Delos

The decision to close out our trip on the island of Mykonos was driven in large part by the proximity of Mykonos to Delos.  Delos is entirely dedicated as an archaeological site, and is only accessible by boat from Mykonos.  It has no hotels, nor does it permit overnight stays.  Basically, nobody sleeps there.

Delos is supposedly the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.  It was a pretty important hub in ancient times, what with Apollo protecting it and all.  In fact, the tour guide today told us that the treasury on Delos preceded the one in Athens, and the one in Athens is something we may have heard of.  It's up at the top of the city.  You know, the Acropolis?

Anyhow, it was pretty spectacular.  There used to be a lake on the island, and in its place, there is now a pretty lush spot with lots of trees.  One tree in particular, a palm tree, is supposed to mark the birthplace of Apollo.  Of course, there's a temple, too.  Mostly, what stood out to us after weeks of looking after steps and columns was the series of lion statues.  They were originally built to look toward the birthplace.  I didn't catch if they were a tribute or a symbol of some kind of protection of the sacred place, but no matter.  They were interesting.  

When we got back from Delos, we had a rather large lunch.  We had to.  Marching through ruins in the sunshine really works up an appetite.  Apparently, it also wears you out, because we were beat.  It took way too long to find a taxi that wanted to take us back to our hotel, and when we got there, we took a pretty substantial nap.  

About the taxis, though- if any of you ever travel to Mykonos, please do one of three things:

     Learn the city bus schedule

     Rent a scooter

     Take taxis everywhere

There are no real sidewalks to speak of, and the roads are rather perilous on foot.  I think Cas and I can both recommend against walking around.  

After the nap, we went to a beach, drank a few beverages, had a few appetizers and walked in the sand.  It was kind of a cliche.  We had a nice walk on the beach.  Seriously, though, how often are we on a beach in Mykonos?  

Aside from the difficulty in getting from one place to another on this island, it is very beautiful.  I am sincerely convinced that this is a very slow tourism season for the whole country, and Greece could probably use the money.  It's been surprisingly unpopulated wherever we've been in this trip.  Even in Mykonos, where everyone seems to bunch up on corners and in intersections making me and Cas feel downright claustrophobic, I see a lot of empty tables at restaurants that should be really full in the tourist season.  

Anyhow, I wish the best to the Greeks and I hope they come out of their economic slump.  They're very kind and extremely hospitable.  

We leave Mykonos tomorrow and spend one more night in Athens before heading back to scenic Dallas.  Nothing like some international travel to place where everything is either historical, beautiful or both to make you realize how dull Dallas is.  It's a very functional, utilitarian place to live, but it's neither historically interesting nor pretty.  Either way, I am ready to get back.