“All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.” Psalm 86:9
Emerald Princess docked in Mykonos
We were greeted with beautiful azure seas and whitewashed homes along the shore as we approached Mykonos. The temperature was rising quickly, and it is expected to be in the low 80s.
Windmills of Mykonos
One of Mykonos’ most famous landmarks are its windmills. These windmills are approximately 700 Years old. They were used to grind various kinds of grain for flour.
Our lunch was at a little place called the “Taverna Vergos.” We were served bread, salad with olive oil and vinegar, cheese pie (a pastry stuffed with a soft cheese) with two dips similar to hummus, rice , and a hamburger patty. Dessert was Greek yogurt with honey, strawberries, watermelon, and banana. Finally, we had a traditional Greek meal! It was delicious!
Delos
We boarded a boat for the island of Delos. In Greek mythology, this is the birthplace of Zeus’ twins, Apollo and Artemis. The entire island is a nationally protected site. The island is about 2.5 miles long and 1 mile wide.
Top: overlooking some of the Delos ruins
Clockwise from top-left: marketplace; house with fresco; lions of Apollo’s sanctuary; sacrificial bulls decorated with flowers
Panagia Tourliani Monastery
This is a Greek Orthodox Church. Inside a Greek Orthodox church, there is always an icon of the “Virgin Mary with her child” to left of “royal door.” The royal door is where the priest enters the church. To the right of the door, the icon is always Christ. The Virgin Mary icon is always given gifts to show adoration, and the most important thing a worshipper can do is kiss her icon.
Top: Virgin Mary icon, royal door, Christ icon. Bottom-left: Virgin Mary icon close-up. Bottom-right: Archbishop’s throne.
Kalafati Beach
Our last stop of the day was at Kalafati beach. We sat in an outdoor refreshment area, where John treated me to a Coke Zero and a strawberry gelato!
Next stop: Athens, Greece