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| Traces of painted plasterwork on the ruins |
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| One of the cobbled streets of Mykonos. The doors and balconies are all painted to match |
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| The windmills of Mykonos |
Saturday 2nd May
We visited two ports today: Delos, which is an ancient architectural site and Mykonos, one of Greece's most famous islands.
We only had the morning at Delos and we were free to roam the island's ruins and the museum there until the last tender back to the ship at 11am. After that, the ship dawdled four miles over to Mykonos, where we spent the afternoon and evening.
I enjoyed both visits, but for entirely different reasons.
Delos provided a glimpse into early Greek architecture and art while Mykonos is a very cosmopolitan place, having countless tiny shops and restaurants in the winding streets behind the plaza at the harbour.
Delos was mostly a religious community but developed into a trading centre before it was abandoned. Many walls made of stacked stones remain, often in different types of stone including: granite, marble and, schist, and we were able to see how these were plastered over then decorated richly. We also saw some beautiful mosaics in situ and open to the elements, but others have been relocated to the museum. We also saw the theatre set into the side of a hill, which involved massive, curved blocks of marble fitting together perfectly, representing a whole new level of construction.
However, for me, the highlight was the row of carved lions who have faced the sunrise for thousands of years.
Inside the museum were beautiful statues and busts, and examples of decorative objects such as ornaments and jewellery. There were even some doll like figures. One wall was entirely covered by a near intact mosaic, still with vibrant colours after 2000 years.
One thing that made the site even more memorable were the wildflowers throughout the site. Interestingly, the only animal life we saw were some lizards, a viper resting in a bowl and some industrious looking bull ants.
Mykonos.
There are some marvellous buildings on Mykonos, from the row of windmills to the white washed houses with brightly coloured matching doors and windows. We were happy to limit our stroll around the Harbour and the Venice area, then return to the ship. I think that Santorini is more picturesque but Mykonos has its own charm too. The ship doesn't leave here until midnight, and I am enjoying the lights of the town over the water as I write this.
Tomorrow will be a big day, partly because we have to go from Piraeus to Athens and tomorrow is the day of the Athens Marathon, which will likely affect some of the tours booked for the day.
We visited two ports today: Delos, which is an ancient architectural site and Mykonos, one of Greece's most famous islands.
We only had the morning at Delos and we were free to roam the island's ruins and the museum there until the last tender back to the ship at 11am. After that, the ship dawdled four miles over to Mykonos, where we spent the afternoon and evening.
I enjoyed both visits, but for entirely different reasons.
Delos provided a glimpse into early Greek architecture and art while Mykonos is a very cosmopolitan place, having countless tiny shops and restaurants in the winding streets behind the plaza at the harbour.
Delos was mostly a religious community but developed into a trading centre before it was abandoned. Many walls made of stacked stones remain, often in different types of stone including: granite, marble and, schist, and we were able to see how these were plastered over then decorated richly. We also saw some beautiful mosaics in situ and open to the elements, but others have been relocated to the museum. We also saw the theatre set into the side of a hill, which involved massive, curved blocks of marble fitting together perfectly, representing a whole new level of construction.
However, for me, the highlight was the row of carved lions who have faced the sunrise for thousands of years.
Inside the museum were beautiful statues and busts, and examples of decorative objects such as ornaments and jewellery. There were even some doll like figures. One wall was entirely covered by a near intact mosaic, still with vibrant colours after 2000 years.
One thing that made the site even more memorable were the wildflowers throughout the site. Interestingly, the only animal life we saw were some lizards, a viper resting in a bowl and some industrious looking bull ants.
Mykonos.
There are some marvellous buildings on Mykonos, from the row of windmills to the white washed houses with brightly coloured matching doors and windows. We were happy to limit our stroll around the Harbour and the Venice area, then return to the ship. I think that Santorini is more picturesque but Mykonos has its own charm too. The ship doesn't leave here until midnight, and I am enjoying the lights of the town over the water as I write this.
Tomorrow will be a big day, partly because we have to go from Piraeus to Athens and tomorrow is the day of the Athens Marathon, which will likely affect some of the tours booked for the day.
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