Day 7 - Welcome to Mykonos!

Mykonos, Greece * Wednesday, June 21, 2006

From the Navigator:
During the night, Golden Princess will sail southeast of Peloponnisos, passing the Kithnos Strait and north of the island of Siros. In the early hours of the morning we will approach the west end of Mykonos island. We will embark our pilot before sunrise and Golden Princess will be alongside her berth which lies to the north side of the bay. On the port side you will see Mykonos Town, which lies at the eastern side of the bay. We will depart in the afternoon, when we will thrust off the berth and retrace our course out of the bay, setting various courses around the island of Mykonos. During the night, we will sail towards the Gulf of Kusadasi.

The Birthplace of Apollo, Mykonos Shines Like a Diamond in a Sapphire Sea

Although the rocky soil at Mykonos looks austere, its cube-shaped white houses have a characteristic charm, contrasting as they do with the dazzling blue of the sky and the sea. Mykonos belongs to the island group known as the Cyclades, since they form a rough circle around the sacred island of Delos, one of the religious centers of ancient Greece.

The islands are the highest points of a sunken plateau, which still exhibits some volcanic activity. Seen from a distance, the Cyclades resemble a necklace of gems on deep blue satin.

The Cyclades are ideally placed astride the trade routes from Europe, to Asia Minor, to Egypt, and back again. It is surprising to remember that these islands produced a brilliant culture very early in recorded history, even before the great Minoan civilization on Crete.

Following the Fourth Crusade, the islands fell under the control of the Venetian Republic, and served as outposts of Venice, until the Turkish navy captured them, beginning in the 16th-century. Signs of the Venetian presence are still visible, including a surprising number of Catholic chapels alongside the more traditional Greek Orthodox churches. The Turks allowed much autonomy to the islands, and Italian remained the official language until 1830.

There was always a danger of invasion by pirates, so the town and harbor are compactly built for defense. You may hear that the tight, winding maze of streets was designed to confuse invaders, but it also does well to break the effects of the strong winds coming in from the Aegean. Often you can turn a corner and enter a tiny square, shaded by a single almond or pepper tree.

The delightful harbor sets off the arcades of the 18th-century town hall and the tiny chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas. A good place to start a walking tour is the square dedicated to local patriot Mando Mavrogenous. Mando was a wealthy young woman during the Greek War of Independence, who fit out two ships at her own expense. They inflicted a stunning defeat on a large band of Algerian corsairs.

In 1823, Mando composed her eloquent "Letter to the Women of Paris" in which she appealed for sympathy and assistance against the Turkish occupation.

The most beautiful icons on the island are in the Church of Agia Kiriaki. You may find the charming Square of the Three Wells - local legend has it that unmarried girls should drink from each of the three, in order to find the right husband.

The attractive Panagia Paraportiani church unites four chapels into a unique Byzantine pattern, with a single door and a graceful arched bell tower. Don't miss a closer look at the windmills which command the ridge above the harbor.

The tiny island of Delos is only a short ferry ride from Mykonos, but reveals a stunning tradition as a religious center for the Ionian Greeks. According to Greek mythology, the beautiful Leto gave birth to twins at the base of a palm tree here. Her children were Apollo, god of the sun, and Artemis, goddess of the moon. A series of resplendent temples and monuments were built here over the span of a millennium.

The logical place to begin is the Sacred Port along the western shore, which was the ancient point of entry. A dignified processional route, the Sacred Way, leads from the port through the temple district, including votive monuments and porticoes.

There are several successive temples of Appollo, built by rival religious brotherhoods. The smallest and oldest of these temples housed the fabulous treasury of the Delian League. You will also see the remnants of a colossal statue of Apollo, originally carved from a single block of marble. Nearby is the Temple of Artemis, Apollo's sister.

North of the temples is the Lion District. The Delians decided to imitate the beautiful Sacred Lake at Thebes in Egypt, and dammed up the island's only stream. Originally the lake was home to swans sacred to Apollo, but was filled in during 1924 because it had become a source of malaria.

The Terrace of the Lions was placed alongside the lake, so that the nine marble lions could be reflected in the clear waters. Only five lions remain today. The Venetians removed one of the others, which you will find today guarding the entrance to the Arsenal in Venice, but with a different head!

South of the central temples is the Theatre District, with ruins of a majestic theatre, and a series of beautiful private homes. The House of the Dolphins and the House of the Masks have superb mosaic pavements.

Upon the slopes of Mount Kynthos is a Terrace of Foreign Gods, with shrines to Egyptian and Syrian deities. Legend says that Zeus presided over the birth of his children from the top of Kynthos. He would have been pleased!

And now, your dose of other tidbits:

• Food specialties - Eating is a lively social activity in the Cyclades. Recommended foods include Tarmosalata (smoked fish roe), Keftedes (spicy meatballs), Dolmades (vine or cabbage leaves wrapped around savory rice and sometimes mincemeat, served with egg and lemon sauce), and the island's traditional almond biscuits.
• Drink specialties - The wine from nearby Santorini is a Greek favorite, particularly Boutari in both kokkino (red) and apro (white). There is also Ouzo, Brandy, and Mavrodaphne.

As for martini of the day, it's Golden Finger martini (Grey goose Orange Vodka, Triple Sec and orange juice)