Little Venice – christineswalkabout

Mykonos Old Town and Harbour, Windmill Row, and Little Venice

From Delphi I took the public coach bus to Athens, and then the metro to Piraeus which is Athen’s busy harbour and port which serves cruise ships, ferries, and container ships. I was delayed by almost two hours in getting to Piraeus as there was a road cycle race happening in Delphi, but I enjoyed my time waiting in the sun and speaking again with my U.K. friend as well as three young lads from northern Sweden who were travelling throughout Greece and the Balkans. When I did arrive in Piraeus, in the late afternoon, thunderstorms had built up yet again, bringing rain, so I spent most of my time in my small hotel room, except for two short outings to find an inexpensive dinner, and to walk around one of Piraeus’ two marinas that are filled with sailboats and very large and very fancy yachts. I had an early night, and woke before six in order to catch my Blue Star ferry to Mykonos. It was exciting to be boarding my first Greek ferry, to take me to my first Greek island! Here is my ship, the Blue Star Paros, and the view as we left Piraeus harbour at sunrise.

The six-hour voyage went smoothly, and more quickly than expected, as I chatted for a long time with three Greek teenagers from Corinth who were on a school trip to Syros. They were bright, curious, friendly, and keen to practice their excellent English, and they all had the most beautiful eyes! Hello to George, Melina, and Panagiotis (please forgive me if I have spelled your name wrong as I no longer have my note papers!).

My accommodation provider had warned me that buses were not yet running on Mykonos, so I was faced with either a four kilometre walk into town with my backpack, or having to pay around fifteen Euro for a taxi. But, luckily for me, the Sea Bus from the New Port to the Old Port in town was running, and for only two Euro I got a wonderful, mini sea cruise! As we sailed, I took photos of a large cruise ship, and several ferries (including the Paros), that were docked at the New Port.

Here are two views of our approach into beautiful Mykonos town, also known as Chora.

I headed off to find my accommodation, guided by google through a warren of small streets and alleyways, and I couldn’t resist taking a few photos en route.

My accommodation, at the Secret Garden Apartments, was wonderful!

I was warmly welcomed and I knew that I would love staying here. The photo on the right, of my little entrance way and sitting area, was the view out of my window!

The Secret Garden grounds were beautiful, peaceful, and inspiring!

After dropping off my things, I headed straight back out to happily get a little lost in the winding streets of Chora.

I loved the white Cycladic buildings with bright blue trim, the staircases, balconies, and painted walkways, and I passed so many churches and chapels. Chora has over ninety of them, and the small island of Mykonos reputedly has over six hundred! Most are family-owned, and were built in honour of a namesake saint, often to give thanks for the safe return of a loved one from the sea. I liked this chapel, where the rough stone of a connecting wall is left unpainted.

Some buildings (but very few) that I passed were in quite a state, but even they were oddly beautiful too.

I made my way to the Church of Panagia Paraportiani. It is actually a grouping of five small interconnected churches, the first of which was built in the early 13th century at the gate of a walled Venetian fortress which is now long gone. The unique structure gave the impression of being coated in a thick layer of bright white cake icing!

I then made my way to Windmill Row where six windmills are set on a low ridge by the sea. There are sixteen windmills in total on Mykonos, most of which were built by the Venetians in the 15th and 16th centuries to grind grain.

Across the small bay from Windmill Row is Little Venice, a series of Venetian-era buildings that now function as seaside hotels, bars, and restaurants.

The buildings are at the mercy of waves during days of particularly high tides and winds.

I walked across to Little Venice and turned for this view back to Windmill Row,

and then I ventured back into the labyrinth of alleyways, past small shops selling souvenirs, jewellery, art and clothing. There were cafes and tavernas, and luckily I came across an excellent bakery, Prozymi’s, which I visited more than once! Nearby was the harbour of the Old Port, and this is the Church of Saint Nicholas, the patron Saint of sailors and fishermen.

I walked out onto the adjacent pier for a closer look at these bright red fishing boats,

and over on the town’s waterfront promenade, people were strolling, dining at restaurants, and enjoying the sea view from conveniently-placed benches.

I returned to my accommodation, having planned to buy groceries at a nearby market, but it was closed unexpectedly so I was forced to dine at a casual and friendly eatery. Not a problem! I returned to my apartment, and as it neared sunset, I decided to walk the short trail that led from the Secret Garden down to the sea. And, just two minutes later, I was here!