The day started out overcast but by the afternoon, the skies were a brilliant blue. We started our tour walking the narrow back corridors of the old town. Founded in the 11th century BC, the architecture over the years has developed into a world-renowned style. Mykonos is the most cosmopolitan island in the Cyclades and one of the finest examples of Cycladic architecture. Traditional and cubic houses, with flat roofs, and wooden colored doors and windows, create a unique atmosphere. Today the government requires all property owners to maintain the old style; white painted exterior, and all shutters, doors and metal work painted a traditional color of red, blue or green. Even the walkways are painted to resemble the old patterns. Our guide told us that homeowners are required to maintain the sidewalk in front of them, and paint it every 10 – 14 days or risk a penalty. Crazy!!

On the walking tour we also saw the famous windmills of Mykonos, used to grind grain. Many are still functional and they are dotted all over the island. At the conclusion of the walking tour, we had a driving tour of a couple of the famous beaches and stopped at the town of Ano Mera. There we visited a really nice bakery, Koutsoukos 1965, and enjoyed baklava and other Greek sweets.

Another interesting fact that we learned about Mykonos is that many families have family chapels, that get handed down through the generations. Once a year, the extended family gathers at the chapel and a priest blesses the family and provides communion, and then there is a party with food and drink. It’s a family reunion with a family chapel! There is an estimate that there are over 1000 of these family chapels across the island. I captured many of them in photos.

When we returned to Mykonos town, we enjoyed some Greek food and shopped a bit before catching the water ferry back to the cruise pier.

Next stop tomorrow: Kusadasi, Turkey