Wednesday, September 6: After my shower at Villa Galinia, I head to Oia, AGAIN, to try to see the sunset. This time I will arrive about an hour before; I hope to stake out a good seat at Skala, a lovely outdoor cafe overlooking the caldera, and hopefully, the sunset.
Skala
I arrive in plenty of time and take a seat at Skala, the Lonely Planet-recommended cafe that has an amazing view. However, as soon as I arrive, I notice that, though the view is stupendous, it will NOT give me a view of the sunset. As Skala sits on the inside edge of the northernmost tip of the caldera, it looks south. The sunset will be further at the western tip of Oia.
I will need to eat and run.
in Skala Restaurant
the colorful Skala
Skala
I order red wine, as always, and some pasta with tomatoes and capers. It is quite light and delicious; I love the taste that capers give to any dish. They are so refreshing and tangy.
pasta with tomatoes, onions and capers
The waiter never offers me bread, nor is he very friendly at all. I wonder what it is these people think of a single woman coming into a restaurant. Do they look at me as an annoyance, someone who will probably order small quantities of food, and thus not spend a lot of money? Or do they look at me as if I’m some person with a disfiguring or contagious disease? Leprosy, perhaps? Maybe they think my solitude is infectious, that if they interact with me too much, they will “catch” my single state. I have to say by this time in Santorini, I am starting to get annoyed by the “romance” of it all. By the couples holding hands, hugging each other, taking pictures together, zipping along the roads on their ATVs, arms wrapped around each other. I’m annoyed by the prevailing attitude here that two is better than one.
I love the colors in Santorini!
As I sit and enjoy the fading light of the setting sun over Oia and the caldera, I notice a couple having a problem with their food. Though they are getting ALL the attention from the waiter (I am being virtually ignored…), the young woman apparently finds something in her food and calls the waiter. I can’t tell what it is (a bug? a hair?), but there is a discussion going on, which I can’t really hear, but seems quite animated. Finally, the young lady gets up and leaves the restaurant in a huff. Her baffled partner apologizes to the waiter for her outburst and then follows suit.
the view from Skala…
I understand people being upset to find foreign bodies in their food, but unless the wait staff is really rude, or neglectful, I wouldn’t raise a big stink like this woman did. I would quietly point out the problem, and wait for them to resolve it. Some people are just so finicky about their food! And rude to boot.
I, the quiet, ignored customer, enjoy my food in solitude, ask for the check, and quickly make my escape to try to find the perfect point to watch the sunset.
the “contagious” single woman 🙂
greek wanderings 
Hmmmm, i don’t like living things walking around my food, but i would never be (or have been) rude to a waiter. Unless of course he/she is rude to me….! 😛 I want people to treat me the way i treat them, with respect…
Yes, Ioanna, I wouldn’t like a living thing walking around in my food, either. But I would give the restaurant a chance to remedy it. Anyway, I just thought it funny that, despite this couple getting so much attention, they bolted, while quiet, ignored me just ate my dinner in peace and paid my bill without hassle! Obviously the restaurant staff is focusing on the wrong people!
hahahaha! You are a quiet customer! 🙂
Yes, and so well-behaved! 🙂
That wasn’t very nice of the waiter to ignore you like he did – I hope you gave him the whip? Rude people are right up there with unfriendly ones – they should be run down!
Yes, well, this is more common than not; it really is weird how restaurant personnel treat a single woman. You would think they might feel a bit sorry for you, being alone, and try to be extra friendly and welcoming, but it’s like they’re annoyed that you’ve come to take up a whole table where a larger party might sit. I agree with you; why can’t people just make at least a small effort to be friendly?
A little bit of friendliness really goes along way and yes, you’d think they know better! Does it really take that much effort to smile and be pleasant, whether it’s one person at a table or many? Luckily bad service = their tip being affected!
Sadly, there isn’t much of a tip culture in Greece; you just basically round up to the next even euro. Not like in the U.S. where tips of 15-20% are expected. In the U.S., you can really stick it to a waiter who doesn’t provide excellent service, by leaving no tip, or an insulting tip like 1%! In Greece, there is no way to hurt them for poor service!
Really? Carry a water pistol – bad service gets squirted in the face, ha ha.
Good idea!
LOL – the look on their face – priceless.
Reblogged this on a nomad in the land of nizwa and commented:
back to Oia for dinner.
It sounds like you were well out of there!
Yes, I was, Gilly!