I took a tour boat (not the ferry) to see Delos and Mykanos. The seas were rough. I couldn’t tell that when we were behind the breakwater and the wind didn’t seem THAT bad, but good grief. I immediately left the exposed upper deck seating and gave up seeing the sights while we sailed. I had taken Dramamine so I wasn’t seasick, but frankly I was mighty scared. 60 of the 90 minutes were awful. What are the chances this thing would tip over? Why did I watch Perfect Storm? How can I watch the horizon when much of the time all I see is WATER.
The good side of the wind was it didn’t feel hot. This is helpful when walking around ruins in the sun. Delos is an island sacred to the ancient Greeks because Apollo was born there. No one lives there and visitors must leave at 4 pm. Supposedly it ranks up there with Delphi, Olympia, etc. as a major Greek site. Okay. It was interesting and my Ricky Steves walking tour saved me 10 euro. Having said that, I heard 2 years ago that the best Greek ruins are in Turkey and I can see that now. There were some beautiful mosaics, the Naxian lion statues and a fascinating obsession with Hermes. (I don’t know much about that god, but it turns out he is Mr. Phallus.) There were 2 of these mounted on a pedestal. Yes, I have pictures but be advised that much of it has fallen off!
The 20 minute boat ride to Mykanos took much longer due to the winds. I tried to ride on the top–it’s just 20 minutes right–but I got wet and terrified. Down into the cabin I go.
We were just 3 hrs in Mykanos, so I just bummed around the town. The wind was a problem and I gave up with my Jackie O sunhat. I had lunch on the sea at a place founded by Mykanos’ first female sea captain. It was pricey and delicious. I mainly walked around the Old Town lanes, took pictures and soaked up the atmosphere. Mykanos is known for its beaches, but all require transport to get to so I didn’t scope them out. There were many nightclubs, bars and fancy shops. Mykanos is only 100 minutes away from Naxos, but the terrain is very dry. So I was totally touristic and took pictures of the famous sites. I am also glad I didn’t endure the hassle of moving there for 2 or 3 nights, but I would go back if I had the chance.
The ride back was slightly better as we had the wind at our back except for the 20 minutes navigating to the port of Paros. That was THE WORST. Some American next to me asked one of the crew how bad does this compare. He said it was a 6/10 and that they go out even when it gets to an 8/10. I had planned to go to the Little Cyclades on the 22nd, but cancelled my plan when the winds were predicted to be worse than the 21st. Shoulda went on Sunday when the wind was calm.
I stopped by my regular place to see Eddie and John at the Relax cafe. I had some wine and a yogurt dessert and watched the sunset. The town had a music festival on the harbor square and I listened to the first band that started at 9:30. They played rock music–some in Greek, some in English. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Hendrix’s Purple Haze or an Animal’s oldie with a Greek accent.
