Mykynos, Greece

Europe » Greece
August 17th 2012

Published: September 13th 2012

Edit Blog Post

Robert Lawlor Cuso International

Mykynos Church

We came across this one as we made our way to the windmills.

Mykynos would end up being the last island of the cruise. We were supposed to visit the island of Delos that day as well, but the waters were too rough for the ship to get there. As a result, we spent the whole day in Mykynos. People who had already been to Delos told us we weren't going to miss much by not going.

I was happy to spend the whole day in Mykynos. I had always wanted to go there. I don't really know why, but I heard stories and seen pictures about how beautiful it is... It has always been on my list of places to visit.

I wasn't disappointed.

We got a late start that day. We laid in the sun for the morning, reading books and listening to music while the other passengers made the mad dash for the island. To have the pool deck pretty much to ourselves for the whole morning was great. At one point, we were the only ones in the pool for almost an hour. We decided we would see the sights after lunch... by this time, we were in true vacation mode.

The island is only 33

Shops Along The Pathways

square miles in size and apparently, it is composed primarily of granite. The whitewashed buildings greeted us as we got off the tender from the ship.

Laurie and I decided that wandering aimlessly through the city was the best way to see it, so we headed towards the windmills. They are the first thing you seen when you arrive in the harbour. These days, there are 16 windmills on the island. We only saw four at this location. Most of them were built by the Venetians in the 16th century, but construction continued into the early 20th century. They were primarily used to mill wheat. Like everything else, thieir use gradually declined until they stopped production in the middle of the 20th century. One of these windmills has been transformed into a museum. We didn't visit. I think it was closed.

From there, we walked the tiny pathways through the city. The paths consisted of stone and whitewash, so it was very easy not to turn into someone's yard. We shopped for t-shirts. I know it sounds like we bought a lot of t-shirts, but I will need a new wardrobe when I come home. I will be

A Quiet Walkway In Mykynos

burning my Tanzanian duds on the day that I leave Tanzania, so I better have new stuff waitng for me at mom's house. I even bought a sweater. Yes, trying on sweaters in 95 degree weather wasn't the best laid plan, but I will be glad I did it when the chilly weather greets me back in Canada.

After shopping, we made our way to the main road that runs along the waterfront. There we found the mascot of Mykynos, the pink pelican. Wikipedia explains the history of the pelican as..

In 1958 a wounded pelican was found off the coast of Mykynos shore by a local fisherman. The pelican was nursed to health and remained on the island supported by locals. It soon adopted the name "Petros”, as a joke between the locals, as "petro" in Greek means rock, stone but metaphorically Old and Grumpy. To great disappointment by locals and tourists alike, Petros was hit by a car on December 2, 1985 and failed to recover.

Subsequently, three new pelicans reside around the main town of Mykonos. One, honorifically, was given the name, Petros.

The pelican we saw was familiar with tourists. A group

Heading Home From The Beach

of 10 to 15 of us gathered around and took pictures. It wasn't bothered by the commotion. We were able to get scarily close. He didn't budge.

After the excitement of a pink pelican wore off, we continued along the waterfront taking in the yachts and fishing boats in the harbour and the houses in the hills. We wandered more streets and stopped for a beer before heading back to the ship.

This was this perfect way to wrap up the cruise.

Tomorrow, the cruise ends in Athens. Laurie and I will have 24 hours to see the sights before we say good-bye to one another and head our separate ways.

Additional photos below

Photos: 21, Displayed: 21