It's Greek To Me!

Mykonos, totally enchanting! Another favorite place, another place I will return to! It doesn't look real, so much like all of the pictures of Greece, and yet, so unreal. It truly is all white with blue accents and the beauty and peace touches one as you look at the town on the side of a mountain. I found myself smiling from the time I walked off the ship until I headed back. Yes, I am sure, once here is not enough! And the people were the kindest so far! I purchased things in 3 shops and in each the people could not have been kinder and each gave me a personal little gift, so touching! I really didn't believe that such a place existed!

I wandered through the narrow streets made of large stones and looked in awe down each little street and up narrow, tiny staircases. We had been told there there were very few street names and that was quite true! I was on a mission, I have always loved the koularakias that mom's lifetime friend Mary baked for us, so I was going to try a Greek cookie in Greece. I have never received directions like I did in this beautiful little town...go to the other side of the square and ask someone where the bakery is, I did that and the very kind man said go to the red coke machine and turn right and go a little way and ask another store owner where the bakery is, I did that and chatted at length with a very nice girl who said, go to the 2nd right and go down the street, you will smell it! And that I did!! I walked into a small store with large metal baskets filled with loaves of bread, cookies, a variety of pies and other delectable treats. I watched in amazement as many Greek people, men and women, young and old, walked in, grabbed something or a few things and went up to pay for it. One man told me everyone gets breakfast there every day, it is the most popular bakery in town. I could see that!! The koularakia were different, rather than small twisted cookies, which they did have, the official ones were in great big circles and covered with sesame seeds. I purchased a few things and went back to the shop with the very kind girl and by then I'd tasted some things and had to go back and buy more. The girl, with a name I can't spell or pronounce, was so kind and we ended up exchanging addresses, she doesn't have an email or a website for her family store. What kind people I met the whole morning!

I walked out of her shop and gasped, looking into a store across the little street from her was a pelican, easily almost up to my shoulders!! He just stood there and my new friend laughed and said she hoped he didn't visit her shop, he doesn't like to leave when he goes in! He is the island mascot. And truly, you will see that it was almost up to my shoulders, she took pictures of me petting him!!! His feathers were so soft and his bill so absolutely beautiful, I NEVER would have dreamt I would ever be close to a pelican! I had no idea of the size and gentleness of that bird! Delightful, as was everything else in Mykonos!! I just couldn't quit smiling, really! I wandered through more streets and saw beautiful sights, some kitties and a couple of dogs, some people painting things white and sweeping and setting up shops. Such an incredible beautiful experience!! The little village, the gift stores, the many little cafes and restaurants along the streets and square, so much to enjoy! It was just too short a time to be in Greece!

I paid a taxi driver to take me to the beach and wait for me to put my feet in the Aegean Sea. I'm not sure how many seas that makes now, but it was so clear and what rich colors!! They told me that there is a large family beach and around the corner from that one is a topless beach, down from that one is a nude beach and past that is the gay beach!! As the girl told me, there is something in Mykonos for everyone!!

The setting was totally different than anything I've seen, but had things in common with so many other places I've been. The houses on the hillsides reminded me of the Amalfi coast, but they are much easier to get to. The blues and whites reminded me of Antarctica, the windmills-although so different-remind me of the Netherlands, and on and on. The joy and thrill of seeing the world!! Greece! What an enchanting place to spend a day! On the shuttle on the way back to the ship there was the most incredible hotel with a gorgeous pool and you could see inside the rooms to a elegant bed and I asked the person at the ship the name of the hotel and yes, I think I will figure out how to get back to spend a week immersed in the peace and beauty of Mykonos! Building is going on and I know it is not a cheap place to live or visit and too far from home to even consider buying something, but surely a week would be do-able!!

The departure of the ship was delayed because someone needed to be moved from the ship to the hospital. That is the kind of thing I worry about on these trips, but I just can't stop traveling in anticipation that it could happen. I'm sure that person had someone to help and hopefully will be fine and able to enjoy the beauty at some point.

I didn't find Zorba the Greek, although I will say the the Greek men were handsome and kind, who knows if I will meet Zorba the next trip!

For now, I still smile when I think of the beauty and uniqueness of the place we just left...and tomorrow we will be in Istanbul and I am going on a tour again and will be in Asia...the excitement just doesn't end!! This is feeling like so many of the trips I was on last year, when I would be smiling in the morning when I saw César, so excited about what I was about to see, and still smiling when I returned at the end of the day to share what I had seen. I guess one is never too old to enjoy new things! I only wish there were someone here to share my excitement with. I suppose there is, I am sharing it with all of you who are reading my blog!

Save those pennies for travel, so worth it! Until later....