Delos & Mykonos

We left Naxos early in the morning, at dawn, to get to Delos before the huge cruise ships—it was a great idea! We arrived first. We used our zodiacs to reach the island and everybody had a chance to enjoy the peace and quiet of this wonderful archeological site. For most of our visit at the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis—the twin gods—we were the only ones there! A nice breeze was keeping us cool and the atmosphere was ideally clear for pictures.

We walked among ruins from the time that the island of Delos was one of the most important and sacred spots of Greece. We saw many temples, offerings, the famous Lions of Delos, and of course the small museum which presents all the evidence of the presence and life of the people. The last part of our tour included a visit to the small city that was created on Delos, where we saw impressive houses with mosaics decorating the floors and cisterns to collect water. We also visited the theater and some of us climbed to the top of the hill from where the view is superb. Everybody earned a good lunch today!

After lunch we sailed to the island of Mykonos, the island that has been much photographed and advertised in jet-set magazines! It is for sure one of the most beautiful Greek islands, which explains why several huge cruise ships were there.

A bus took us from the port to the main town, where our walking tour started. We walked around a good deal of time, enough to see the obvious but also the hidden beauties of Mykonos. Beautiful Cycladic architecture, narrow streets, the famous windmills, and before finishing our walk we had the opportunity to meet Peter—“the Pelican!” Many shops, many cafes, many little churches and many people, all blended in a magical way that makes Mykonos a “must” to visit.

I think today was a great day of our cruise! Too many pictures were taken, too much to absorb!