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Santorini's Atlantis: One for the Books

carlymccullough

The island’s only bookstore sits pretty with plenty to showcase.

The welcome vision of Atlantis Books invites visitors in to its cave-like home.

“Book shop” may not be the first thing you think of when you think Greek islands.

Day dreams of crystal clear water, mountains and sunny weather is probably what comes to mind first, and that’s how the island of Santorini was for a number of years.

It wasn’t until two guys, Will Brady and Craig Walzer, came to the island and decided to do something about it.

Upon entering Atlantis, the walls and ceilings feature a hand-painted timeline of the shop’s history.

It was May of 2002 when the duo set to make their mark on the island of Santorini.

As the story goes, they went on holiday to Greece straight out of university and found something entirely different than what they expected. Brady and Walzer signed the lease to an empty building facing the sunset, opened a bank account, applied for a business license, and started to fill the place with books.

One of the many segments of novels Atlantis has to offer features the Philosophy section above.

Shelves upon shelves of books are featured inside Atlantis, once you make your way down the staircase to an underground heaven of novels.

The inside is ethereal, set up in a way that makes any visitor want to have a look around for hours, or even days.

Jelle, one of the shop’s more renowned employees, even mentioned a bed up on the second story, as if spending the night really was a viable option.

The atmosphere is very cozy, creating the feeling of almost wanting to be wrapped up in a blanket of all the pages inside.

The first-edition novels that Atlantis has collected over time start to become pretty pricey.

If you’re looking for the bookworm experience of a lifetime, Atlantis is surely a place that can do no wrong, but the shop also features a few friendly house guests.

The owners have both a cat and a dog who live at the shop; the eagerness to please is certainly present from both furry friends.

Now, whether this is a nice addition to the warm atmosphere of the shop or simply a ploy to encourage more customers in, the animals make a nice, homely addition to Atlantis Books.

A large selection of their books come with handwritten notes pertinent to each novel.

Any of the shops employees, including Will Brady and Craig Walzer, will be more than happy to chat upon arrival, whether it be informational about the shop or just continuous conversation about books.

You can find Atlantis books in Oîa, a town at the end of Santorini, near the famously-known sunset spot. It shouldn’t be hard to miss, considering it is the only bookstore on the island.

You may also find the shop online at atlantisbooks.org or on their Instagram page.

The opportunity to find something magnificent is bursting from Atlantis Books, and it is surely an experience to be had.

-C.M.

Hand-Crafted Wonders of Santorini

carlymccullough

A father and daughter duo take on the art world of the competitive Greek island.

A first view of Kalipso Art Gallery in Fira, Santorini.

It’s no shock to anyone who’s been to Santorini, or the town of any Greek island, for that matter, that the rows of souvenir shops and art galleries could stretch for miles.

Visitors are at no shortage for a place to find “Santorini” painted on an island-themed gift. With the bountiful nature of the lookalike goodies, it might seem hard to find anything truly authentic to the Greek culture and art of Santorini.

That is where Kalipso Art Gallery comes into play as possibly the number one game changer.

The outside welcome as a preview for what’s to come in the gallery.

The gallery is names after Calypso, a nymph in Greek mythology and daughter of Titan Atlas. She allegedly lived on the island of Ogygia, where she detained Ithica’s Greek kind, Odysseus.

The gallery was founded nearly 40 years ago by the current owner’s father, who makes all of the red clay and schamotte ceramics himself. The pottery is glazed with enamel and hand brown glass, a signature style of Kalispo Art Gallery.

The daughter has taken over running the gallery, offering a variety of beautiful Santorini gifts for sale and a warm welcome, free of charge.

A signature piece from the artist behind Kalipso.

Not only is the art itself a sight to see, but the way its displayed throughout the gallery is what might initially draw in prospective visitors.

From the outside, you can get just a hint of what’s to come upon entry, featuring paintings and pottery alike. The gallery favors a style of hanging the handmade ceramics from the ceiling, which makes for a bit of a twist as opposed to enjoying regular pottery.

Each piece compliments the other beautifully, which is what makes the content of the art gallery cohesive and visually appealing.

A common trend of shades of blue may also be noted, as the owner will tell you that’s how her father got his start.

Shades of blue cover the handmade ceramics throughout the Art Gallery.

