pretty disappointed with the town.
Red Beach!
We got out of there quick enough to find our way to the Red Beach! Some people said it wasn’t worth it, but Brad and I loved it. Maybe part of the reason for me was that there were lots of rocks to climb around and it felt adventurous! But i think it deserves the name! The sand itself it not actually red…it is black…but there are red pebbles everywhere and then of course, the red cliffs stand out so much! Apparently there is a white beach too that is only accessible by boat or by making an hour-plus swim! We really wanted to try it, but didn’t have time!
Relaxing at Red Beach
Eventually the day came around for my last night of work, and we decided to make it a big party! The Raki was flowing, and everyone showed up to party with us so i was really excited…then these white t-shirts were broken out that everyone signed for us! It was the best souvenir i could have asked for! Love gestures ike that! Eventually people started leaving, but it was hilarious….when brad and I left, we ran into 3 different groups of people at 3 different late-night food spots! They have these 24-hour bakeries here that serve little pizzas and ham-cheese pastries they warm up for you….the BEST after a night of drinking! But it was funny that we all had the same thoughts when we left without saying anything to each other!
Last night partying!
Our signed tees!
With 2 days left in Santorini and no work, Brad and I decided to rent a quad again and do the sunset thing in Oia! First we stopped in Kamari, which is similar to Perissa Beach….lots of restaurants and shops…very tourist driven. Dave (my boss at Atlas) has a t-shirt shop there, and we got Brad a shirt that says island boy. On the back its really cool though.
“…I guess its the sea…and the sun…you know when you can just hump in the water…dive in…and leave the streets and chaos of the city life behind…down there…just let is drown…the freedom of life…when you can do anything…climb the mountain…bump around the island…or just cruise in the caldera on a boat…yeah…that’s LIFE…that’s what REAL LIFE is all about!!!”
Love! After Kamari we drove to Oia to meet Hannah and Rachael aka “the Beach Bar girls” aka ” The flyhoes” at their parents AMAZING place on the cliffs with the most amazing view!! We had a couple drinks with them and chatted with Rachaels parents before heading out to see the sunset!
Rach and Han!
The sunset in Oia is a funny thing. EVERYBODY is lined up on the walls and house tops and stairs to see this sunset that may or may not be extraordinary! It happened to be a clear night and very beautiful…but honestly i don’t know if its the best i will ever see. I think with a few clouds it would be nice as it would turn them all different colors. Nevertheless, it was still a nice evening shared over a bottle of white and salt n vinegar pringles! hahah. As soon as the sun is below the horizon, everybody breaks out in applause! Its pretty funny!
Sunset is Oia!
We had the quads for 24 hours so the next morning went back to the Red Beach with Drew and Dan. We spent a lot more time in the water this time and swam out to some of the rocks in the middle of the water. The water seems to be significantly warmer at the red beach than the black beach and i had a much easier time getting in! We all took turns diving off the rock and chatting before we left to explore more of the island.
Diving!
That night our plan was to leave on the midnight ferry but we were invited to the outdoor cinema to see Robin Hood with Rachael and Hannah, who then offered to give us a ride to the port….but we found out we wouldn’t make it in time, so switched out our ticket for Thursday night! The American crew from Seattle (Drew, Dan, Ashley, Brooke) offered to let us crash in their extra room for the extra couple nights! THANK YOU! We seemed to just not be able t leave the island ahh!!
The outdoor cinema was really really cool! Very laid back vibe, surrounded by trees, with a bar and snacks! Drew and Dan met us all there so we had a good crew! We also snuck in our own wine, and i am so embarrassed about this, but after 2 glasses…i FELL ASLEEP for the end of the movie!!! Im already turning into my Mum!! Ahh!! I’m positive it was me crashing after working day and night and going out afterwards…my usual reaction! I push it out til the end, but then i need to crash! Haha but the whole reason for staying was so we could “see the end of the movie”!! Oh well!
Outdoor cinema!
A Our next few days were spent relaxing on the beach, taking in our last moments at Perissa…the little town we have come to love so dearly! I gave in and finally got an AMAZING cocktail on the beach at Yazz (8 euros) but worth every penny!! We tried the food i have been dying to try at Atlas that i always served people….and had one more easy night out with the friends! It was a bittersweet goodbye, but we made sure to let everyone know how happy we were to meet them, so left some postcards with goodbyes on them! Confident though…that we will see each other again through out travels!
My tropical delight!
Goooodbye Perissa….we will miss ya!! (and everyone we met there too!) 