Back to Mykonos

I was unsure how I felt about the itinerary change that had us arriving in Mykonos on our second day at sea. For some strange reason, Mykonos seems to punctuate the chapters of my and John’s life. I was hoping to have some time to build up to our return and to prepare for the possibility of new beginnings.

Our first visit to Mykonos in 1996 served as an end to my innocent, small town, young adult life and ushered in the next chapter that has been filled with career successes as well as fun and travel. John and I both return to the island as well adjusted adults with careers we love and lives we enjoy, buoyed by the love we share for friends, partners, and family. We are no longer the wide-eyed children of 12 years ago, but we are also not the angry, cynical adults that we could have become with the passing of the years. In many ways, we have both been blessed by our experiences and our friendship of the past 20 years. Perhaps it was my trepidation of this happy chapter coming to an end that caused me to be nervous about returning, or maybe it was the anticipation of a life that could be even better, but would require more effort. Either way, we woke up in a magical place. The next chapter of our lives had commenced.

Since we had previously spent five days in Mykonos, our plan was to have a quick walk about the town to show Jay around and then head over to Super Paradise Beach for some relaxation. We immediately noticed that there were quite a few more discos and t-shirt shops than we remembered. The island seems to have succumbed to the giant cruise ship curse. But we were undaunted. So a few pictures and a few questions later, we headed to the taxi stand. You should know that there are only 30 legal taxis on the entire island, so we settled in for a wait. After about 20 minutes, we decided to have a bit of an adventure and rent some scooters or four-wheelers and head to the beach on our own.

Mykonos from the Harbor

Chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas: Patron Saint of Sailors

Yes, the sky is really that blue....

The Mykonos Wind Mills

Mykonos: Little Venice

The Harbor

On a previous trip to the Bahamas, Jay had an accident on a scooter, so he was leaning more towards the four-wheeler option. I was all for hopping on the back of a scooter and heading out of town. Fortunately for us, all the four-wheelers were already rented, but a very nice man offered to take us to the beach in his Suzuki Sidekick for 10 Euros each. Once we were on the road, we realized that scooters would have been a disaster. The roads are all single lane, the curves are all blind, and the hills are as close to vertical as you can get and still keep your wheels on the ground.

The beach was stunning. We found three lounge chairs together, ordered a few drinks and settled in to watch the world go by. We had a swim in the chilly crystal blue waters and were attacked by those little fish that give pedicures. Apparently they really liked the scabs that Jay and I were sporting from minor scrapes as they continually dive bombed those areas. But a fish has got to eat…. The place was so stunning, that John, who is not known for relaxing, was in no hurry to return to the hustle and bustle of the city. We stayed until the very last minute before catching a public shuttle back to the harbor and back to the ship.

Our view on Super Paradise Beach

A small boat bringing more visitors to the beach

Cruise ships must all be in....

Homes overlooking the beach

After dinner we planned to return to the island for a bit of bar hopping, but instead we got sucked into Bishop Gene Robinson’s documentary Love Free of Die. I may have failed to mention that the Bishop was also a passenger on our ship. He introduced the film and stuck around for a Q&A session when it completed. (Best lines from the movie - When asked about how the church felt about his smoking, Robinson replied: “I have given people so many other things to talk about that my smoking seems to be of little consequence these days.” During a sermon about the responsibilities of parishioners to their fellow humans, he says “It is not enough to pull drowning people from the river. As Christians, it is our duty to go up river and find out who is pushing them in.”)

Needless to say, we were not in the mood for a disco outing after watching this heart wrenching, but nevertheless uplifting film. So, we hung around the bar and welcomed our fellow passengers back from their island adventures, drank a few too many shots and beers, then headed off to bed.

Throughout the evening, there were a few tears shed as John and I remembered our last visit and looked forward to the next chapters of our lives. I was happy to have returned to Mykonos to re-experience the magic. Mykonos may make men cry, but I am eager to continue my life's journey.


Next stop Patmos: The Jerusalem of the Mediterranean

Toga! Toga! Toga!

The smallest cabin ever - ever I say....

After about 45 minutes in line at the port, we were finally on board. I was eager to get to my room and freshen up after a day in the hot sun. I soon learned the difference between a big ship and a small ship – my single room was barely big enough to hold both me and my suitcases.

After a quick costume change, I went back up to the Tropical Bar for a sail away cocktail. Then I was back downstairs for my life jacket and the safety drill, which went pretty quickly. However, it was followed by quite a long welcome aboard speech by the captain – including introductions of the ship’s management staff. 

