The name of the island refers to a “pile of rocks” or to a “rocky area”. However, later legends support that the island’s name is associated with the local hero Mykonos. Mykonos was the son of the King of Delos, Anios, who in turn was the son of Apollo and of the nymph Roious, descendant of Dionysus. The grandson of the Greek God Apollo Mykons, has a fancy island to his name. Mykonos is undoubtedly the queen of the Cyclades. The Cyclades are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name means ‘encircling islands’ and refers to the archipelago forming a circle around the sacred island of Delos. The largest island of the Cyclades is Naxos, however the most populated is Syros. All the islands of the Cyclades are reachable through the network of ferries and easily manoeuvred, over a distance in the sea. In fact some island hopping is essential while in Greece, to understand how the ancient Greeks would need to, and the modern tourist while in Greece will also have to look seaward! Mykonos is an island with the most vivid nightlife in Greece, but it also has astonishing beaches, a beautiful Chora and elegant shops, boutiques and restaurants. A speckle of an island, its architecture in all white and the lace of white paint frolicking on its granite floor all over its lay had my heart. The windmills, that were used to pound flour in its hey days, and the little Venice neighbourhood with bite-sized streets are utterly delightful and charming. Mykonos in its touch and feel is extremely classy. And everywhere I looked seemed like wanting for a picture, or even a ready sketch. The sunset at Little Venice with the windmills at the far sight and the wind running in my hair was an effervescent feeling. The prettiest island in Greece, has a rather youthful vibe to it. But more than its picture perfect ways was the fact that the extremely pretty parts are normally functioning schools, homes and people going about their daily lives, not just as a display for tourists. To live in such a picture perfect setting, children going to school was extremely quaint. Here the architecture is not lofty or aspirational, it just seemed so matter-of-fact, very effortless yet perfect.
The white buildings are dotted with blue door and window frames, though little Venice has some coloured elevations, the scale of the entire city respects the human proportion. Little Venice is also not made for the automobile and is extremely pedestrianised. Called Little Venice, it is replete with elegant and gorgeous old houses situated precariously on the edge of the land, much like in Venice and hence the name I suppose, it has a magnetic appeal. The whitewashed edifices against the backdrop of the azure Aegean Sea are simply marvelous! The air of nonchalance that prevails in Little Venice disarms even the most discerning of travellers. The casually calm and relaxed island displays no anxiety, interest, enthusiasm or worry even as the calm day converts into a bustling action-packed musical night. Though the island shuts down like most others for half of the year, the other half it is all sound and bustle! On the last day of the season I saw the cafes and restaurants playing fabulous music from non-visible speakers, yet the very next day, on the non-seasonal day, like the very next day, the very same places were closed for the year! A stark contrast, yet the white walls, with its blue windows remain and the children head over to school lthe very next morning!
The island is located between the islands of of Tinos, Syros, Paros, and Naxos. It is just 85.5 square kilometers (33.0 sq mi) and its highest point is 341 meters (1,119 feet). Across the island reaching the Southern part that boasts of the Paradise beach, one can drive through the hilly regions and see the actual terrain and buildings in the process of building. The architecture is plastered to not have a sharp edge into molded softness and that is so welcoming to the eyes. The detail of the softened edges adds a whole deal of character to the chunk of buildings set close to each other. Experiencing the buildings also brings out a charm of its own, as I walked in to dine at an Italian restaurant in the alleys. Due to its high tourist footfall, there is a vibe to the island that is classy, stylish and edgy in its own right. I for one loved traipsing through the narrow streets and could not stop walking, it just felt so wonderful to be walking all over, and when seated I could not stop sketching what I could see. Ofcourse while all of Greece was rather sketch-worthy, Nafplio, Galaxidi were artists paradises too, but Mykonos took the cake. Dotted within the homes, eateries, shops are churches again with the soft edges, the blue frames and the laced floor ways that are simply the best.
Again the best of the places cannot be easily described, they can only be felt and Mykonos, is a gem, for it does nothing spectacular, isnt trying to hard to impress, but its cozy, casual quality, its effervescence spirit and its beautiful beaches keeps it a top favourite! My legs would just not stop walking on the painted streets, and though its an island laced in history and mythology, after all Mykonos was supposedly where the battle between omnipotent Zeus and the fearful Titans took place, it is mentioned as the place where Hercules slew the Giants, as the Giants were invincible while they stayed in the protected area of Mount Olympus, Hercules managed to lure them out of there and kill them on Mykonos, it puts all its history behind with a crazy air of nonchalance few cities Greece or even in the world are able to do!
No one does it like Mykonos!
Vedasri Siddamsetty 