Greece - Our Final Days

It was just a short boat ride to Mykonos, and as we got closer to the port and started to take in the scenery, my husband and I both thought that this place looked like any other place you would see in the islands of the Cyclades.  Mykonos is one island that we have been debating about for years whether to visit or not.  Mykonos is probably one of the most known islands in Greece next to Santorini, especially with the cruise lines, and we really do not like tourist filled islands.  There is one exception to this and that is Santorini, however, there is no place in the world like Santorini. 

This day cruise was not just about visiting some new places in a short amount of time, but to dip our toes in Mykonos to see if we would want to come back and do a little more exploring.  Being that we only had 3 hours to visit Mykonos Town, we ran off the boat once we were docked not wanting to waste any time.

As I mentioned earlier Mykonos Town resembles any other major town in any of the Cyclades, with its architecture, and cobblestone winding streets, but there is a major difference, instead of the shops being local vendors, you will see Cartier and Louis Vuitton.  Now I don't know about you, but I would much rather visit shops from local artisans than high-end shops that are in any major city in the world.  So far neither one of us were impressed.

The one thing since arriving in Greece over a week ago that I have been craving was a chicken gyro, but with it being off season most gyro places only were serving pork, that was until we got to Mykonos and I finally found a place still serving my favorite chicken gyro.  As my husband and I ordered ( 3 gyros, 1 french fries, 1 Mythos, and 1 coke) we realized how expensive and over-priced this island really was. To give you an idea our small little meal cost 13 Euro, and when we went back to Athens for our last night we actually ordered the exact same thing and in Athens it cost 7 euro.  To be honest I was not impressed with anything, and wished we could have spent more time at Delos.

We began to walk around some more and came across the windmills and the area of town which is referred to "Little Venice" (since the buildings are built right in the water.)  These two areas are probably the most photographed of this Island so we put our camera to work.

It didn't take long to see the whole town, and since we had some  time left found an amazing little Cafe which was right on the water with a view of the windmills and just talked, laughed, and enjoyed each others company.  These are the moments that memories are made from.

Overall today was an amazing day, but it was time to head back to Paros.  We spent another couple days in Paros, just visiting with friends, and relaxing. 

Oh, and the conclusion on if we would come back to Mykonos, well probably not.  It was beautiful, but everything was overpriced, and way too touristy for our taste. 



 

Greece Day 9 (part 1) "DELOS"

The only advice we were given about Delos was to hire a tour guide when we arrived, so we paid ten euros each, and after about five minutes into the tour, regretted it.  However, we did learn quite a bit about this ancient island, but mainly from the tour book we purchased.

So here's a little history lesson about Delos. . .

Delos is the birthplace of Apollo.  According to the myth, when Zeus had an affair with the Titan Leto.  Hera (Zeus' wife) became so jealous that Leto had to find a safe place to give birth.  She managed to find a piece of rock floating from the sea, where she decided to stop.  Leto remained there after promising the island would cease its wanderings and stay in one place, and that her child would never abandon the island bringing great glory and wealth.  Leto's painful labor lasted 9 days because Hera prevented Eileithyia (goddess of childbirth) from coming to her aid.  Eventually other goddesses who supported Leto sent a messenger to fetch Eileithyia.  After this Leto "looking towards the mountain of Zeus" gave birth to the most beautiful of the immortals.  Delos became one of the most important sacred places of ancient Greece.

Apollo was the God of light and music, basically the joy of life, and he hated anything that might pollute the cleanliness and purity of his island.  This included the birth and death of those that lived there, and subsequently people had to be born and die elsewhere.  The only solution was to use the neighboring island "Rheneia" as a cemetery.

Delos was of great commercial and political importance in antiquity.  This ancient wonder had temples, commercial buildings, shopping centers, theaters, and private houses. 

The island had no way of producing food, fiber, or timber which were all imported.  There was also a limited amount of water so cisterns, aqueduct systems, wells, and even sanitary drains were put in place.

Delos also became the center of the slave trade, with the largest slave market in the region.  Italian traders came to purchase tens of thousands of slaves captured by pirates or captured from wars.

Unlike other Greek islands, Delos was not self-supporting, and eventually led to the island becoming uninhabited, to which it remains uninhabited to this day. 

Delos was one of the highlights of this trip.  After breaking from the group and exploring on our own, the only complaint I had was that I wish we could have stayed longer.  There is no place in the world like Delos.

We boarded the boat again to head to our next stop Mykonos. 

 

Greece Days 7 & 8 (part 1)

We finally arrived at Parikia, which is the capital and main port of the Island of Paros.  Although it was off-season Paros was still quite busy and while walking off the ferry and to the bus station it never fails the number of hotel and rooms to let owners who hoard around screaming at the passengers who just disembarked "NEED ROOM, I GIVE YOU GOOD PRICE!"  Makes me laugh every time.

 

 

In the 6+ years of coming to Greece I have been to Paros about 5 times.  This is the only place in the country that I have revisited, and will continue to do so.  The purpose of this particular trip was to visit with our friends (who opened a new restaurant on the island) and to spend time with our 2 year old Goddaughter.

Paros is located in the heart of the Cyclades.  Although probably not as well know as other Cycladic Islands such as Santorini and Mykonos it is still very popular and touristy.The crystal clear waters, the traditional villages with the white cubic houses in narrowed alleys, lovely chapels, and a decent nightlife are obvious reasons for its popularity. 

We were staying in a little village called Aliki.  Aliki is a peaceful coastal village about a 20 minute bus ride from the main Port.  If you are looking for something more cosmopolitan this village is not for you, but if good restaurants, great beach, and friendly faces are your thing Aliki is the perfect base for a vacation on Paros.

 

 

We really didn't have any plans for the next couple of days.  We usually rent a scooter when coming to Paros, but since we have been here so many times before, there was really nothing left to explore.  We had about an hour before our bus departed so I walked across the street to a local travel agency, just to browse, however something quickly grabbed my attention.  The travel agency was advertising a day trip cruise to the islands of Delos and Mykonos.  Two islands neither my husband nor I have ever been.  I grabbed the brochure and walked across the street to the bus station where my husband was waiting and asked if we could do the day trip.  He wasn't exactly excited about it, but by the end of the night the trip was booked. 

We finally made it to the Aliki, and went straight to our small hotel, checked in, and headed straight to our friends new restaurant (Thalassa mou), where we spent the rest of the day eating, drinking, and just catching up with old friends. 

 

 

The next morning we woke up early again to catch the bus back to Parikia to get another bus to Naoussa where we were catching the boat to Delos and Mykonos.  Naoussa is the most beautiful village in Paros and some even say in the Cyclades. This picturesque fishing village has manage to keep its authenticity, character, and charm with its whitewashed and flowered little houses, churches, and chapels, surrounded  by narrow cobblestone streets, colorful fishing boats, and even a Venetian castle.  One of my favorite things is to sit on the edge of the water and have a glass of wine.  There are many taverns and ouzeries (places to drink ouzo) around the village.

 

 

We boarded our boat and decided to sit upstairs to take in the scenery and get some fresh air.  It was extremely windy which made for a wild ride.  The waves were crazy, and even some crashed up and over the boat, soaking some patrons, while making just about everyone else reach for a barf bag.  My husband and I just laughed and played it off like a rough ride at an amusement park, changing seats often hoping not to get soaked.

 

 

I really didn't know what to expect with the Island of Delos.  the only thing that I knew about this place was that no people lived here.  I thought it was going to be a small archaeological site no bigger than the Parthenon.  But as we pulled into the small dock, I could tell that I was very wrong about this magical gem.