Splendidoing in Mykonos

Mykonos, Greece

The word “Splendidoing” is a term coined after some cruisers we know who, when crossing oceans refuse to allow any other boat to get ahead of them, but while island hopping tend to move very slowly, lingering on one dock, or in one anchorage, for weeks at a time. It is a wonderful way to immerse oneself in the local environment, and while we envy the “Splendidoing” style, we have never been able to sit still for long.

But as we raised the anchor in Elia Beach, Mykonos after four days (already more than our typical rest time), we had two possible plans, go south or west, when suddenly another idea emerged; just stay in Mykonos! So we moved Berkeley East an hour around the island to a protected anchorage near town and began “Splendidoing” for what ended up being another week.

We had been to Mykonos twice before, so this visit was much more relaxed with no pressure to tour the island. We took the dinghy to Mykonos Town and wandered among fewer people than we had ever seen there before.

We lingered over lunch at our favorite waterfront restaurant, and discovered more local dining options in the back streets.

We enjoyed an afternoon of sushi at the beach club.

We visited with friends, Vanessa and Neal, our self-proclaimed stalkers on Berkeley East’s younger but much larger sister ship, Amante. And flew the drone, capturing the Hylas Yachts 2016 Mediterranean Rendezvous.

We took long hikes, finding new vantage points of the town.

We shopped a little, read a little, napped a lot. We even bought some basil plants, something we have never done in our nine years on Berkeley East (pets and plants have always been banned from BE, as we have enough trouble taking care of ourselves).

We marveled at the quiet anchorage and wondered if the weather forecast had been wrong, or if the cove was just well protected. As we pulled the anchor up at the end of the week, we noticed an enormous truck tire just inches from where we were dug into the seabed. Had we dropped a little bit to the left, BE would have been stuck and we would have had to remain in Mykonos; which would not have been a terrible thing.