According to mythology and my tour book, this island took its name from the hero, Mykonos, who was the grandson of the God, Apollo. Located off the southwest coast is the small island of Delos, which was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.
Mykonos was a religious and commercial center during antiquity and was part of the Byzantine Empire when the Venetians ruled. Famed pirate, Barbarossa, took the island from the Venetians for the Ottoman Empire and during the Turkish occupation, Mykonos was a popular seafaring and trade center. It was only after the Greek Revolution that the island was liberated and united with Greece.
Approaching the island, I was taken by the large windmills along the shoreline and up into the hillsides. Indeed, they looked liked large white birds calling me to take a closer look. And a closer look is exactly what I spent my time in port doing. From one end of town I wound my way through colorful alleyways that were overflowing with colorful local goods from the area. Olive oil and related products, spices and herbs, capers, figs and various nuts and legumes provided an aromatic stroll. White linen, leather goods and sandals and lots of jewelry stores made up the rest. I decided early on in my walk to just get lost and I found it was quite easy to do!
Two hours into my wandering, I came out on the side of a large hill overlooking the bay where the Star Clipper stood at anchor. Here was the site of three large windmills and a small chapel. White washed buildings with brightly painted doorways were tucked in between ancient walls and rock structures. My camera’s eye did not know which way to turn! Indeed, each nook and cranny was full of the character I had come in search of. Children played stickball while a small boy played a tiny bouzouki for donations. A woman hung her laundry while two small girls played what appeared to “ring around the rosie”.
Glancing at my watch I am quickly reminded that it is a long way back down to the port and I must catch a tender back to the ship by 4:30. Sadly, I pull myself away and head down the hillside towards the port. Sail away at 5 pm was spent in the bowsprit nets, providing the perfect way to watch Mykonos disappear on the horizon as we sailed towards Athens and the end of the first leg of our trip. Tomorrow, The Greece Connection tour commences with 120 new passengers joining us in Athens.
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