Mykonos, Greece

° Classical Greece ° Athens ° Corfu ° Meteora
° Mykonos ° Olympic Village ° Olive Trees ° Santorini

Although one of the smallest islands of the Cyclades complex, Mykonos makes up for it thanks to its treasures of natural beauty, rich history, cosmopolitan character (combined with an active nightlife), as well as plenty of local color.

As are many areas of Greece, its history is shrowded in mists of fact and fiction. Hercules and Poseidon were said to have a hand in destroying some of the Giants that opposed Zeus on Mykonos. Later, as the story goes, the island was named in honor of Apollo's grandson Mykons. Due to its geographic location as a crossroads for shipping, the island continued to flourish, reaching a state of enormous wealth during the time of Roman occupation and the reign of Augustus Caesar. Starting as early as ancient times, the Cycladic islands as well as the rest of the Mediterranean sea had become famous as a natural breading ground for piracy. The island of Mykonos received its fair share of buccaneer influence, which lasted right up until the beginning of the 19th century.

The island's beaches invite you to soak up the sun and the atmosphere. Watch the sunset with the water lapping at your feet from one of the many waterside bars in the Little Venice quarter or for some serious partying, head to one of the many late night dance clubs.

If you're after a bit of history and culture, the island has five museums you can visit as well as a beautiful church. The church of Panagia Paraportiani is located beyond the Delos Ferry Quay on the way to Little Venice.

We found the little town interesting: The shops lining narrow streets are also homes for the islands residents. This is an enviable lifestyle. Most shops in the Venezia area tend to keep tourist hours, and many of them will be open late during the summer months. They know the average shopper will have just enjoyed a good meal with local Greek wine, ouzo, or Metaxa. Upscale visitors will find plenty of jewelry stores to visit, along with art galleries, clothing stores, and folk art shops. While Greece is known as a good place for jewelry shopping, with generally good prices and excellent quality, both quality and value can vary from shop to shop. Most jewelry shops expect some bargaining, so don't be shy, and don't be afraid to back off and come back the next day.

While we do not travel to shop, we always plan on buying at least one item of note during our travels. We watch spending throughout, but generally come home with a treasure that we value for years because -- along with being a beautiful purse or piece of jewelry -- it reminds us of visiting stunning cities around the world.

Mykonos has a range of hotels, such as the Belvedere Hotel Mykonos (right), a highly rated hotel in the School of Fine Arts District with beach, city or sea views and within walking distance of the Nautical Museum of the Aegean, Mikonos Library and the Aegean Maritime Museum. It is also near Paradise Beach and Super Paradise Beach. One of our preferences is the Naxos. While it isn't at highly rated/regarded as others, it is built in the traditional Cycladic island style with whitewashed walls and brightly painted shutters and doors, the price per night is relatively low and it is conveniently located. Reviews are mixed: One person said it's too quiet; another said it's too noisy.

For Nautical Aficionados

The Aegean Maritime Museum was the first museum in Greece that rescued and restored living historical exhibits to operate as they were originally designed and built: The "Armenistis" lighthouse (built in 1890), the "perama" type sailing ship "Evangelistria" (built in 1940) and the cable-laying ship "Thalis o Milesios" (built in 1909). The "Armenistis" lighthouse operates again in the Museum's garden, in Mykonos, while "Evangelistria" and "Thalis o Milesios" are berthed at the Hellenic Navy's Museum wharf at the Paleo Phaliro marina. The Aegean Maritime Museum participates in international conferences and exhibitions, as well as in the festivities of the Hellenic Navy for the "Maritime Week". It has also developed a significant publishing activity in the area of the Greek maritime history.

Consider reading at least one classical tome on Greece -- a selection of Books About Greece can be found by checking the right column. However, one of the most noted is The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides, an Athenian general who served in the war. This work is included in many studies of classical literature (and is included in classical literature courses at U.C. Berkeley in Berkeley, California). This account of the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, fought between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) and the Delian League (led by Athens) is regarded as one of the earliest scholarly works of history. The history was divided into eight books by editors of later antiquity.

We grew up in San Francisco with a myriad of first-and-second generation people from around the world. Included were the Jonopoulos family from Greece (along with Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Russian and Filipino friends). Oh the food! Every few nights was a different meal as we were treated to dinners at various houses. A favorite was then and is now an traditional Greek salad.

Following is a classic recipe (this one serves about six people):

• 4 firm ripe tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 green pepper
  • 150 g. feta cheese
  • A few ripe olives
  • A few capers
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Sprinkling of oregano
  • Salt
  Wash the tomatoes, peel the cucumber and cut into slices. Cut the onion and pepper in rings. Place them in a salad bowl, add the olives, capers, oregano and salt, mix lightly. Slice the feta cheese, place it on top of the salad and dress with olive oil.