Mykonos - July 14, 2009

Mykonos July 14, 2009

Mykonos, one of the Cyclades islands, is unreal in its beauty, one of those places Americans can only compare to movie-sets in its perfection. The ship is not docked off shore, as we are originally told, so we simply walk off on a plank and take the shuttle to town, a trip of about 10 minutes.

The town itself is a veritable tourist trap, filled to the brim with tchatchkes. The houses are beautiful white and blue, like the sky and clouds above them, with shops on the first floors, except in residential areas, and streets designed to confuse pirates.

We walk through the small beach off the downtown area, and dip our toes in the Mediterranean for the first time. We want to go to Delos, the tiny island 40 minutes southwest, where extensive Greco-Roman ruins have been excavated. This is where Leto, pregnant by Zeus, gave birth to Artemis and Apollo. Unfortunately, the last ferry leaves by 11 and we miss it by 15 minutes and returns by 2:30 to allow archaeologists to do their work in the afternoon. No one on the ship told us this and we are disappointed.

We continue north through Little Venice, a neighborhood of restaurants right on the rocks continuously washed over by the tide. We walk past the Paraportiani (Our Lady of the Postern Gate), probably Greece's most photographed Church.

About 30 minutes outside of town, we see a small beach, tendered by a peripatetic beach comber and a taverna. We have lunch inside Niko's Taverna, consisting of a platter of appetizers (roasted pepper, stuffed grape leaves, lamb ball, hummus and just mayo by itself) and a beer.

We have earned the right to lounge on the beach recliners. The water is cold and the bottom is rocky and drops off in points unexpectedly, but once you get used to it, the water seems warmer than the air and it is nearly impossible to get out.

We meander back to town, and pass the bus station. Not sure if we should go to Paradise, the famous, half-straight-nude beach. We decide against it and head back to town, purchasing a few souvenirs. Shayna buys some olive-oil soap she discovered in Athens. We take the bus back.

Once back on the boat, I take a nap and Shayna gets a Ladies' night special at the Spa (massage, mini-facial & foot rub.)