Something for everyone

Mykonos & Delos Greece

One day when the wind seemed lighter, we decided it was a good idea to go 20 miles north from Paros to Mykonos. Halfway there, as we saw 1.8 knots on the boat speed gauge, it felt like the wind and waves were actually pushing Berkeley East backward. We thought about turning around and running back to Paros, but that would be admitting defeat, and worse yet, we would have to acknowledge that we were wrong about moving north being a good idea. So we bashed on to an anchorage just south of the island and rested up to go the final nine miles into the dock the next day.

The morning was calm and sunny in the anchorage, we had no idea how well protected we were there. The nine miles seemed like twenty and docking in the wind was, well, getting tiresome. But we have decided that we must be getting good at it. The Mykonos Marina was like a lot of things in Greece, unfinished. No electricity, limited water, dirt everywhere that blew hard like the wind.

This was not a Meltemi wind, it was something else that at least brought with it cooler temperatures. Our strategy was to get BE on a dock during the blow so we could get off the boat and see the island. Once settled, we did just that.

Mykonos is one of those iconic Greek islands that we had read about for years. We’d heard about the jet setter visitors, wild beach parties and trendy clubs. We had seen the classic photographs of all the white buildings, the famous waterfront and windmills.

Perhaps it was the crazy wind that made it difficult to even walk, or maybe our expectations of this Greek idol were just too high, but at first glance, we didn’t really like what we saw. Ah, but in the coming hours and days, we began to understand what makes this place so popular: it had something for everyone.

We started with the walk around town to see, and photograph, all the things that had mesmerized us in magazines and travel guides. Then we found the perfect sunset bar, overlooking that amazing waterfront and windmills. At dark, it was off to a lively fish restaurant where people had to get up from their tables to let others squeeze into theirs.

There was more walking and some shopping in the winding streets after dinner. And finally, the trendy nightspot where drinks were ridiculously expensive and the “beautiful” people didn’t care. We had taken a bus into town and thought we would taxi back, but after 30 minutes in the long taxi queue and only one taxi, we decided to walk the two miles back to the marina. The taxi wait might have been annoying had we not had conversations with a nice couple from Argentina and a very energetic woman from Turkey. This was only day one in Mykonos.

The four days that followed brought more wind, more dirt and more fun. There was exploring in town, a drive around the island, visits to monasteries, a day trip to the ancient island of Delos, and our search for the best beach on Mykonos. There was something for everyone.

Delos, a small barren island just off of Mykonos, was once the political and religious center of the ancient world with over 30,000 inhabitants. It was the hub around which the Cyclades radiated and where legend has it Apollo was born. The size of the city and complexity of the structures are truly impressive.

The Terrace of the Lions was erected and dedicated to Apollo before 600 BC. The terrace consisted of a row of nine to twelve marble carved lions that faced towards the Sacred Lake of Delos.

The lions, with their mouths open as if roaring or snarling, were both meant to guard the sanctuaries and to inspire a feeling of divine fear among the worshippers.