Mykonos

 

Travel day has finally arrived.  As much as I know this day will be tiring, I’m glad to get out of Milos.  The hotel was way too noisy, the bathroom was designed by a crackhead, the internet was shaky, and the island was a snoozefest.  I practically ran to the boat.

A couple of hours later and we landed in Mykonos.  My hotel had arranged transport, so a guy picked me up as the sole passenger in the van.  As we’re driving along more narrow windy streets, he explains that I’d arrived at the new (and very busy) seaport.  There were at least three cruise ships and a bunch of smaller vessels all gathered around the area.  We passed the old port which he said was only used to go to the island of Delos. He pointed out that the buildings are painted white to protect them from the sun (didn’t know that), showed me the entrance to Mykonos Town, then drove into this congested square full of motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians.  As we got stuck in traffic, he called ahead to have someone come out to help me as he couldn’t go any further.  Confused, I got out and prepared to pay him, but he just got back in the car as a woman came to help me with my bags. 

The hotel, the Mykonos Chora Apartments, was just down a side alley.  I met up with a very animated young woman named Valentina who gave me a bus schedule, a map of the island, and pointed out some of her favorite places before showing me to my room.  No toilet paper in the bowl, but I think the water is drinkable.  I didn’t test it out since I’ve gotten in the habit of using bottled water for everything.

Entering the maze for the first time is an experience everyone should have.  It is insane to see all the shops, cafes, pharmacies, and bakeries all mixed in with residences, schools and churches to be discovered while wandering around.  While there are street signs on the walls, I don’t bother learning them, choosing instead to learn by landmarks.

One of the first places I found was Little Venice.  The restaurants here are a little scary.  The seating areas are hanging over the water.  There’s even one spot where there is only a narrow stone path for passersby and a quick drop-off into the ocean.  It’s a shallow part of the ocean, but still … With as many tourists as there are and waiters running back and forth, I am certain someone has fallen into the drink at some point.

I stopped for brunch at a café by the water as I hadn’t had any breakfast.  Just as I’m finishing up my meal, I happened to look to the right and … what the hell?  There is a huge pink bird coming down the nearby stairs like it owns the joint.  It’s not afraid of the people gawking at it, it simply descends the stairs, walks along the path, and goes into the kitchen of the diner.  The waiters acted like ‘yeah, that happens sometimes’ and just walked around the beast.  (Turns out this was pretty normal.  I did some research later on this creature and found out that Mykonos has had a pelican for a mascot for almost 70 years now.  One animal dies and they get a new one.  This one is named Petros Pete.) I got up, like a lot of folks, to take pictures, but the real joy was in seeing people walk by, turn their heads, and do a double take.  Pure D entertainment.

I encountered him again days later just hanging out in a kitchen.  I didn’t see any flamingos on Naxos but I think this makes up for it. 

I noticed the waiter at the same cafe talking to the table of people next to me and I’m pretty certain they were speaking German.  I asked him later how many languages he spoke.  He had to think about it for a minute (!) before saying seven.  Shocked, I asked him what they were.  He kind of laughed and said all of them. 

Have I ever mentioned that the education system in America is severely lacking?  When you live in Europe, particularly in a very touristy area, you’re exposed to so many more languages and cultures than you would in the U.S.  It’s so vital in understanding that everywhere is not the same, that those differences should be celebrated and not automatically feared. 

I quickly came to understand why Mykonos is the big dog of the Greek Isles.  Unlike half-dead Milos, this place is vibrant and alive.  The labyrinth is always full of people and colors and something to catch your attention. I’m pretty sure you could get lost in there for hours and still not see everything.  Little Venice is also the club center of the town.  The restaurants have these fancy drink menus and the music starts blasting out of there around 6 p.m.  I have to wonder about the locals, though.  Do they resent all these smelly tourists constantly crawling all over their home?  I realize that a lot of them depend on the tourist industry, but it’s gotta be a double-edged sword.  Kids still need to go to school, chores need to be done, people gather and go to church, all of this with tourists milling about, making noise, and taking pictures.