With his signature artistry now expanded to an array of glass souvenirs and clay pottery, Kalipso Art Gallery is definitely worth checking off on any tourist’s top spots to visit while in Santorini.

A wider look at the seemingly endless range of Earth-toned ceramics lining the entirety of the gallery.

The gallery can be reached on their Facebook page or by phone number, 2286 023993.

-C.M.

Tzamia-Krystalla's Trendy Greek Gallery

carlymccullough

One of the finest art galleries features Greek contemporary art on the island of Santorini.

The welcome vision to Tzamia-Krystalla Art Gallery.

Fine art is of no shortage on the islands of Greece. Not only does artistry seemingly cultivate through the veins of over half its inhabitants, but Santorini itself is like a painting of its own every time you open your eyes around a new corner.

Greek for “Glasses and Crystals,” the gallery has only been around a mere 14 years, which is relatively young compared to the vast history of Santorini.

A minimalistic entrance point marks the start of the beauty to come in the Art Gallery.

Tzamia-Krytalla Art Gallery is a bit tricky to stumble upon, but well worth the venture. The gallery is located in Santorini’s capital city of Fira, a beautiful, mountainous town straight off of a postcard.

With the Aegean Sea on its opposing side, steps from the old port lead straight to the front door – step number 570, to be exact.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but if you turn the corner past the sign that simply reads “Art Gallery,” it’s as if you’ve suddenly entered the gates of gallery heaven.

With an outside just as beautiful as the in, an array of artwork is featured outside the gallery.

The Art Gallery came together through the love of Greek contemporary art of Nikos Grafas and leading ceramic craftsman, Manousos Chalkiadakis.

The name, translating to “Glasses and Crystals,” was born from the history of the handcraft industry that initially occupied Tzamia-Krystalla solely. The move to Santorini was only recent, as in 2008 they moved to the island from Chania in Crete, the gallery’s birth location.

The idea essentially encompasses cutting and processing glass and crystals, which the pair has been doing in Chania since 1948.

Upon your first arrival to the gallery, visitors are greeted by an outside precursor to the heart of the gallery. A gazebo-like awning and the surrounding trees block the artwork outside from any real sun damage, providing both a warm welcome to guests and a cool place to get a break from the strength of the Greek sun.

Visitors can find mostly pottery and sculptures in the front, rightfully so, as the wonders of Santorini sit beautifully inside.

A collection of hand-painted bird houses made of clay pottery by one of the gallery’s established artists.

The gallery features a select few of exclusive creative artists who’ve been collaborating with Tzamia-Krystalla for years.

The art is really up for interpretation of the eye of the viewer, but Greek contemporary art features a common trend of abstract expressionism and kinetic art produced after World War II.

Even if works of paintings and pottery aren’t particularly your thing, the Art Gallery also features music nights and theater and dance performances.

Greek contemporary art lines every wall and hallway of Tzamia-Kxystalla Art Gallery.

You can contact Nikos Grafas at Tzama-Krystalla Art Gallery by email at info@tzamia-krystallagallery.gr.

-C.M.

Hidden Treasures in the Mazes of Mykonos

carlymccullough

Some of the most intricate and beautiful art finds in the central town of the island.

A selection of hand-painted art hanging in the streets of Mykonos.

It was no surprise at all to find endless rows of souvenir shops and little Greek restaurants along the mazes of roads in Mykonos.

The delicious cuisine and sparkling blue waters is what everyone expects from the island, but what I was delightfully enlightened to find was not just one or two, but an entire of individual art shops.

One of the many art galleries amongst the shopping in Mykonos, which most reminded me of my favorite art shop local to the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

There was definitely a lot more than I was expecting, especially coming from Tarpon Springs, Florida, a small Greek town in the Tampa Bay area.

At home there, I have one favorite art shop with the most beautiful nautical-themed paintings, but it’s one of the only ones. It seemed that in Mykonos, almost every corner featured a new art gallery, no bigger than the size of my bedroom, each with their own authentic twist.

While there are very many to be seen, I think I’ve managed to factor out a couple favorites.

It was a bit overwhelming at first to feel like I wouldn’t even be able to distinguish one from the other, or be able to find my way back, but I noticed that I ended up continuously stopping at the same handful without even realizing I was showing clear favoritism.

