Part 5 - Mykonos

Day 6 – Mykonos
 

In the early morning, Mykonos welcomed us with a stormy breeze and rough sea. When we opened the curtain of our cabin, I saw a small barge fighting its way through the waves towards the Silver Cloud of Silversea Cruises, which had just arrived.

 

Considering how much the boat was swaying, I was somewhat pessimistic whether we’d actually tender under these circumstances. Well, as usual, we first hit the gym, had a good breakfast and hoped for the best. And indeed, the weather calmed down a little and no cancellation was to be heard from the PA system.

 

The Equinox, which we had waved goodbye in Kusadasi the day before, was docked at the pier. The Silver Cloud was anchored off shore, just like us.

 

For Mykonos we hadn’t booked any excursion, nor did we have a particular destination in mind. Thanks to the port information we got from a member of our cruise forum and a walking tour map from an American cruise lover we knew that on Mykonos everything would be in easy walking distance, so there was no need for a specific tour.

The tender boats we used weren’t those belonging to the ship but slightly larger barges which were steadier in the water. Nevertheless, the boats were still rocking. One even tore the line and ours had to engage twice before it could tie up at the platform.

But still, it wasn’t as dramatic as some of the guests on the boat made it sound like, who were basically fearing for life and limb. I jokingly said to Birgit “Cruise folk, such wimps…!”

As soon as the boat reached the old port and was protected by the quay wall, it calmed down considerably and it was easy to get off.

 

We went with the directions of the maps and kept to the right. Through a few winding alleys we soon reached the Panagia-Paraportiani church, besides the 5 windmills probably the most photographed object on the island.

 

From here we headed towards the windmills. To get there, we were guided through a series of narrow, white alleys in which even the pavements were painted white - each one of them picture postcard worthy.

 

Soon we were back at the shore, from where we could already see the windmills.

 

In a small bar, which clung to the narrow walkway by the banks, we met Petros, the famous tame pelican.

 

 

 

In contrast to the blue water, the whitewashed buildings with their blue and red extensions looked really stunning.

 

From the hill of the windmills we also had a good view of the ships in port.

 

5 of the former 10 windmills, the “Kato Mili”, are still in good condition and are a popular tourist destination not only to be found on many of the postcards sold here but also probably photographed by everybody visiting Mykonos with a camera.

 

After touring the windmills and also taking loads of photos, we continued our stroll through the idyllic streets and alleys if this beautiful Greek Isle.

 

Apologies for photos galore, but at every corner the little houses gave a new opportunity to release the shutter. The white walls and the light or dark blue extensions looked like postcard images, and even the schoolhouse was kept in style.

 

Walking through the maze of alleys, I didn’t need to know any more where we actually were. It might be easy to get lost, but due to the small size of the place it didn’t really matter where you ultimately came out. So we didn´t worry and just followed the streets we liked most.

 

 

In between the houses and shops there were also a few art galleries showing interesting pieces.

 

It was interesting to see that behind all the touristy facades people actually lived in those narrow streets, too.

 

Some of the “inhabitants” looked somewhat suspiciously down on the many strangers.

 

I am a big fan of bougainvillea, which looked simply stunning in front of the white walls.

 

The closer we got to the port, the more restaurants we found between the shops and boutiques. Some of them already smelled delicious. However, we resisted the temptation.

 

Eventually, the maze released us at the bay of the port where many brightly painted fishing boats presented a beautiful picture on the turquoise waters.

 

Next to the dock of the tender boats we found a beautiful little church.

 

With plenty of time left we deiced to have another walk along the promenade before returning to the ship. Obviously, for me this was another opportunity to take more pictures.

 

In a small bar along a staircase in an uphill alley we had a drink, talked with a few Brits from the Equinox about cruising and took advantage of the free Wifi.

 

Then came the time to say goodbye to Mykonos and to board the tender boat to return to our beautiful Silhouette.

 

We had developed a little habit of having an afternoon drink on the deck of the Sunset Bar – certainly also thanks to our beverage package. This allowed us to look back and watch Mykonos disappear in the distance.

 

The wind had increased considerably and was whipping clouds of spray across the waves. We swiftly moved inside, went to the gym and sauna and let the impressions of this beautiful day sink in.

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