Mykonos is in the Aegean Sea and is one of the smallest islands of Greece. The entire town is completely whitewashed with narrow twisty paths between sugar cube houses and shops with their colourful doors, windows and balconies. Despite the island being small (with about 6,000 people in the winter months) it has over 400 churches. Mykonos is historically a fishing village and one story I heard explaining this large number of churches is that in past times, if a fisherman was to lose his life at sea, his widow or family would have a chapel built in memory of him.

A famous character here is Petros the Pelican. He is the tall one in the photo. He is married to Irene (a ceremony was actually held apparently) but she is not with him in this photo, that is another friend. Petros was left behind in the ‘50’s by a group of migrating pelicans. It was quite good timing for us, as we arrived on the island in the late afternoon. This is when the fishing boats arrive back at the port and so Petros was right there when we landed checking out their catch of the day.

The symbol of the island is the windmill; Mykonos is famous for them. They were once used for grinding barley and wheat. Now they are a reminder of the history of the place, and are beautiful to look at. There are a huddle of tavernas, bars and cafes just across the bay from them where you can sit with seafood snack or maybe an almond drink called “soumada” and enjoy the view.

~ by Birgit on May 18, 2007.

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