Mykonos

Mykonos during the high season of summer is a destination for the young and restless singles of Europe. During the low season it’s just another relaxing Greek island with white painted buildings and narrow winding streets.

I stayed near the city center and explored the streets alone or with friends. It’s just before the season and there are a lot of people looking for work and places to stay. So about 70% of my conversations with others started with them asking me if I had found work. The assumption being that I was just another native English speaker looking for a lazy summer working on a Greek Island. Apparently they aren’t too strict about checking work visas. With so many of my new friends asking me to stay and the wonderful feeling of visiting this little spot of heaven, I admit to having more than a few thoughts of ".. hmm I could totally make this happen if I just handle one or two things." In fact, it would have been all too easy to stay.

I had a great time while I was there and really switched out of tourist mode and into vacation mode. It was a wonderful change. I stopped carrying my day pack and camera and just wondered about. Went down to Paradise beach and just laid out in the sun. I also found out that I love pebble beaches better than any other kind. The water was cold, but not as frigid as the Pacific. In the high season this beach would be jam packed with people. Beach towels juxtaposed along it’s entire length the beach would normally be bustling with people.. With just a hundred or so visitors it had a relaxed and unhurried feel.

The shopping to be done here is almost totally split between tourist b.s. and high-class. A few shops fall in between but not many.

While it would be interesting to see it during the high season the crush of the crowds would kill some of the authenticity of the place.

Thought now turn to Istanbul…or Constantinople if you prefer… OR if you’re a real old-timer Byzantium.
Crossroads of East and West, bottleneck of the trade routes, and capital to three distinct cultures in history.