The View From My Beer
A glass of Mykonu Lager brewed here on Mykonos. There was so many stunning places I could have used today, but I was disciplined and just had the one beer at Sunset Tavern right by the waters edge in Little Venice.
Mykonos
I had been to Athens once bfore, but never to the Hreek Islands. I had always heard about the magic of the Greek Islands. So much so, that I was sure it could never live up to the high expectations others had set. Mykonos was my the second of five stops on my 7-day Western Mediteranean cruise and my first chance to finally visit to the Greek Islands. It did not let me down. It was every bit as beutifule as I had imagined.
According to to Greek legend, Mykonos was named after Mykonos, the grandson of the god Apollo. Greek mythology claims that the island was created from the petrified bodies of giants killed by Hercules, with the rocks of the island being their remains.
My Walk
My research had suggested the charm of Mykonos with the charming views combined with the beautiful architecture and the buildings, churches, homes, and windmills. Other than ultimately finding my way to a well known photo-spot of the windmills, my strategy for today was just to roam the streets.
Mykonos
Our ship tendered today, and the tender boats dropped us off nice and close to the downtown area. The downtown area of Mykonos was built around a small bay. There were many restaurants and cafes along the coastline with a maze of stunning shops in the many laneways that lead away from the bay.
The Climb
I spotted one of those distinctive wondmills common to this part of the Mediterranean. It was high up on the hill and so I decided to find my way up to it. I navigated my wy up the hill through the windy lanes using Google Maps. WIthout my phone I am not sure I would have found my way. The labyrinthine streets of Mykonos were originally designed to confuse invading pirates. And I’m sure they manage to get quite a few tourists lost too.
There is a strict color code for buildings, requiring windows and doors to be painted blue, green, or red. Sailors originally used blue, farmers green, and everyone else red. This color code is part of what gave the island its unique charm and wanted me to take a photo of almost every building I enclountered.
And then there were the churches. With over 700 churches, there are more churches than houses: There are even more churches than permanent residents! Traditionally each family would build its own private church/chapel as a way to pray for the safe return of sailers. This is why many of the churches have blue domes. Most of the churches were built in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Windmills
Next, I headed towards Kato MIll, the one spotI I really wanted to see. The windmills of Mykonos were built by the Venetians starting in the 16th century to mill grain and were designed in a circular shape to catch the island’s strong northern winds. While over 30 once existed, only 16 remain today, and seven of these iconic structures are located on a hill in Chora, a spot now called Kato Mili.
Little Venice
The windmills looked down on an area of Mykonos known as Little Venice. It was this area that provided some of the most stunning coastal views with restaurants being built up to the edge of the ocean. Given how photogenic this area was, it is not surprising that I encountered several photo shoots taking place. Little Venice also featured in the final scenes of the movie The Bourne Identity.
