June 10 – Mykonos

Today we arrived on the Greek island of Mykonos.  This is a very attractive town with the traditional whitewashed houses, small streets and a busy harbour.

We decided to take a tour to the island of Delos, where myth has it that the Greek gods Apollo and Artemis were born.  Delos is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece.

The town on this very small island was inhabited by thirty thousand people in the first century BC.   It was a thriving commercial port that attracted bankers, merchants and traders from all over the Mediterranean.  It was thought that 750,000 tons of goods passed through the port each year. It was a multicultural society as archeologists have found relics from Rome, Greece, Syria, Persia, Israel and Egypt.

In an attempt to purify Delos to be fit for the proper worship of the gods, the tyrant ruler Pisistratus ordered that all graves within sight of the temple be dug up and the bodies moved to another nearby island. During the Peloponnesian war under instructions from the Delphic Oracle, the entire island was again purged of all dead bodies. It was then ordered that no one should be allowed to either die or give birth on the island due to its sacred importance.

The excavations on the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean. Excavations started more than a hundred and fifty years ago and are still ongoing. The most interesting site was a house where the atrium was intact minus the roof.  The enormous pillars and the detailed mosaic floors indicated that this house must have belonged to one of the more influential families in the town.

Atrium of a doctor's house in ancient Delos

Along the Sacred Way, which leads from the port to the Temple of Apollo, there is a row of Lion statues.  These came from Egypt and are known as the Lions of Naxians.  As most Europeans had never seen a lion, it was meant to show power and protect the temple.

Lions of Naxians

Marg scared the heck out of me.  She had talked to the guide and found out that island had poisonous vipers and it was only safe on the well-used paths.  So like an idiot, I decided that I wanted to go to the other side of the island and see the excavation of the Jewish Synagogue.  Of course every gecko scrambling into the grass sounded like a giant snake ready to attack. 

We returned to Mykonos for lunch, which we had at a seaside cafe. The Aegean Sea is wonderful with multiple shades of blue and the water is crystal clear.  The water temperature is lukewarm and not cold. 

Little Venice in Mykonos

Afterwards we wandered through the town through an area known as Little Venice.  It is filled with small shops and restaurants and is very picturesque.  The lanes form a vast maze and we got lost for a period of time as we tried to find the village square and the harbour.

A shop in Mykonos

Without sounding too cynical, it seems to me that Mykonos's sole purpose is to allow tourists to shop and eat.  I know that the beaches on the other side of the island are supposed to be great, but there is really nothing else to do in the village.

I think we are now officially “ruined out.”  We don't need to see another ancient village for a long, long time.

Tonight on the boat they had a contest called Dancing with the Officers.  It was a takeoff on the popular TV program, “Dancing with the Stars.”  Nine passengers were teamed up with nine officers and they had to perform different styles of dance.  It was lots of fun and no one took it too seriously.

After this Marg and Heather went dancing. Later Marg then went to the casino, but she did not have much luck.