Mykonos

With sunshine for as many as 300 days each year, and rain generally only in February and March, Mykonos seems like a Greek paradise! We were here on a postcard perfect day and really enjoyed our time on shore.

This pretty harbor is lined with shops and restaurants: a great place to relax!

Great fun for lunch with wonderful hosts!

Mykonos is known for it’s windmills. Scott did a fairly long, mostly uphill, walk to find this one!

This little church was at the top of Scott’s long walk.

Our wee boat looks rather large in this small harbor.

Shopping…Mykonos style

A few of the iconic windmills of Mykonos! There are actually 16 windmills scattered throughout the island, but these are probably the most well known as they are easily viewed from the harbor.

 We left the harbor on a tour boat that took us to the island of Delos and an amazing archeological site.

Delos is a tiny island with a big past. In Greek mythology it is said to be the birthplace of Apollo and his sister, Artemis, making it a very sacred place. People have lived here since many millennia before the birth of Christ. In about 167 BC it was designated as a free port and became the center for trade and commerce in the eastern Mediterranean. A thriving community of wealthy merchants, bankers, and ship owners, it eventually became the greatest commercial center in the world.

Unfortunately for the people who lived here, it also became an attractive target! Attacked and looted twice, the city fell into ruin.

One of the unique things about this island is that, once deserted, nothing was ever built over the existing structures. Archaeologists have been excavating here since 1872, unearthing all sorts of structural remains and objects, all pointing to a very wealthy society.

The entire island is an archaeological site, and excavation and preservation are on-going.