Tuesday – May 22, 2018
After several unsuccessful attempts and many decades, I finally made it to Greece! I fell asleep last night and had a wonderful dream that I was on an enchanted island. I opened my eyes and we were on Mykonos!
The ship arrived at the island very early in the morning. I was awake and looked out to see the sun rising above the rocky shore as the ship dropped anchor just beyond the little harbor.
We skipped breakfast and took an early tender into town to walk around before the shops opened and the hoards of tourists arrived. The weather was very windy but sunny and a comfortable temperature.
We walked along the narrow alleyways and past countless tiny whitewashed churches and buildings with no direction in mind. The shops in the port town of Chora were still closed and there were very few people out and about. The town was very well maintained and beautiful: whitewashed houses and colorful trim.
Finally we came upon the famous windmills of Mykonos. They were originally built in the 16th century to grind wheat into flour and today remain the most recognized landmarks of the island.
The “Little Venice” district across the bay from the windmills is famous for its picturesque Medieval houses with colorful balconies. Comfort is a far stretch of the imagination because the restaurants are right on the water with wind-driven waves splashing over the low wall. It’s recommended to dine here and watch the sunset from one of the many bars and cafes.
We wandered some more and found ourselves back at the waterfront and stopped for cups of double Greek coffee and baklava about 10:30. The coffee was strong and gritty like Turkish coffee and the baklava was sweet and delicious!
It was still early and we didn’t want to go back to the ship so we zigged and zagged along the narrow walkways searching for new areas to explore. There were four big ships anchored beyond the harbor so now the streets were very crowded with tourists. The tiny shops were opening and there was a noisy festive atmosphere.
Eventually, we stopped at a restaurant named Taverna Panagia Paraportiani which overlooked a small church of the same name. The church was built in 1425 and is supposed to have four chapels. I had delicious grilled octopus (two tentacles) and Jeff had a spicy “piquant” cheese salad. They also served Greek bread with olive tapenade and herb butter. Yummy!
While we sat at the restaurant, suddenly an older man walked out of the back room holding a small fish in the air. A large pink pelican waddled along behind him. When the man had everyone’s attention, he gave the fish to the pelican and everyone cheered and took photos.
This must have been “Petros” the Pelican, or one of his two brothers. The original Petros came ashore in the 1950s but died in 1985. Today, there are supposed to be three pelicans inhabiting the island and entertaining tourists.
It was a wonderful day on Mykonos island. We were back on the ship later in the afternoon to rest up for tomorrow when the ship docks on the Greek island of Rhodes.
