Delos and Beaches

We were separated today as Janie and J. R. headed off the island of Delos while Becca took a boat tour to a couple of Mykonos beaches. She was disappointed in her excursion, however, as she only got a few minutes at one of the beaches and didn't even get to the other because of the time they gave. But she did get to swim in the Aegean Sea, which is something she wanted to do. J. R. and Janie's excursion was just okay. The group was too large for a single guide and she would walk off down a crowded path and we would lose contact with the headsets. Mykonos was another tender port, so we had to wait in the theater until our group was called and then we split off for our excursions.

To Delos

After arriving at the dock and meeting our guide, we were ushered onto a public ferry for our voyage to Delos. We found some seats in the back of the ferry and settled in on the ride to Delos.

Agora of the Competaliasts

One of the main markets is an open square directly abutting the Sacred Harbour, paved with large flat stones, many of which have post-holes for tents. On the north side lies the Portico of Philip and a small Ionic temple dedicated to Hermes, the god of commerce, while shops and workshops flank the market along the east and south sides. At the centre of the square stand the foundations of two marble monuments dedicated to Hermes. Around them, bases of monuments erected by bankers, ships' pilots and merchants are to be seen. The whole complex is dated to the last quarter of the 2nd century BCE

House of Cleopatra

The House of Cleopatra is not named for the famous Egyptian Queen, but rather this ruined villa contains headless statues of its former owners, a rich Athenian couple called Cleopatra and Dioscurides, along with some Doric columns.

Houses of Delos

We continued on down the path to the House of Dionysus with its exceptional mosaic representing Dionysos riding a panther, The House of the Dolphins, the home of a rich Phoenician merchant, the House of the Hermae and other houses.

Theater of Delos

Construction on the Theatre began shortly after 314 BCE and was completed 70 years later. The koilon (cavea), the audience area, was supported by a sturdy marble retaining wall. It is divided into two sections, upper and lower, of 26 and 17 tiers, respectively, with a seating capacity of approximately 6,500 spectators.

Temples

We walked back down past the houses towards the temples of Delos, including those dedicated to Apollo and Isis. The Temple of the Delians is a peripteral temple in the Doric order, with 6 columns on each short side and 13 columns along each length.

Stoa of Antigonus

The stoa was built around 250 BCE. On the Doric entablature, triglyphs alternate with embossed heads of bulls. The statue of Gaius Villiinou proconsul of the Romans gives an idea of the height of the gallery and how the sanctuary would look like with the hundreds of dedicative statues.

Dodekatheon

Dating from the 3rd century BC, this small temple was dedicated to the 12 principal gods of the Greek pantheon. Statuary from the temple is housed in the museum of Delos.

Agora of the Italians

The Agora of the Italians, with a size of some 6,000 square meters, is situated prominently in the center of Delos, between the sanctuary of Apollo and the Sacred Lake. The design of the Agora centers on a vast courtyard with four double-storied porticos.

Agora of the Italians

The statues of the lions were dedicated to the Sanctuary of Apollo at the end of the 7th century BCE and stood as guardians of the Sacred Lake and the Sanctuary. Only four of the lions remain. The ones at the terrace are replicas as the original marble ones are sheltered inside the Archaeological Museum of Delos. In 1716, one of the lions was taken by Venetians because it reminded them of the lion of Saint Mark.

Back to Mykonos

We were given a little free time but it was a long walk back to the ferry at the Sacred Lake so we started walking back and took the ferry back to the port of Mykonos where we boarded a bus.

Driving the Island

Our guide gave us some information about Mykonos as we made our way across the island to our next stop.

Panagia Tourliani

We arrived next at Panagia Tourliani in Ano Mera. The monastary was built in 1542 and restored in 1767. The building's architecture is quite impressive, with a whitewashed exterior and a colored dome. A beautiful marble fountain lies in the yard outside the church. In the interior, is an impressive wooden altar screen made in 1775 by Florentine artists. Icons of the apostles and saints, as well as scenes from the New Testament, are depicted. The rood screen is decorated with green, red, and golden flowers. The hanging incense holders feature silver dragons with red eggs in their mouths.

Lunch

We stopped for lunch at Vangelis Tavern, where we were treated to a traditional Greek lunch as well as an exhibit of Greek dancing by two of the staff members. Lunch took quite a while and by the time we returned to the dock, we were tired and decided not to continue the walking tour of Mykonos but instead take a tender back to the ship.

Martini Flight

We treated Rebecca to a martini flight of her choosing and she selected primarily dessert martinis, to the amusement of the bar staff. She got a front row seat as they poured her flight and we all enjoyed the mini martinis.

Martini Flight

We treated Rebecca to a martini flight of her choosing and she selected primarily dessert martinis, to the amusement of the bar staff. She got a front row seat as they poured her flight and we all enjoyed the mini martinis.

Broken Strings

The production cast took the stage tonight for their production of Broken Strings. As always their performances were top notch and we had a great time seeing the singers and dancers perform. After dinner, we had planned to head to the dance party on deck but the ladies were tired and J. R. did not want to go alone and then wake them up, so we all headed to the room.

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