Saturday 8 July 2017

Greece is the word ... Part 2 Mykonos town

We took a couple of trips into town to have a mooch around followed by dinner as our lovely little part of the island was a tad remote. As I mentioned in my Part 1 blog, our hotel ran a free shuttle service to and from the town each day. Every night the bus would fill to capacity with the journey lasting just under half an hour.

For the return journey there was no real system. We just waited at the designated pick up area and when the bus arrived it was every man/woman for themselves. Of course there was no need for this chaos as there were always 2 or 3 buses going back and they would never leave you stranded, but I guess it's the survival instinct of the human species kicking in. What's the rush? You're on holiday - just R E L A X.

I'm so glad I've developed the art of patience.

http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/mykonos/mykonos-villages/mykonos-town.htmMykonos Town with it's iconic windmills sitting on the hill as the sun goes down. All and sundry flock to the town at night as there are numerous restaurants, bars and shops down all the little winding cobbled streets. They gather in the waterside bars, jostling for position, smart phones and camera's poised at the ready for a chance to capture images of the sun as it sets over the horizon.
 
I love to take photos like everyone else but sometimes it's just nice to sit back and view the changing light without looking through a lens. We watched our first sunset from Scarpa, a waterside bar in Little Venice rammed with beautiful people. Very hip and cool and renown for it's great cocktails. 

After our sunset drinks, we strolled a few minutes away for dinner at Kalita restaurant which was recommended by friends who visit the island every year. The food was very good, although one of our party sent her wine back as it wasn't quite right. They did however replace it with no fuss .. as they should.

Another recommendation was Funky Kitchen which we tried on a subsequent evening. The food was fabulous as were the cocktails. It happened to be the hottest day (37C) and the night wasn't much cooler - there wasn't a breath of air. The waiter came with the cocktail menu as we sat down and presented us all with a hand fan to cool off. A nice touch and very welcomed! I think the temperature cooled to 32C by the time we left!

It's unusual to eat early in Greece so it's always best to make reservations (although not essential) at most of the good restaurants as they fill up pretty quickly.

Massimo Listri and Marc Sijan
It's lovely to wander through the town browsing the shops and taking in the atmosphere. We were lucky enough to stumble across a wonderful little art gallery called Rarity. There were some fabulous works of art on display including Julian Opie, Massimo Listri and Hyperrealism sculptors Carole Feuerman and Marc Sijan amongst many others. If you like art this gallery is certainly worth a visit.

Many of the major high end retail brands are here too catering to a slightly more affluent cliental. (The super yachts in the harbour are a bit of a give away.)
 
There are little chapels around almost every bend, beautifully maintained and quaint. I never thought to go in and have a look - maybe that wasn't an option as the doors always seemed to be closed. Maybe next time.

Mykonos Town really comes alive after dark with it's clubs and bars hubbub and music filling the air. It's a very vibrant, busy place. Seemingly it's not very user friendly everywhere for anyone with mobility issues so I do wonder how they would get on.


Up next .. Part 3 Agrari Beach



 

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