Mykonos is a small windy island that is part of the Cyclades Islands, in the Aegean Sea.  It is difficult to grow things on the rocky, steep hills of Mykonos.  However, in the past the wind made it a great place for farmers from other islands to come and use the Mykonos windmills (for grinding grain, for example).  Now the windmills serve mostly as posh micro-hotels.   

The sandy beaches and great weather make Mykonos a haven for tourists. 

The capital city (named Mykonos) has hotels, restaurants, churches and lots of high-end shops.  Many of the streets are narrow and made from cobblestone, with low white-washed buildings on both sides, and are decorated with colorful doors and shutters. The whitewashing that results in the iconic look of the island is required by zoning regs.

We visited Mykonos on the Saturday before Easter, and the weather was ideal.  The streets and restaurants were crowded with visitors, including  many Greeks who come from the cities to the islands for the holiday.  

We saw more ornate church interiors, as both the Roman Catholics and the Greek Orthodox/Eastern Catholics prepared for Easter, which occurs on the same day this year.  Most of the churches in Mykonos are small, and locals call them chapels.

There is, of course, a lot of history and mythology related to Mykonos but we didn’t have time to visit the archeology museum and learn more.  So now we have a reason to return! 

Mykonos is a must see place that holds (or should hold) a prime spot on everyone’s bucket list. 

MAM & JFB

We are back in Greece now, where we had a nice walking tour of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city (after Athens).  

Again, tons of history in this city, some reflected in its archeology museum, and much in the monuments all over the city (including Alexander the Great ).  

We spent a good deal of time in the Church of St. Dimitrios, learning about the Greek Orthodox church, and some of the ways it differs from the Roman Catholic church.  

Workers in churches all over Greece were busy on Holy Thursday preparing for Easter rituals and proceedings.   Lucky for us, Holy Thursday was the day for our visit to Thessaloniki.  We saw many Epitaphios (the embroidered or iconographic cloth depicting Christ after his removal from the cross).  A wooden canopy, decorated with flowers, carries the epitaphios in a solemn procession on Good Friday evening.  

Volos

After Thessaloniki we headed to Volos, a much smaller town with lots of history (of course).  Another visit to the archeological museum in Volos, and then a trip to the nearby village of Milies.  

Milies means “apple trees” in Greek, and the region produces beautiful, tasty apples, along with flowers and many other crops. 

Milies is one of 24 small towns on the Pelion Peninsula in the Thessaly region of central Greece.  These small old towns are hidden high in the hills, because it did not make sense to live on the coast in the days when pirates were attacking coastal cities.

The Church of the Holy Archangels, a Greek Orthodox church, is located in Milies.  It is very small but the interior is ornately decorated with many frescoes. 

There is a beautiful entry to the church where candles may be lit for special offerings. When we visited the church on Good Friday, the church had another Epitaphios on display. Holy Week is a special time to be in Greece and learn about the Greek Orthodox church.  This year is the first time in 1700 years that the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches will celebrate Easter on the same day. 

We plan to go to a Mass on Easter in Athens to be concelebrated by the ship’s chaplain. 

MAM & JFB