“White is pure and simple and matches with everything.” Christian Dior, French fashion designer

After a very smooth night crossing, we awoke in ​Mykonos​ to pink hued skies against whitewashed buildings and the blue Aegean Sea … white does match everything brilliantly.

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Mykonos’s nickname is “The Island of the Winds.” Tourism is its major industry and is well known for its beaches, vibrant nightlife and for being a gay-friendly destination. Its main town is also known as Chora; following the common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town.

This was to be a short stop and one of the tours of interest was to the island of Delos to see the ruins of the temples of Artemis and Apollo, but I couldn’t fathom getting on another boat. Instead we chose to just meander on our own through the touristy, empty streets where but a few of the shops were open for business … ours was the last ship of the season and the town was shutting down for the winter.

David had been here over 25 years ago with his friend, Jamie, so he led the way to our first stop … the iconic windmills that dot the island, with most concentrated in town. The most photographed stand in a single row overlooking the sea like sentinels, ready to harness the strong northern winds that batter the island. Built by the Venetians in the 16th century to mill flour – they were in use until the early 20th century. Some have been refurbished and restored to serve as homes to locals and vaults to numerous Mykonian heritage documents. Tilting at windmills came to mind as I faced these giants like Don Quijote.

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Down from the windmills there is an area call Mikri Venetia (Little Venice), with rows of fishing houses lining the waterfront with their balconies hanging over the sea. The first of these was constructed in the mid-18th century. They originally belonged to rich merchants or captains and now they‘ve been converted into bars, cafes, shops and galleries.

One thing that became obvious during our walk is that you could not take 100 steps without coming across a small church or chapel. As this is known as a party island, is a night spent in such debauchery that you need the church’s salvation in the morning?!

We found out that the island has approximately 600 to 800 churches – with about 10% located just in town alone. My question is – where do you find that many priests to conduct mass? Many of the churches and chapels on the island date back to the Byzantine era and those built before the 19th century have been declared historical monuments by the Ministry of Culture.

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It was said that if you wanted to build a house you also had to build a church. They also played an integral part in the Mykonian customs, housing the bones of dead family members in a shrine. This is still practiced in modern times across the island. Historically, churches and small chapels were built around the island facing the sea to aid in the safe voyage and return of sailors. The only Catholic church on the island was built in 1668 and dedicated to the Virgin of St. Rosary and is called the Catholic Church of Panagia Rodario.

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For two hours we meandered through the alleyways of whitewashed buildings and all shades of blue painted doors, windows and shutters. David’s bright blue shirt blended perfectly into the colors of this painted landscape. He’d been here in the summertime and remarked how deserted Mykonos was with just few people out and about. It certainly appeared that cats outnumbered humanity.

Time for a coffee break … back in the old port we found a little cafe/bakery and to my delight a fresh batch of the local “bagel,” ​Koulouri​, also known as simit in Turkey (Istanbul was where I first encountered them). This big, wheel shaped type of sesame encrusted bread is known back to the Byzantines times as the original antiquity street food … not to be mistaken for a bagel since they are not boiled, but baked. This was my 3rd sample on this trip – previously in Corfu and Athens, but this was the best version and enjoyed with a strong cup of coffee … the perfect mid-morning pick-me-up.

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As we enjoyed our last night of our 3 days experiencing 3 different sides of Greece, and a full day cruising through some of its many hundreds of islands that dots its coastline … all I can say, “It’s all Greek to me.”

​On the Menu …​ For lunch I’d discovered the best bet to enjoy food onboard was to go ethnic … and the yummy delights the noodle/soup bar provided me. It was more like a Vietnamese Pho bar along the buffet line.

Tonight, the four of us dined at La Cucina, another specialty restaurant .. the Chianti flowed … a leisurely 3 1/2 hours passed after sharing our diverse day’s activities.

Three of us ordered the same antipasti, primi and secondi, the last being a succulent frute de mare cioppino like dish of clams, mussels, shrimp and swordfish. David opted for the grilled Branzino fillet, one of my favorite fish, but sadly was too afraid to order based on my past experiences with bland, white fish on the menus … but his had the ​deliciozo,​ familiar taste I remember; finally, dessert was a rich, decadent, dark chocolate tart.

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As an after dinner entertainment, the restaurant manager balanced two forks and a cork on top of a wine bottle using only two toothpicks. It stayed there for as long as it took for us to say our good nights.

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