This is the place to visit! Forget Mykonos and Santorini. Even Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson own a home here. Exquisite is the word to best describe it all. Yes, it has white buildings, narrow twisting paths, and cats lounging everywhere. It is the atmosphere that sets it apart. The entire village is calm, white, pristine, clean. The hand made gifts crafted from olive trees are exceptional. I bought the prettiest hand painted ceramic bowls and almost purchased several dresses. I can never have enough dresses!

The village made me think of the Erik Larson’s novel “Devil in the White City,” a true story about the Chicago World’s Fair. Set in 1893, just how amazed were the fair-goers walking through a city completely white, illuminated with thousands of bright light bulbs, while being introduced to new inventions?

Incidentally, in the 1930s, Greece was suffering from a cholera epidemic and the nation’s leader ordered all citizens to paint their homes with a whitewash that contained limestone to help slow the spread of disease. It was considered to be a potent disinfectant. Hence, the birth of the popular white building and homes.

Later, the homes continued to be whitewashed to help reflect the sun’s scorching heat. White also preserves the freshness and coolness of Greek homes. The added color of blue symbolizes the colors of the Greek flag, the paint color is cheap, and was historically used long ago in revolts prior to the 1821 revolution. Tourists eat it up!

If you look at the bowls, you will notice a blue eye. This symbol can be found on everything from dish towels, to clothing, to ceramics. According to Google, “the evil eye symbol has been found through thousands of years of history. The four concentric circles is the shape of an eye are to ward off evil intentions of someone else’s envy or jealous compliments.” In the way of jewelry, the small thumb-nail sized piece of colored glass is a traditional good luck charm only if it is gifted to you, not if you purchase it for yourself.