Pelagos, an art shop in the heart of Mykonos featuring both souvenir-like gifts and hand painted artwork.

One of my favorite galleries was a place called “Pelagos.”

All of the artwork featured here seemed to follow a similar trend, which kept drawing me in. As some of the friends I was with would pull over to stop and look at jewelry or t-shirts, I kept finding my way back to this place.

While I didn’t actually buy anything from Pelagos (mostly because I don’t have that much room in my suitcase), I would’ve liked to have purchased the whole shop.

The colorful and intricate replication of Greek-influenced architecture made me want to redecorate my apartment with this theme solely.

A local art gallery, Eliza’s Gallery, where Eliza herself explained to me some of her most loved pieces.

Another favorite that managed to stumble its way into my artwork-obsessed heart was called “Eliza’s Gallery.”

Not only was the artwork exquisite, but the owner, Eliza, was kind enough to actually take the time to explain some of the art to me, which makes me want it all twice as much.

Her style included a similar range of Grecian architecture, like door frames or balconies with bright colors an florals, but she also featured a collection of wire-like sculptures which I found rather interesting. If you happen to be visiting the island of Mykonos, I highly recommend stopping in her gallery.

She said that her favorite part of owning the shop was getting to meet new people and share her passion.

A closer look inside Eliza’s Gallery, featuring some of the most exquisite hand paintings and also sculptures in the background.

Even if you’re not sure if art is your thing, these places just might be the thing that changes your mind.

-C.M.

The Art of Mykonos Architecture

carlymccullough

How the architectural design of the island stands out as an intricate form of art.

A perfect view of the sunset over the Aegean Sea from the front door of my villa, Room 342.

The island of Mykonos inherently sounds like a beautiful place; I can’t imagine anyone thinks of a Greek island as that of anything below stellar.

The beauty of it all, though, is hard to actually picture, let alone believe, even when you are seeing it in front of your very own eyes.

The postcard view from the just outside the back door to the resort reception.

The San Marco hotel stands as one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited, both in Greece and anywhere in the world.

Featuring luxurious private villas with classic Greek architecture and a view of the Aegean Sea around every corner, this spot is a sight to be seen.

While I made a conscious effort to explore the grounds of the hotel a bit, I found a few spots in particular that struck me as being something I could open my eyes to for the rest of my life.

The architecture at this resort, and Greece in general, is almost completely composed of bright white buildings with deep blue accents. The use of structured color and active symmetry makes for a very clean appearance of all the buildings together, making it very appealing to the eye of its visitors.

The architectural layout of the pool area features a perfect view of the Greek villas and mountains above, with the Aegean Sea (not pictured) behind me.

Now, I’m usually not much of a pool person – I’m the girl who spent her whole life growing up on boats and beaches with the ocean as my backyard, but the pool accommodations featured at the San Marco resort was one of the most unbelievable views I’d ever seen.

I wouldn’t know what else to call it besides art.

The pool is placed in such a way that it offers the least limiting views from a 360-degree angle. You can choose to either sit on the side nearest to the hotel bar and restaurant, with nothing but wide open sea and billowing mountains in front of you, or you may choose the opposing side, with the view featured above.

One of the many maze-like streets in Mykonos, featuring the classic contrast of blue and white.

Upon entering the actual heart of the town of Mykonos, that’s when things start to look like a scene out of a movie – perhaps Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Mamma Mia?

The streets are all lined in cobblestone, slimly turning every which way in between closely built white and blue buildings, ranging from everything to shops and restaurants to residential homes and apartments.

It feels quite like a maze once you’re in the middle of it all, but I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful place to get lost.

I’ve found the architecture is laid out in such a way that as long as you know where you are in reference to the water, you’ll be alright.

As well as the crisp blue and white, the central part of the town actually featured much more beautiful floral accents than I thought it would, most definitely adding to the artistic appeal of the city.

Floral accents can be found scattered all throughout the twists and turns of Mykonos.

Overall, the architecture of Mykonos seems to be very well aesthetically meshed.

Everyone looks coherent next to each other, which is very rare to find and has to take a lot of time, effort and preparation. The concept as a whole is something to be seen in person because it is absolutely breathtaking.

–  C.M.