Amanda Hunt - June 2024 

Greece

Shades of Blue

Azure, cerulean, sapphire, lapis.

Greece unveiled the true essence of blue to me. I hadn't fully understood its depth until I arrived here. It's a color even more striking against the pale tan of the rocks, hills, and whitewashed houses. It lives in the many shades of the sea, the domed churches of Oia, the cloudless sky over Crete, and the mysterious eyes of the people.

 Blue is omnipresent, inescapably drawing you in like the Sirens, shifting its tone and shade with every passing hour and every rippling wave. To be born with the eyes of the sea, Poseidon's eyes—the blue of the shallow Mediterranean waters—would perhaps make a life at sea your destiny. 

I have never been more drawn to the ocean than I was here in Greece. Salty and buoyant, crisp against the hot dry air, the ocean felt more like home than the land.

Oia, Santorini

What I did

Medshore Tours Boat Ride - Sail on an exquisite sailboat (see my IG stories) formerly owned by the designer Givenchy. Our captian looked like Odysseus and told us the captivating history of the area as we cruised the caldera. Learn about the active volcano that is Santorini, the history of the famous cliff caves of Oia, and swim in the natural hot springs of the caldera. Santorini is so much more than an American tourist trap if you take the time to learn the history of the land and sea. It is also famous for it’s sunsets. To watch the sun disappear into the Aegean with the warm salty wind in my hair was mythological and magical.

Where I stayed 

Perivolas Hotel 
Gabbiano Cave Houses

What I ate 

Pitogyros - Street food
Slouvlaki n Wrap - Street food 
Roka - Traditional Greek Dinner 
Sphinx Wine Bar - Upscale rooftop dinner with sunset view.

My Greek Grandfather Paul Chapas (Tsapas)

xx,