Μύκονος και η Δήλος (Mykonos and Delos)

My semester of Greek came in handy when trying to read signs and maps in Greece!  I could pronounce the words, but understanding them was another story!

After 3 days in Istanbul, we flew to the small island of Mykonos, one of the most famous of the 100 Greek islands.  Yes, a tourist island and known for its nightlife, but we just wanted to relax in a hotel with a view of the sea.  I had even found a "deal" online for a 5-star hotel that our travel agent was able to get for us. And were we treated royally! Greeted in the lobby with a glass of fresh fruit-juice, friendly smiles, and shown to our room.  It wasn't the fanciest room in the hotel for our "deal", but was charming and comfy, with a small bottle of Greek wine and fresh fruit waiting for us. The sun had just set and our view that evening was what we were hoping for.

And the next morning we discovered that the pool was gorgeous....just not warm enough yet to get into while we were there.

We spent our time relaxing on this island, with a few hikes and a couple of trips into Mykonos Town.  It is famous for it's narrow streets, white-washed houses, churches and  shops with sky blue and jade green shutters....

.... and of course, the windmills....

We did have dinner one evening in an area called Little Venice, full of restaurants and bars that overhang the sea,  and watched the sunset.  The nightlife begins after midnight with the younger set (are we getting old or what?), and we were happier just to go back and have a glass of wine at the bar by the pool, engaging our Greek bartender into a lively discussion of politics.

One of highlights of our three days there was a boat trip to the island of Delos.  Lyle knows my love of ancient history, and to see this small island full of on the of largest and best preserved Greek settlements was a must for me.  This island was the mythical birthplace of the god Apollo and twin sister Artemis, and was a sanctuary where people gathered to worship in their beautiful temples from the 9th century BC.

It then became a port of commercial trade after 167 BC  and merchants, bankers, and ship-owners from all over the world settled there.  Luxurious houses with mosaics and statues and theaters were built. 

In the "House of Cleopatra"

We hiked up 368 feet where the birthplace of Apollo took place on Mt. Kynthos ( aka Mt. Cynthias)...

and walked among the ruins of ancient homes and theaters....

The 30,000 people who lived on this tiny island around the first century BC then were attacked and plundered by pirates and abandoned by 88 BC.  Excavations were started in 1872 by the French and are still going on.  After this, I didn't feel the urgent need to visit Pompeii!

As the weather turned warmer, we boarded the super-fast Catamaran for our next island, saying good-bye to Mykonos and speeding across the Aegean for a couple of hours to the next island....Santorini.