The hotel, it turns out, is in an excellent location.  Just outside of the maze of Mykonos Town, but in close proximity.  From my room, I have a great view of the sun setting over the water.  While the maze is constant chaos with motorcycle delivery guys, tourists, and all manner of noise, the hotel is just far enough to be strangely quiet in its own little corner.  They also put out a nice free spread in the morning. 

Meet my new boyfriend.  On command, this machine will make you a variety of coffee drinks within a few minutes.  I was stunned the first time I saw it in action.  You mean I won’t have to pay 3.50 euros for my cappuccino?  I love that thing!  I just wish I could fit it in my luggage.

Every morning when I went downstairs for breakfast, the spread would be described to me by an energetic Valentina.  She ran the reception desk as well as helped the guests with their luggage and bussed the tables after breakfast.  She turned out to be a lot younger than I thought at the age of 19.  We started talking about books, music, and life plans each morning.  I told her about my travels and plans to move to Portugal, and she mentioned that she was Albanian, grew up on the island, and had plans to go to school in Germany.  I was stunned to have anything in common with someone young enough to be my daughter, but it was just another pleasant surprise offered by the island.

Morning in the maze is the absolute best.  It is so quiet without all the tourists.  The shops are closed which means no one has any of their wares out and the only things you have to dodge are the multiple supply trucks that cram themselves into the narrow streets on their delivery rounds.  By the third day there, I could maneuver around pretty well without getting lost and felt particularly proud of myself.  I even got recognized by some of the merchants/waiters I’d interacted with during my stay. 

I was eating at a restaurant near Little Venice called Nice and Easy.  I happened to notice a woman in a billowy blue dress having her picture taken nearby.  Unusual to see 1. A black woman doing a glamor shoot, 2. A big black woman doing a glamor shoot and 3. A big black woman doing a glamor shoot in Greece near a restaurant and not by the ocean or windmills or nearly anywhere else.  I wonder how the pictures came out.

Having a meal at the same Little Venice restaurant I visited on my first day, I noticed some movement in the water.  I squinted at it trying to figure out if that cluster of five or six bumps were just bubbles or something else.  Finally, I asked a waiter if those were turtles.  He said, “No.  They’re sharks.  Little baby sharks.”  He then leaves and comes back with some bread and throws them in the water.  I never got a good shot of a shark but seriously, what is it with this restaurant and animals?

Oh, and for the record, I heard that first waiter speak five languages; Greek, English, German, Spanish, and what I think was Mandarin.  I never did discover the other two.

This island, like all the others, is a cat haven.  There are little piles of cat food scattered all over the place.  I don't know if this woman is the official cat feeder of the island or if she's just a crazy cat lady on a mission.  Either way, the cats were happy to see her.

I have seen some things on this island.

On my last day in Mykonos, I stopped at a gelato place I’d repeatedly passed in my wanderings.  I’m not big on sweets, but the displays always get my attention.  And this place, Davinci’s, knows their business.  I tried to order what I thought was a simple ice cream cone at the counter.  Like in any other restaurant, I was told to take a seat and a server would assist me.  She comes out with three separate menus featuring not just the artisanal gelato, but also waffles, an assortment of teas and coffees (I swear everyone in Europe is a barista) and, of course, beer and wine.  Some research revealed that this is a chain of Greek places on both the islands and the mainland.  This is the delicious masterpiece they presented to me along with their website.  You should check them out.

HOME | Davinci Gelato

As I packed up to leave, I heard a rustling outside my door.  Thinking nothing of it, I kept packing.  Turns out that Valentina had written me a note thanking me for my visit, wishing me good luck, and saying she’ll miss our talks.  It made my day as I am a sucker for unexpected, sweet gestures like that.  I left her the novel I’d been reading (she had noticed it on my first day there and started our conversations) and a thank you note of my own.

Since I couldn’t arrange for a ferry to get me to the airport on time, I had to book a flight back to (sigh) Athens to catch my connecting flight.  I enjoyed my time on Mykonos but was ready to be done with Greece and move on to the next country.