Day 10: Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos was our last port on this cruise.  It’s another Greek island that is very picturesque, but as I remarked to Charlie, I felt as if we were at Epcot. Everything is geared to tourists, with pricey boutiques and restaurants.  The area we toured feels scrubbed and freshly painted.  Our Food on Foot tour guide (bless his heart) wasn’t great, but he did mention that Mykonos really hit the map when the gay community discovered it in the 1970s.

Here’s a photo taken from our balcony this morning, as we arrived.

We boarded another tender to get to the port.  One woman was so queasy that she returned to the ship before we even left, poor thing.  The ride was quite rough, but mercifully short.  Then we walked a bit to board a shuttle that took us to an area still far from town.  (My opinion is that Mykonos is not ready for prime time.). Our guide met us there and led us (a group of 20, including two squalling toddlers in strollers) at a painfully slow pace (suitable for infirm nonagenarians) toward the town, relating random information.  Our guide was so slow and boring that I wanted to take over the tour, despite my total ignorance of the area. Maybe he was paid by the minute?

This bust in the town square honors General Manto, a wealthy woman who sold everything to finance the Greek war for independence from the Ottomans in the 1800s. She was named as an honorary general.

Here’s our first stop, for a local treat called a submarine. It’s a spoonful of fondant submerged in water, basically.  You’re supposed to lick it and re-dip it until it’s gone.  I thought this stop was completely unnecessary. (Color me Judgemental.).

Charlie cannot pass up a cat photo op.

The town WAS charming.

Our guide explained that buildings in the downtown area are restricted to two levels and must be painted white.  The stairways are outside, to preserve interior space. 

Our next stop was here, for a delicious pastry filled with feta.

Then we visited a private family chapel, where prominent families held services and buried their dead.

Next up were the historic windmills (now vacation homes) that supplied energy to the island until the 1950s. It was so windy here that we could barely stand up !

While waiting for the group to finish taking windmill pics, Pete the Pelican made a ceremonial entrance. Traditionally, Pete has represented a successful tourist season since the 1950s. This is Pete IV.

Here’s a view looking back towards our ship.

Next we walked to a restaurant where we sampled pork souvlaki. It was okay, but they didn’t give us even water to drink or any sauce for the meat, saying we had to buy any extras. (By this point I was ready to bail on the tour.). They DID have bathrooms, the only place on the tour that did. 

We wished we had sampled their gyros!

After more random strolling at a glacial pace, we got to our final stop to try ouzo and (at last) tasty appetizers.

Ouzo. Nope.Not for me. 

More fava, with a tasty meatball, dolmade, veggies, and an odd tart shell filled with sour cream.

I was thrilled to leave the tour and head back to the ship, despite walking into 20 mph north winds for almost a mile. I do not recommend this tour in its present form. Of course, they are unlikely to consult me for my recommendations. Their loss. 

Now we’re in the throes of packing to leave the ship tomorrow in Athens for our flight to Heathrow. We’ll spend a night there and fly home on Tuesday.  I’m wishing for a pair of ruby slippers to hasten the trip. Please send smooth travel vibes!