9.03.2012 Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos was the only port where we did not partake in an excursion tour. Instead, we decided to take the shuttle into town. It was early enough that we pretty much had the town to ourselves. The ocean was beautiful that day.  

The shops weren't open yet so I passed the time by picking up pebbles at a nearby beach. Mykonos is famous for its beaches. The most famous being Paradise beach. Since this was my first time to Mykonos, I decided to stay closer to the town.

Originally, the plan was to take a boat to the sacred island of Delos, the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. As bad luck would have it, the site is closed on Mondays. And one guess as to which day our ship docked at Mykonos? Ding ding ding. A Monday.

Mavrogenous Square

 

Mykono's main town square. It is named after Manto Mavrogenous, a fascinating Greek heroine. Her bust sits in the square facing the sea. Read about her here.

I could just sit here all day. I mean, look at that view.

Agios Nikolaos
Walking through Mykonos, you'll find that there are churches everywhere. Given their small sizes, the churches seem more akin to shrines. Agios Nikolaos is probably one of the easiest to spot, given its blue dome and convenient location by the shoreline.

I thought this to be the island of Delos, but Google Map has convinced me otherwise. It is most likely to be the island of Mpaos (don't ask me how to pronounce it because I haven't a clue. Maybe the M is silent?)

Church of Panagia Paraportiani
The most well-known church in Mykonos, this church is actually made up of four small churches.

The asymmetry and the irregular outline of the architecture make this church incredibly unique-looking.

Spectacular.

Random buildings in Mykonos.

Once you step off the main street, it becomes incredibly easy to get lost in the maze-like street configuration of Mykonos. If you take a look at a map of Mykonos, there is no logic to how the roads are laid out and many end in culs-de-sac. Apparently, people of Mykonos adapted this layout as to deter pirates from raiding the town. I can't say to the success of this strategy but it certainly caused me to take a wrong turn once or twice.

Ooh! Can't resist a cute cat, especially when there are two. Adorable kitties aside, don't you just love the cobblestone look of the streets? It very much adds to the quaintness of the entire town. Someone has even painted the trunk of a tree white as to match the rest of the town! It's small details like this that makes Mykonos such a wonderful place to visit.

Mykonos Windmills
Perhaps the most famous trademark of the entire islands (if not tied with the Church of Panagia Paraportiani), these windmills serve as a wonderful backdrop to the town. Sadly, they are no longer operational. A must-visit.

Little Venice 

So called because of the houses' proximity to the sea. Some of the balconies are built right over the water.

More churches.

More views of the town.

I don't know why there's an arch there but it sure does look cool.

Shopping in Mykonos actually turned out to be pretty fun. It was part shopping, part exploration. You never know what unique-looking buildings are waiting just around the corner. The people there were incredibly nice too!

Although I didn't get to visit Delos or see the famous Petros the Pelican, the official island mascot (Read about him here), I still had a pretty good day. I explored the town, relaxed on this little beach, and managed to find free wifi (so I could finally book a reservation to the Borghese Gallery in Rome). I'm counting that as a win.

Thanks Mykonos for a swell day! I will definitely be back (just not on a Monday.)