In May 2016, Debra and I took a 12-day cruise of the eastern Mediterranean. We sailed from the seaport town of Civitavecchia (north of Rome) to Barcelona on the Celebrity Equinox, with port stops in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this magical cruise.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day of sightseeing on the Greek island of Mykonos.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day of sightseeing on the Greek island of Mykonos.
Mykonos, Greece (May 24, 2016) In years past, when I thought of Greece, I thought about the mainland, dominated by the capital city of Athens, where Debra and I were the past two days. In planning for this trip, though, I learned about three islands that were on our itinerary – Crete, Santorini, and Mykonos. And as I read more about the geography of Greece, I discovered that this country has more than 6,000 islands and islets scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas. Only 227 were inhabited, including Mykonos (pop. 10,000), a tourist-popular island that is part of the Cyclades Islands, a chain of 200+ islands in the Aegean Sea.
I was on deck early to watch as the Equinox sailed into Mykonos Bay. Too large to dock at the pier, the Equinox dropped anchor in the bay, well beyond the yachts on the right side of this photo.
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Debra and I had a lovely view of the port town and its inner harbor from our cabin’s balcony – the whitewashed buildings, which ran up and along a ridge, were set against the blue hues of the water and sky. It was beautiful!
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The ancient Greeks called the seasonal winds of the Aegean Sea “Estesian” (“yearly”). The Estesian, which can be quite strong at times, blows across Mykonos from mid-May to mid-September. These winds gave Mykonos a moniker, “The Island of the Winds.” Fortunately for Debra and me, we were blessed with picture-perfect weather – calm air, a temperature in the low 70s, and wispy white clouds in a deep blue sky.
Near midmorning, we joined fellow-passengers on one of the ship’s many tender craft, and within 10 minutes we arrived at the dock. There we hopped on a shuttle for a short ride to Chora, which is the island’s port town and capital.
Near midmorning, we joined fellow-passengers on one of the ship’s many tender craft, and within 10 minutes we arrived at the dock. There we hopped on a shuttle for a short ride to Chora, which is the island’s port town and capital.
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After the hustle and bustle of Athens the past two days, Debra and I were ready to “take it down a couple of notches,” and this quaint town provided the perfect opportunity for us to do this.
Debra and I strolled through the maze of narrow, cobbled streets lined with whitewashed buildings. The whitewash, by the way, wasn’t paint. Rather it was a limestone-based plaster mix that has been an island tradition for hundreds of years. Why? It was cheap to make, easy to apply, and, importantly, served a practical purpose – it kept homes and buildings cooler by reflecting sunlight, which was especially important before the advent of air conditioning. Most of the doors, railings, steps, and other accents on the buildings were painted a rich shade of blue. This combination of white and blue (the same colors as the Greek flag) was stunning. There was literally a photo-op around every corner!
Debra and I strolled through the maze of narrow, cobbled streets lined with whitewashed buildings. The whitewash, by the way, wasn’t paint. Rather it was a limestone-based plaster mix that has been an island tradition for hundreds of years. Why? It was cheap to make, easy to apply, and, importantly, served a practical purpose – it kept homes and buildings cooler by reflecting sunlight, which was especially important before the advent of air conditioning. Most of the doors, railings, steps, and other accents on the buildings were painted a rich shade of blue. This combination of white and blue (the same colors as the Greek flag) was stunning. There was literally a photo-op around every corner!
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We had fun window shopping as we meandered around the streets. There were many pretty things to look at – sandals, scarves, shawls, handbags, soaps, and more – and plenty of kitschy souvenirs. Nothing though said, “buy me, buy me!” until we gazed into the window of Misento, a lovely jewelry store. The rings, necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry we saw were unique and beautiful.
We stepped through the doorway of Misesnto and were greeted by the owner, Thanos Misento. We learned that he designed and hand-made much of the jewelry displayed in his store. Debra headed to the left and I went to the right. Soon, though, we stood in front of the same display case, where we admired the wedding bands made of woven strands of white and yellow gold. Debra said, “Wow – wouldn’t it be lovely to celebrate our 42nd anniversary with new wedding bands?” And with that, we selected matching rings. Debra’s ring needed to be resized (her ring finger is a size 3 – tiny, huh?!). Thanos said, “No problem, I can have this ready for you in an hour.” Perfect, as it was time for lunch.
We stepped through the doorway of Misesnto and were greeted by the owner, Thanos Misento. We learned that he designed and hand-made much of the jewelry displayed in his store. Debra headed to the left and I went to the right. Soon, though, we stood in front of the same display case, where we admired the wedding bands made of woven strands of white and yellow gold. Debra said, “Wow – wouldn’t it be lovely to celebrate our 42nd anniversary with new wedding bands?” And with that, we selected matching rings. Debra’s ring needed to be resized (her ring finger is a size 3 – tiny, huh?!). Thanos said, “No problem, I can have this ready for you in an hour.” Perfect, as it was time for lunch.
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I mentioned to Thanos that we planned to have lunch at Captain’s, a seafood restaurant that faces the bay. He told us that the owner, Apollo, was a good friend, and before I knew it, Thanos called Apollo to tell him we were on our way. Captain’s is in the center of this photo.
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Apollo greeted us when we arrived and showed us to a table on the patio. I asked for his recommendations, and this was what he suggested: a Greek salad, lightly breaded calamari, grilled octopus, and baklava, with wine for lunch and a liqueur with dessert. It sounded delicious, and it was!
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We returned to Misento after lunch to pick up our rings (they were beautiful!), and then walked along the inner harbor and up a hill to the Church of Panagia Paraportiani. The name translates to “Our Lady of the Side Gate,” as its entrance was located at the side gate to the Kastro area of the island.
The Church of Panagia Paraportiani looked like a single church, but in fact it was a cluster of five small churches that were built next to or on top of one another. The central church was Agios Efstathios. It was surrounded by Agios Anargyros, Agios Sozon, and Agia Anastasia. The domed Church of the Virgin Mary was built on top. (“Agios” and “Agia” are the masculine and feminine gender Greek words, respectively, for “sacred” or “saint.”) Agios Anargyros was built in the 14th century and the other churches were built in the 16th and 17th centuries. It might sound like a conundrum, but Debra and I thought that the simplicity of the architecture was the striking feature of this church.
The Church of Panagia Paraportiani looked like a single church, but in fact it was a cluster of five small churches that were built next to or on top of one another. The central church was Agios Efstathios. It was surrounded by Agios Anargyros, Agios Sozon, and Agia Anastasia. The domed Church of the Virgin Mary was built on top. (“Agios” and “Agia” are the masculine and feminine gender Greek words, respectively, for “sacred” or “saint.”) Agios Anargyros was built in the 14th century and the other churches were built in the 16th and 17th centuries. It might sound like a conundrum, but Debra and I thought that the simplicity of the architecture was the striking feature of this church.
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According to a recent article in the Greek Reporter, there were more than 600 churches, monasteries, and small chapels on Mykonos – one for each local family! Well, Debra and I saw one more chapel before we returned to the Equinox, and this one was perhaps the smallest on the island – Agios Nikolaos Church. It was built in the fourth century to honor Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of fisherman and sailors. Debra, who stands just under five feet tall, posed next to the door. The church seemed to be the right size for her.
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We had a magical day on Mykonos, with many fond memories of this beautiful island in the Aegean Sea, including wedding bands that we will forever cherish!