Thurs Oct 17, 2024
Hi Gang! Today we’re docked in Mykonos Island in Greece. It is sunny and 75 but a bit windy like most of the Greek isles. We did a tour with Regent that took us around the island.
Mykonos is an island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. It’s popularly known for its summer party atmosphere and sandy beaches. Massive dance clubs attract world-renowned DJs and typically stay open well past dawn. Iconic landmarks include a row of 16th-century windmills, which sit on a hill above Mykonos town. It has a population of 11,000.
In Greek mythology, Mykonos was named after its first ruler, Mykonos, the son or grandson of the god Apollo and a local hero. The island is also said to have been the location of the Gigantomachy, the great battle between Zeus and the Giants and where Heracles killed the invincible giants having lured them from the protection of Mount Olympus. According to myth, the large rocks all over the island are said to be the petrified corpses of the giants.
For our tour, we were docked at the new port so we took a short bus ride to the old port and the town of Mykonos. Our guide took us thru the labyrinth of walkways that had many small shops and lots of churches. We stopped at one of the oldest bakeries on the island and had a traditional cinnamon cookie. It was yummy!
We then walked past the only Catholic Church on the island (the rest are Greek Orthodox) and then to the five windmills they have on the hill. Given how windy it is here, they’re good to have!
We continued walking back to the town center and saw several bars and restaurants where the waves came right up to their doors. When there’s rough seas I’m sure they get a little wet!
We then boarded the bus and they took us around the island and showed us several beaches. We stopped and took pictures at Kalafatis Beach where there were kite surfers taking advantage of the wind. We also drove by Agios Ioannis Beach.
The bus then took us to Ano Mera, a traditional Mykonian village, where we visited the 16th century Panagia Tourliani Monastery. After that we stopped at a local “taverna”, a traditional Greek restaurant, and had drinks and mezedes (local appetizers). We then drove back to the pier.
We got back onboard, had a late lunch and chilled for the afternoon. I’ll send another update after dinner. Happy Thursday to all!
PS: I took so many pictures I’ll split them into two updates!
The Wandering Italian 