Winds of Mykonos

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Kali mera (good morning in Greek)!! This morning, we headed to the Athens airport for a noon flight to the island of Mykonos. We had to transfer trains 4 times and it was a confusing system. We picked up other confused tourists along the way as we all navigated the system together anxious to get to the airport in time for our flights. We got to the airport with 40 minutes to spare and made our way to a small wing of the airport set aside for the frequent trips to the islands. It was only a 40 minute flight but they still served food and drinks albeit hastily. We could see other islands from the air and by 1 pm, we landed in Mykonos. The airport was in the middle of nowhere so, as suggested by Rick Steves, we jumped in a cab to our hotel. We were beside ourselves with excitement as the Greek islands were to be the pinnacle of our trip. The weather was perfect and stayed that way. It was dry similar to Athens and hilly but mostly flat. The hotel was a 10 minute walk outside of town but stunning with views of the sea. We were greeted by the most friendly staff and our room was perfect with a balcony view of the sea. Across from us we could see the swimming pool and breakfast area encased in glass where one can also enjoy sea views. We were relieved that the hotel was as beautiful as it looked online as we were afraid it was a deal to good to be true. Without hesitation, we changed and walked to town packed for the beach. Lunch included a vegetarian gyro advertised as such (and never seen in our time in Greece again). It was delicious but had to be accompanied by dessert, which we found next door. In the refrigerator of this shop were about 10-15 different flavors of ice cream bars that could fit in the palm of your hand. They were miniature! and just what you needed on a warm day on the island. We walked around the old town, which was charming as we followed the small cobble stoned streets weaving up and down the heart of the island. It was mid afternoon and time to go to the beach. Buses in the center of town take you to one of the many beaches on the island. We had asked the hotel staff to recommend a beach that was NOT Paradise or Super Paradise (think Spring Break in Cancun x 1,000) and they suggested Psaru, which is where we headed. There was another beach nearby so we scoped out both to get a idea of the vibe of each. We decided to stick with Psaru and found an area away from the loud music to lay down and enjoy the winds of Mykonos. Mykonians have names for different types of the winds there-"the bell ringer", "the chair thrower"and "the ünseater of horsemen".

We relaxed for several hours only taking a quick dip in the gorgeous Med Sea because of the temperature. The sea was four colors-different shades of blue and green-green to blue green to light blue to a deep blue-absolutely stunning. Around 6:30 the heat of the sun was less intense. It was time to head back to the hotel so we hopped on a bus filled with beachgoers going towards town. We walked back to our hotel to change, shower, and leave in time to catch the sunset.

Our hotel recommended a restaurant by the sea, which was literally BY the sea. The crashing waves and winds (definitely unseaters of horsemen) joined us for dinner-dinner that included cheese balls, eggplant balls and asparagus soup. It was easy to eat vegetarian in Greece with the plethora of small hot plates available. After dinner, we walked around town, and stopped in at one of the 900 quaint and charming chapels they have in Mykonos. We also ran into the island mascot-a pelican named Petros! And this is no ordinary pelican. Imagine a 4 foot white and pink pelican walking around visiting outdoor restaurant patrons and being shooed away by wait staff for getting in the way as if a stray dog or cat! We have pictures and videos to prove it!

Our plan next was to drop off things at the hotel and take a bus to one of the restaurants on another beach for dessert. We stopped in at an olive oil store and soon found ourselves talking and joking for an hour with the owner. She and husband were from Athens but had lived for many years in New York and New Zealand respectively. She and Jordan had a great time pulling one another's legs as the great Philly vs New York feud goes. Khyati enjoyed observing the interaction as this Greek New Yorker kept Jordan on his toes and she dropped a hard "J".

The couple suggested instead of going to one of the beaches to go to an upscale restaurant nearby for dessert. So, following their advice, we abandoned our original plans and headed to Sin Con Carne. It was a gorgeous and definitely high end place with beautiful couches and cabanas set out under the stars. The service was great as an attentive owner lingered around making sure guests were comfortable. About 30 minutes into our time there, a large man with a posse marched in, greeting staff and guests,and made their way to the back and seated themselves facing the restaurant. A man at the table behind us then mentioned to his friends that the man who walked in was Greek but part of the Brazilian mafia! It was then that we realized that everyone in the restaurant knew one another! A high end restaurant, well dressed patrons, a heavy set man with a posse that did not sit with their back to the restaurant, and the fact that everyone knew one another (though sitting separately) helped us draw a pretty safe conclusion-we were at risk for "sleeping with the fishes". We knew we had to get out of there immediately! We tried paying quickly for dessert but the servers were scarce serving the VIPs that had come. We finally had a chance to pay for the bill, avoiding eye contact, and being as casual as possible (not easy for Khyati who still didn't believe they had stumbled upon a mafia hang out). We had already been there an hour and were anxious to get back to the hotel. We walked calmly yet vigilantly back and finally breathed a sigh of relief once safely in our room. Wow Mykonos-what a day!

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