Mykonos

We are tendering today! In rough seas, strong north winds, and hot temperatures to the Cycladic island of Mykonos. A village with a labyrinth of small alleys.

With 5 cruise ships anchored, the town was quite crowded. The island has 10,000 residents, and in the summer there are up to 100,000 visitors on the island.

We drive a bit inland to the small village of Áno Merá, the old island capital. Here we visit the Orthodox monastery, stroll through the streets, and linger in the marketplace, which in the evening is used by the local residents as a meeting point for eating, drinking, and socializing. We would have liked to stay here longer.

We make a brief stop at the Kalafatis Bay and admire one of the beautiful sandy beaches.

The houses are uniformly painted in white. This is actually a law here.
Originally, in the 1950s, Mykonos was one of the poorest countries, and there were no doctors, etc., on the island. To protect against diseases like cholera, the houses were painted inside and out with lime, essentially washed, as lime disinfects.
The flat roofs everywhere served for rainwater collection, as it only rains in winter. This water was used for washing and cooking.
To this day, there is no drinking water on the island. It is purchased on the mainland.

Doors and windows... often in blue are a tradition because of the Greek flag. However, this is not a law. There are other beautiful vibrant colors, combined with the white and sunshine... delightful.
The countless small churches often belong to family homes.

We walk through the labyrinth of alleys and enjoy the colorful hustle and bustle.

The so-called Little Venice, built directly out of the water, used to be... during pirate times... a fortress, and the labyrinth of alleys, where pirates would get lost, protected the city from attacks.

The view of the famous 6 windmills is unfortunately blocked by a parking lot and parked cars. What a shame. But I think I managed to get a pretty good picture.