Mykonos
October 28, 2019
We headed to Mykonos Island and tendered to a dock to board a ship to take us to our tour of the nearby island of Delos. It is a barren island devoid of resources, but was a religious center for ages, literally. It became known as the birthplace of the gods of the sun and of the moon, Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. The location between Greece and Turkey made it a financial and trade center. So the ruins on the island are of temples, shrines, monuments, and the homes of rich merchants.
Ruins of the theater
The lions face the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. These are copies. The originals (pictured later) are in the museum, out of the elements.
I won't recount the contorted myth of jealousy, etc., that led to the twins' birth on the island. Supposedly their mom held on to the one tree she found as they were born. A modern-day tree marks the spot.
This is the mosaic in the museum. I'm not sure which is the original and which is the copy.
The camera of the archaeologist Dimitrios Stravrapoulos. It was made in England in 1880 and used to shoot exteriors.
The original lions, now replaced by the models outside
Statue of Artemis killing a deer
After the tour we were taken back to Mykonos, docking near the Old Town. Crowds were gathered along the shore.
“No!”
October 28 is an important Greek holiday. In 1940 Mussolini issued an ultimatum to Greece for them to allow safe passage of Italian troops. The Greek dictator responded to the ambassador that this meant war. In the ambassador's words: "I replied that this could be avoided. He replied NO. I added that if the General Papagos... Metaxas interrupted me and said NO! I gave a deep bow, leaving with the deeper respect, this elder, who preferred to be sacrificed instead of enslaved." The day is still celebrated by Greeks around the world, using the Greek word "Οχι" which means, "No!" (and not that they are from Muskogee).
Torrey headed off to find the windmills, but I decided to stay and take pictures of folks getting ready for the parade. They are among my favorite pictures from the trip.
Rather than heading off and wandering around town to get by (and probably getting lost), I just walked down the parade route.
