Exploring Mykonos

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Friday 1st May
Exploring Mykonos
We knew the run of good nights sleep would have to end at some point and it was here in Elenis Rooms that was to happen.One of the problems with tiled floors and hard surfaces for walls is that any noise is at least trebled.!! And so it was to be from the early hours until 4am other guests(we have another name for them that is not printable)kept arriving home and banging and crashing their way into their room through the front door and their adjacent bedroom door as they came from home from the nightclubs nearby.We had taken count of the number of bedrooms on our floor and that had numbered six.Now we were tucked up in bed so that made 5 rooms to fill at worst.We gave up after the 7th arrival.So unless the guests( !!) were coming home without their partner who was to follow in later we were mystified as to why there were so many arrivals.Eventually everyone seemed home and we vowed that we would strike back knowing that we would be the first up!!Now we really aren’t vindictive types normally but we did get satisfaction from some sharp closing of our door as we headed up to the roof terrace for our yogurt and fruit breakfast.Having to return for the coffee meant that we could get another couple of slams of the door in just for good measure.
For our morning exploration we took the road up from beside the famous windmills and wandered to the top of the hill.The views were extensive over the town area .Even being up on the hill you could still not make out the alleyways that made up the path through the downtown area of shops,accommodation and the locals homes.
It was another beautiful day with no wind and the temperature was warming nicely.From the top of the ridge about 300mtrs above the town the rest of the island stretched out as a plateau with house dotted all over.We decided to walk down to check out the view from a lone windmill we had spotted on the hillside from our hotel terrace as there had been people there admiring the structure and obviously the view.
We soon arrived at the windmill only to find it was closed up and no real information on why it was there or why they are peculiar to this island.We can only speculate that they were either used to bring water up from wells deep in the rock or to grind up wheat etc or both.We shall have to look up Google and see what it says.
The rest of the way down to the town was through the maze of alleyways.Apparently the town was set out this way to confuse pirates and has been confusing tourists for years.It is clear the locals know where they are going as they head off with a good step while the tourists tend to look a bit dumbfounded at each turn.
Lunch of bread,gouda cheese and tasty tomatoes was welcome and we cleaned off a couple of the cheap 500ml beers.We are pleased that 500ml is a favourite size in Greece and we hope that continues throughout Europe as the 300ml is just not enough after a good walk and exertion.
The afternoon stroll was to Ounos beach on the north coast and if we could find it there was another beach up the coast which we thought would be good to visit as well.I say “find it” as the road didn’t appear to go directly there and we didn’t want to be up and down hills only to find we weren’t were we thought we were.
The road to the beach wound its way around the hillside but it was easy walking and after about 45 mins we arrived at the beach we had aimed for.It was sandy,which is unlike many others we have been too so far on the islands,and it appeared that one could swim safely there as there was a lifeguard tower in place.Not that anyone was in the water as the sea temperature is still too cool.However there were people sunbathing and enjoying what people do at the beach.
After a rest we took on the hill from the beach that would hopefully lead us to the other beach we thought we would visit.It was a gradual and steady climb and we stopped every so often to rest and take in the ever changing view.There were some very grand looking hotels up on the hillside which we were sure would have cost way more than our humble €30 per night,although of course they may have had quieter guests!!
Eventually we reached a crossroads with a sign pointing to the beach we were looking for.2.6km it said and one look you could tell it was all downhill.After doubling the distance and adding the 4km back to the town we decided that the beach wouldn’t be all that good and headed towards town.We soon found ourselves back on the road we had taken up the hill in the morning and very soon we were back in the town area.
The wind had got up a bit and we watched a cruise ship come close to the bay and then turn away.We decided the wind must have been too strong for it to anchor as close to shore as the ones last night to lighter their passengers ashore for exploring the shops.One could tell what sort of a disaster it would be if one of these cruise ships ran aground and we were sure the ones last night would not have been more than a couple of hundred metres from the shore.
Then another cruise came into sight and this time it tried its luck in the lee of a small island and hill even though it was about 500mtrs off shore.This time the anchor went down and the boats started arriving from the town to ferry people ashore.
After the success of the internet access at the restaurant last night we decided to take our Greek gyros(delicious pita bread wrapped in a cone and filled with pork,sald stuff and dressing and fried chips,YUM !!) and beers down to sit on the wall near the restaurant and with their password still on hand try and steal their internet.
We turned on the laptop and were confronted by any number of wireless connections secured and unsecured including two from the super yachts moored just across a short stretch of water.
Try as we could the restaurant one wouldn’t work for us.It opened but we were just too far away from it opening a website.So we moved a little closer but still to no avail.Bugger !!
The other unsecured ones were also just too far away to allow a website to open.
So with darkness now fallen it was back to our windowless room and hopefully a better nights sleep.Of the 40 TV channels available we found one in English playing the movie Police Academy and watched it until sleep overcame us.

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