Life Jacket Drill and Captain's Welcome Aboard Speech

We were allowed to return our life jackets to our cabins and we joined our captain for the raising of the sails and the start of our journey into the Aegean Sea. As our ship mates slowly filtered away, John, Jay and I watched the sun go down before we headed down for dinner.

John and Jay at Sail Away Party

Raising the Sails

Leaving Athens - notice the smog layer

The smog layer follows us out to sea

John and Glenn at Sail Away Party

 

The dining room on the small ship is set up so that all tables are either six or eight tops. This forces everyone to mix and match your dinner companions and allows people to meet different people at each meal. Since we had a slightly later start, we were seated with a couple from Los Angeles and one of the ship’s staff. The food was really just OK – nothing to really write home about. 

The evening was topped off by a welcome aboard toga party. My people sure do love a costume party.

Jay, Lanny, and John

John, Glenn, and Jay

There is always a reason for a dance party

Bruce and Lanny

Yep, you guessed it. It was a late night, once again.

Next stop Mykonos.

The Acropolis, Parthenon, Lunch, and Setting Sail

How much luggage do 50 guys need for a week at sea?

Have I mentioned that Athens was hot? Like over 100F (38C) and very humid. I can see why those with the means leave the city in August. To beat some of the heat, we had an early start for a tour of the Acropolis and new Parthenon Museum. John, the instigator for the previous evening’s fun, decided to skip the tour in favor of a massage to settle a pinched nerve. He also wanted to get a haircut in order to be especially handsome for his boarding pass picture. So it was just me and Jay on the morning tour along with about 15 others. We left our luggage in the lobby and set off into the city.

Faye: our tour guide

Our tour guide, Faye was a delightfully sarcastic language instructor who spent nearly as much time teaching us that “we all speak Greek” as she spent explaining that nothing is new, it has all been done before by the ancient Greeks. She reminded me of the father from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. However, she was eager to share her country’s rich history – the good and the bad – as we slowly made our way through the winding streets towards the Acropolis. 

Jay: Gorgeous with only a few hours of sleep....

 

The first time I visited this site was in 1996 during a nine hour layover on my way to the island of Mykonos. We had no guide and we had to find our way by bus and foot up to the ruins. This time, I had a much better understanding and appreciation of how and why the buildings were made – i.e. no slave labor. There was a brisk breeze at the top of the hill and we spent our limited time clicking as many pictures as possible before being led back down the hill to the new Parthenon museum. 

Entrance to the Odeon

The modern side of the same wall with the modern city of Athens in the background

Jay at the Amphitheater

Where in the world is Glenn?

Jay at the Parthenon

Parts of the original frieze that were not taken by Lord Elgin to the British Museum

The other side: Original sculptures (from around 500 BCE)

Jay in Greece

The Temple of Poseidon

The Temple of Athena

Ahh – air conditioning. The museum is very modern and is constructed over an archeological site. The glass floors allow visitors to catch a glimpse of ruins from 2500 years ago. You can see a portion of the ancient city and how it was organized around fountains, benches, and curving streets. With a little imagination, it was easy to see that cities have not changed much over the millennia. The rest of the museum included the remaining marbles from the top of the Parthenon building as well as some of the original columns and frescos from the inner part of the building. Luckily, the last time I was in London, I made a point of visiting the British Museum to view the originals, which are stunning. The copies, are not very well executed, and are intended mainly as a means to highlight that many of Greece’s cultural treasures reside outside of the county in other European museums. 

Following the Museum tour we rejoined our ship mates for an al fresco lunch of stuffed tomatoes, dolmatha, spanakopita, moussaka, chicken kebobs, and braised veal in tomato sauce. After a few bottles of water and a couple jugs of wine we were all happy, refreshed, and eager to board our buses for the ship. I am guessing the slim physique I work so hard at maintaining will be expanding over the next week or so – but fitness and vacation are not two words that I often say together.

Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

After a rather long bus ride to the port – complete with a short nap, we were dockside and ready to board the ship around 2:30. The process was not nearly as efficient as that used by Holland America to get 2500 people on board, but we were eventually all processed and welcomed on board.  I was looking forward to getting to my cabin for some quick unpacking, to be followed by the raising of the sails, dinner, and a welcome aboard toga party. I am already worn out and the day is only half over. 

Frieze on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier