Tinos and Mykonos Islands, Greece
Late last night we arrived into the main port of Tinos Island. Some of the early risers took the opportunity to explore the harbor and get a taste of what this island was all about. Shortly after breakfast we boarded our coaches to head across the island to the small village of Pyrgos.
Tinos Island was first settled by the Ionians in Archaic times. It was under Venetian rule from medieval times and was the last conquest of the Ottoman Empire in 1715. This made it one of the last Greek islands to give way to Turkish domination. The Venetian influence can still be seen today and there is a significant Catholic population still on the island.
Pyrgos is a small unspoiled Cycladic village poised near the northern end of the island. Along our drive we were afforded great views of the local wildflowers, the steep sides of the island and many of the old windmills that were used to process the wheat when agriculture was much more prevalent on the island than it is today. Sophia and Eleni, our Greek guides gave us a fine introduction to the island during our drive and then led us on a short walk into Pyrgos. They pointed out that the village was positioned and designed to be hidden from any possible invaders. The green marble that is quarried on the island was very evident in the construction of the local buildings. It was also obvious that there were and still are today some skilled stonemasons. I don’t think that we saw one building without a distinctively carved stone over the doorways, windows or both.
After the walking tour everyone was given some free time to explore on their own but many of the guests chose to sit at a local café and sample a Greek coffee and a taste of some of the local deserts. We then made our way back to the motor-coaches to return to the port. On our way back to the harbor we admired the many intricately designed Venetian “dovecotes” or what we would know as pigeon coops. It is said that there are some 2,000 of these dovecotes on the island. Doves were and still are held in very high regard and also known as a fine delicacy.
We arrived back into the port and the most important feature of the town is the church of Panagia Evangelistria or “Our Lady of Good Tidings.” It is a well-known pilgrimage site used by both Orthodox Christians and Catholics alike. The church is built on the site of a long buried icon that is known to have healing powers. Many of the pilgrims finish their pilgrimage by crawling on their hands and knees from as far away as the port up to the church. The pilgrimage way is lined by local merchants selling votive offerings, icons and candles. After a visit to the church there was free time to explore the port and make our way back to the Panorama in time for lunch.
During lunch the ship got underway and repositioned just around the corner to a protected bay for a swim stop. The swimmers were represented by the younger members on board but it was a fine way to cool off after a busy morning. Everyone was back on board and we were soon underway for Mykonos Island, our destination for the afternoon. The captain and deckhands raised the sails and we were able to enjoy the afternoon breeze and a bit of “quiet cruising” with the engines turned off. Later in the afternoon we arrived at the “New Port” of Mykonos.
Shortly after arrival we took a short ride into the “Old Port” and the main town of Mykonos. Unlike Tinos, Mykonos was discovered long ago as popular tourist destination. We were in luck though, in that we arrived between the throngs of passengers from the larger cruise ships that were calling in Mykonos. Sophia and Eleni guided us through the maze of small alleyways, pointed out the highlights and then cut us loose to make our way back through the town on our own. We all made it back to the ship for dinner and a night moored in the port.
