Travel Mykonos towns & countryside A er lunch, we travelled by bus toMykonos for a tour of the 16-kilometre-long island. According to our guide Georgia, its population of 11,000 swells seasonally to 40,000 with workers in the tourist industry that burgeoned a er Jackie Onassis, Paul Newman, Brigitte Bardot and other celebrities made it a fashionable destination. Beautiful beaches, such as Kalafatis, and a vibrant nightlife continue drawing visitors to Mykonos. We stopped at Mykonos Farmers, where Yiorgos Syrianos explained how his family makes traditional Mykonian yogurt and cheeses. We sampled their delicious kopanisti cheese with cherry tomatoes. In AnoMera, the second-largest Mykonos village, we toured Panagia Tourliani Monastery, founded in 1542. “Do you knowwhy Mykonos has more than 400 churches?” asked Georgia. “In the past, sailors and their families prayed for protection from marine disasters.” We returned to Mykonos Town for a walking tour. Its dazzling whitewashed buildings resemble a bag of sugar cubes spilled in a crescent-shape around the bay. In Little Venice, red-and-blue balconies and doors decorate homes built by ship owners in the 18th century. Dominating the area is a row of traditional windmills which once ground grain. Celestyal Crystal ran shuttle buses from the ship until 6 a.m. so that passengers could enjoy the Mykonos nightlife. When we returned to the town a er dinner, we joined throngs of people strolling along brightly lit streets to shop, eat, drink and dance in the cafés, tavernas and clubs. Amazing Milos Our cruise to Milos, like all of our inter-island transits, was so smooth that we barely noticed that the ship was moving. “Milos is called the island of 100 beaches,” explained our shore excursion guide Gladwyn. “Although it’s only 22 kilometres long, Milos has 125 kilometres of coastline and three natural ravines.” Volcanic eruptions, the Aegean Sea and winds have sculpted the white volcanic ash tu around Sarakiniko’s inlet beach into whimsical lunar shapes. We climbed the cli s and explored some man-made caves. A er stopping at Mouratos Bakery to snack on delicious watermelon pies, cheese tarts, cookies and pastries, we continued our drive to the picturesque town of Plaka. Bougainvillea, blue doors, shutters, railings and stairways adorned its white buildings. In Trypiti, we viewed the site where the famous fourth century BC Venus de Milo was discovered in 1820. e statue of Aphrodite is currently housed in the Louvre in Paris. Nearby, the beautiful second century BC marble Roman theatre seats 700 for the annual July Milos Festival. Kalafatis Beach Little Venice area of Mykonos Town Swimming in natural ravine White cliffs and man-made caves border Sarakiniko’s inlet beach Mouratos Bakery Roman theatre from 2nd century BC 20 | www.snowbirds.org
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