Bling

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Geo: 37.4449, 25.3839

Mykonos - perhaps the most blinged-out island in all of Greece, its reputation is that of a cosmopolitan destination for the rich and famous, where the parade of fashionistas through its streets often makes it seem more like a fashion show than a tourist town. Wandering through the narrow streets of the old town at night often feels like you're making your way through a crowded bar, dodging elbows while jostling for every square centimetre of free space.

Perhaps the most touristy island in the Cyclades (which says a lot, in this most touristy chain of islands), we were initially hesitant to add Mykonos to the itinerary, as it didn't sound to be the type of place we would enjoy. However, the bottom line about Mykonos is this - it's a beautiful little island where the best activity is plopping yourselves down at a beautiful outdoor cafe, and watching the beautiful people stroll by, as they browse for beautiful things in beautiful stores.

Mykonos is quite the contrast from the past few nights that were spent in quiet little towns, and the island was positively heaving with energy even though it was a Sunday night. Being a playground for the wealthy, we shouldn't have been surprised that it's an island that parties late into the evening, though we were still a bit shocked when a salesgirl told us the stores here typically close around 2 AM!

Often times, travel experiences are coloured by your mood or recent events; sometimes the most amazing of places isn't enjoyable for that very reason, and on the contrary, the most boring of places can feel amazing if the situation and time are right. I wouldn't say that Mykonos isn't a great place, but we did end up on this island exactly when we needed to feel some of its pulsing energy. For us, Mykonos happened to be the right place at the right time tonight, leaving us a memory of it being one of those truly amazing travel destinations.

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Photos

Ripoff ...
... ... we stole a hippy's idea and took a picture sitting on this rock that overlooked some stunning rock formations.

Conflicted Nun in Training ...
... this wannabe nun was positively scandalous, obviously conflicted over her career choice. Exposed ankles AND elbows? She'll be kicked out of the monastery in no time!

Agias Anna ...
... Mykonos Town's tiny little beach, just steps away from all of the action.

Famous Windmills of Mykonos ...
... very common in the Cyclades, as there's a very brisk wind every day.

Slab of Feta ...
... it's not like back home where you get only a few crumbles of feta on top of a Greek salad! Awesome crisp vegetables in the salad, we lucked out today as we broke up the long drive to the Athens airport with a stop for lunch at Agios Konstantinos, a cute little seaside town. We didn't expect much from a restaurant that looked to be touristy, but it ended up being one of the best meals of our trip.

Best Calamari Ever ...
... so crispy, tender, and perfectly-seasoned, this is the best we've ever had, especially with the rich, delicious, and unusually spicy tzatziki. Every tzatziki we've had so far has been different - sometimes more citrusy, sometimes more garlicky, sometimes thicker, sometimes lighter, but the common denominator is that it is always SOOO good.

Oops ...
... we had ordered the local village sausage, and despite pointing to it on the menu, we ended up with a veal chop instead. Perhaps it would've been clearer to the waiter had we not had such fat fingers after eating so much tzatziki and baklava recently. Either way, we weren't disappointed - the chop was juicy and flavourful, with a nice charred crust that had developed over an open fire. And the fries weren't bad too!

Shit ...
... it's customary in most Greek restaurants to serve a complimentary dessert or shot of liqueur at the end of a meal. Today's was thick Greek yogurt served with what tasted like homemade maraschino cherries and syrup. Very sweet but very good, and exactly what we did NOT need after this huge lunch.

Sexy Sakis ...
... a hopping souvlaki joint in Mykonos. Too bad their souvlaki wasn't as sexy as this Wonder Woman, because their souvlaki was only decent, and not wonderful.

Two Types of Sausage ...
... one was a pale imitation of the Thanasis sausage, and the other was quite similar to a hot dog. Blah.