There was an announcement of a change in itinerary for this cruise. We will not be stopping in Istanbul. The ship has cancelled that port due to security concerns as the General Election will be that day and there may be civil unrest. We are disappointed but better to be safe than sorry, and we will not let missing Istanbul ruin our vacation...we just go with the flow. We are pleased that the Greek island of Santorini will be substituted for our day in Istanbul.
But first, today is Halloween and the ship is decorated with pumpkins the crew has carved.
We thought that Mykonos was going to be a tender port, but instead we were able to dock at the new port. The dock is across the bay from Mykonos town. The ship offers a bus shuttle service to the town for a cost of 7 Euro round trip but we chose to use the local Sea Bus which drops you off right at the main square. And the Sea Bus only cost 4 Euro each roundtrip!
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| The town as seen from the Sea Bus |
Our plan for the day was to just wander and explore the town. It is beautiful with lots of white buildings setting against the blue trim and blue skies.
We start by wandering through the narrow pathways between the buildings. The village's original layout was designed to confuse pirates as it is confusing to find a way out through the maze of narrow, winding corridors.
We stopped to visit with some of the store merchants. They told us that this was the last day of the season and when the ship leaves, they will close up their shops. We remarked on how white the pathways were. They said that they whitewash the pathways every week.
Right on the waterfront on the bay is the area known as "Little Venice". Wealthy local shipping merchants built a row of fine mansions, with brightly painted wooden balconies. Today these are restaurants with seating on the balconies.
From as early as the 16th century, the beautiful old-fashioned windmills of Mykonos have been one of the island's most recognized landmarks. The year-round winds made Mykonos a perfect location for the windmills, once used to refine grain to supply its ships.
Next, we were anxious to sample some real Greek baklava so we went back into the maze of streets to find a bakery.
And we found a bakery with treats that looked very delicious.
We continued to wander around this very picturesque town.
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| Everything in this store was white |
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| Beautiful hand painted pottery |
One of the most famous architectural structures in all of Greece is the Paraportiani Church. The main church dates back to the 15th century and is a classic example of Cycladic architecture, with five small churches merging together into a unique Byzantine pattern. It is all whitewashed and looks like a frosted wedding cake.
We then head back to the main square to board the Sea Bus for the return trip to the ship. In the main square is another church, the only Catholic church on the island. Mykonos has 400 little Orthodox chapels throughout the island.
A statue in the square is a bust of Manto Mavrogenous (1796-1848). She was a heroine of the Greek War of Independence and a wealthy aristocrat of Mykonian heritage. She spent her fortune supplying Greek forces in a battle against their Turkish rulers. At the end of her life she was penniless, but never regretted the sacrifices she made for Greece's freedom.
As we had completed our wandering, we boarded the Sea Bus and returned to the ship for a relaxing afternoon. Mykonos was a lovely island and it would be a great place to visit again.
Next port.....Athens
Mykonos was one of my favorite stops. Could easily return there.
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