Mykonos, what can I say. It is an island and it rains hard here or at least on the island of Delos, where we spent the morning.

We got off the sip to get on a boat to ride out to the island of Delos. Thank goodness we brought our umbrellas. Delos is the birthplace of Apollo. It is located in an island group called the Cyclades. Cyclades means they form a rough circle around the sacred island of Delos. Delos was one of the religious centers of ancient Greece. More on this later. We have found out that Mykonos has a party reputation and is also an area for gays to gather.

We traveled out to Delos early this morning, before the rain. Our guide was excellent and gave more information than I could retain, but I will try and hi the highlights. Delos is a small, rocky island, no more than 5 miles long and ¾ of a mile wide. Around the beginning of the 1st century there were estimated to be 30 to 40,000 people living on the island. Because the high hill on the island is believed to be where Zeus ruled from and the scared lake on the island with a palm tree where Apollo and Artemis were born, the island became a destination for pilgrims. The city grew and became the financial center of the Greek empire. Because the Romans and Greeks have never been too friendly, the Romans being jealous attacked and killed ½ the citizens and took the other ½ as slaves. They then sacked and burned the town. Greece never recovered after the finical center was lost and the city was abandoned.

Delos is not a pretty island, but it is very historical. The island was almost completely covered with homes, shops, theaters, a race track and a stock market, along with temples. As we walked around we could see the remains of the structures and learn a little as to how they lived. The areas we saw were inhabited by the rich. I would have had to just visit this place. I probably would not have been able to afford one of the houses. They had inlaid floors, made of semi precious stones. The walls had frescos on them and they had a sewer system inside the houses. The water was collected in cisterns under the house and they use a bucket and pulley to bring the up when. We saw a fish mongers place of business and a barber shop.

 It rained so hard, that we skipped out on part of the tour. Getting soaked and punched by an umbrella was not our idea of fun. It stopped raining just before we got back on the boat to head back to the ship. Chilled the rest of the day.


Tomorrow is Athens.