Thursday, November 12, 2009

Mykonos Island, Greece - November 12, 2009

When I woke up at 3 AM, we were already docked on Mykonos, Greek Isle. Our stateroom was overlooking the dock for a change. I like to be on this side - to watch the ship pull in and set sail again. I also enjoy being able to see something besides ocean, which is what one usually sees from the other side. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up about 6:00 and sat on the balcony, read, made some pics, etc. Jim slept in big time today, so I was very limited in what I could do. About 8 AM I got cleaned up, watched people leave the ship to go into Mykonos town, saw tour busses depart and shuttle busses go into and come back from the town. It was pretty chilly on the balcony, so I came in about 10 and went up to Deck 14 to read. I couldn't find a place to suit me, so I finally went into one of the seating areas on the main deck and sat awhile.

After Jim got up, we rode the shuttle into Mykonos town. (Many of these islands have towns with the same name as the entire island, so they distinguish between them by adding the word "town" to distinguish the town from the island. Mykonos town is very picturesque. All the buildings are white with blue doors. The main downtown area is pedestrian- and scooter-accessible only. The shops were TINY with apartments above all of them. I was amused at Natalia's Palace (a space literally smaller than my closet at home). Please note that the name is Natalia's PALACE - not PLACE. Her store was perhaps smaller than a typical 50s-era linen closet! Notice the merchandise hanging on the inside of the door. Customers could not go inside; her wares were displayed outside, while she sat in the doorway. If a customer stopped, she would move out and motion for the potential buyer to take her place in the doorway and look at the merchandise displayed just inside the doorway. I took a pic of Natalia's Palace for our Natalie, whom I often call "Natalia." Many other shops were not much larger.

We had about an hour of panic when i thought I had had my pocket picked. We raced back to the ship and called to cancel our credit card, emotionally kissed goodbye to about $100 bucks worth of US money and Euros. Taaaaaa Daaaaaaa! The climax of that story? I found the cards in a pocket that both of us overlooked when we checked my purse over and over again to be sure they were really missing! I will try to rewrite this in more detail later, but I am running out of the very expensive internet time!

Afternoon: movie, nap, read...........

Evening: Had dinner in one of the formal dining rooms. No good shows were scheduled, so Jim watched a movie and I read and came here to the internet cafe.

Here is some information I gathered on Mykonos before we left Atlanta:

Average Temp in November: 58-64F

Mykonos is world famous for its beaches with golden white sand lapped by the blue Aegean.

Mykonos (Greek: Μύκονος) or Myconos is a Greek island and a top international tourist destination. The island is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Siros, Paros and Naxos. The island is composed primarily of granite. It has little natural fresh water and relies on the desalination of sea water in order to meet its needs. There are 9,320 inhabitants (2001) most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town), which lies on the west coast.

History
Archaeological finds indicate that the Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BC. More recent discoveries have uncovered remnants in Ftelia beach from the Neolithic Kares tribe dating back to as far as 3000 BC.

Things to See/Do:

Panagia Tourliani Monastery - Originally built by monks in 1542 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it has marvelous distinct island architecture. It has a wonderfully carved marble fountain in the courtyard and a superb carved wooden screen in the church made especially in Florence.
The windmills and Little Venice -
The Island of Delos - This nearby island (which can be seen from Mykonos) is a huge archaeological site revered in ancient times as the birthplace of the twin Gods, Apollo and Artemis.

2 comments:

Lyn said...

I'm glad you found your money and credit card! You needed some drama to your day, though, or the day would pale in comparison to the others - debilitating headache, tour bus wreck, stolen/lost coat and shirt, etc. :-)
Love you,
Lyn

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this post. Mykonos is small island in Greece.Mykonos Island is a happening place.Enjoy the cool atmosphere on the Elia Beach. Don't forget to visit Pierro’s Bar. For more details refer Mykonos Island