Mediterranean Cruise (Part 5) - Mykonos

Yesterday was a day at sea so many of us were sitting out on deck enjoying the sun and reading. I've noticed during the cruises that we have been on that there are usually a lot of readers on board. Yesterday, probably about a quarter of the people on deck were reading. It seemed there were probably about the same number of people reading e-books as were reading paper books.

I also purchased my first bucket of beer yesterday (buy 5 and get one free); so it was a very pleasant day. I overheard someone say, "It's not a cruise without the booze." Peggy enjoyed the hot tub and lying in the sun. Although we have a small balcony outside our stateroom, we spend most of our time topside near the back of the ship. It is more out of the wind than the larger area amid-ship with the larger pool, more outdoor chairs, and another outdoor bar. We enjoy our personal balcony in the evenings with a glass of wine.

We arrived in Mykonos, one of the Greek islands, about 8AM this morning, and had a small boat ferry us to the island of Delos, a short distance south of Mykonos. The entire island of Delos is an archaeological site and is covered in Greek ruins, mostly from the 2nd to 4th centuries BC. It is also the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. I was surprised to see that the country rock is mostly metasediments and granite; I guess I was expecting more volcanic rock. There is a lot to see on Delos and we just saw a small portion of it. It is a fascinating place.

Delos

Again, we are having beautiful weather. Although I was wearing my hat, my face got slightly sunburned today.

We left Mykonos around 3PM this afternoon so that we can arrive early in Istanbul tomorrow morning. I sat on the aft section of the ship and took video of us leaving the island. All the houses in Mykonos are white. Because they have sun almost all year, the white helps to deflect the heat. We enjoyed lunch at a small white outdoor cafe and enjoyed a Greek salad with a half liter bottle of wine; very nice.

Enjoyed a delicious Greek salad with wine here. (Love their olives)

We have had some great tour guides and have been informed so much about the places we are seeing. Because it is impossible to remember everything, I try to purchase a summary book with pictures about the places we see. So far, I have one for Florence, Pompeii, and Delos.