Today, instead of Athens we are in Mykonos. Vic woke up feeling 100% but couldn't get clearance from quarantine until 1:00pm. So we are missing our tour to the island of Delos. According to Greek Mythology, Delos is the birthplace of Apollo, and people came from around the world to this ancient site to pay homage to the God of music, beauty and light. In the early 19th century, a dramatic excavation uncovered beautiful artifacts, mosaics, statues and buildings. We' were very disappointed we didn't get to see this. I guess we'll just have to come back to see this site.

Greece's most famous cosmopolitan island, a whitewashed paradise in the heart of the Cyclades, Mykonos, according to mythology, was formed from the petrified bodies of giants killed by Hercules. The island took its name from the grandson of Apollo, “Mykonos”.

We promptly left the ship at 1:00 pm, right after Vic got his release. We asked about getting a boat to the is,and of Delos but there were none. So, we just decided to wander through the narrow, flat stoned streets of whitewashed houses, and blue-domed churches. The layout of the village was originally designed to confuse pirates but we loved the winding corridors with lively shops and surprises at every turn. It was like a ghost town. Shops were closed, tavernas were closed, and there were very few people around. We found out that we were the last cruise ship of the season and many shop owners had left until the tourist season opens again. It was disappointing but it was nice to be able to wander around unimpeded by throngs of people.

The famous windmills, dating from the early 16th century are a landmark. They sit on a hilled peninsula, perfect for harnessing the wind, and were once used to refine grain. Only 5 1/2 of the several in this area still remain but serve as reminders of Mycenaean history. An old lady, with blinding white Nike sneakers, approached us asking for money to feed all the wild animals. She said that she uses most of her pension money to help feed all the wild animals on the island. We just ignored her as she made her case (after all she did have brand new expensive sneakers on). She persisted and kept imploring us to give her some money for the animals. Apparently, I have no heart! She announced this to anyone who would listen, with waving arms, as we just stood there perusing a map of the area.

On the west side of town where the town meets the sea is romantic "Little Venice". Quaint houses dot the shoreline. During the 16th and 17th centuries, pirating was common and this area was used for quick loading and unloading of goods. It was abandoned during this visit. The last time we were here it was all tavernas jam packed with people waiting for a table, including us.

Paraportiani Church is one of the most famous architectural structures in all of Greece. It dates back to the 15th century and is located just outside the city walls. It is actually a structure uniting 5 small churches into a unique Byzantine pattern. The conglomeration of whitewashed chapels apparently looks like a frosted wedding cake. After 2 hours of searching we never did find it. We kept asking people where it was and were sent in different directions every time.

Then it was back on the sea bus and onto the ship with our smuggled bottle of wine in time to get to happy hour and the nightly trivia game.