Palladium Hotel

Mykonos Memories

by Confucius

What are your endearing images of Mykonos without the windmills and pelicans? Is it the white buildings and blue paint? The reproductions of Greek antiquities in shop windows or the bust of a local hero overlooking the Aegean Sea? (See photo #2)
Maybe it's the beaches or a trendy restaurant right on the bay?
For me, Mykonos will always be the windmills and pelican as well as the Chinese restaurant with the wonderful sunset view. I just can't separate these icons from the island. Without them, Mykonos would just be another barren Greek island with nothing but nightlife to attract summer visitors. I knew I should have made this a travelogue instead. Oh well, here's a tip for the town of Mykonos.
Follow the Australian tour guide. I overheard his commentary and thought he did a great job of bringing the town to life. He knows the history of the island and is friends with lots of locals.
So if you hear his narration, sneak into the group and you'll be rewarded with great stories.
One of the local shopowners even came out with a basket of candy and gave everybody in the group, (including those lucky ones pretending to be part of the tour) free sweets.

One more interesting note about shops in Mykonos: the tattoo parlor "As I Am" is where several celebrities, including David Beckham, got their tattoos. (I didn't get one, in case you are wondering.)

Mykonos

by bettyburton

"Pelican's"

The story we were told was that Jackie O loved the island of Mykonos and gave them two Pelican's. The originals has passed on but they still have two of them. These birds are allowed to go anywhere, into shops, restaurants etc. They stay around the water and get well feed by the fisherman. They are quite used to people and you can get very close.

Mykonos in low season

by bangkokjim

"Mykonos in low season"

Mykonos is famous for parties, gay bars, tourist ships unloading parades of people and visions of beaches packed with sunbathers during the high season. I was lucky enough to discover this beautiful island during its down time when the island is about to go into hibernation. We were met at the port by a woman who offered accommodation in a nice room at her typical local style house ( whitewashed with blue window frames) overlooking a quiet courtyard in the old part of the island near the sea, conveniently walking distance from all the attractions, for a very cheap rate! We had our own small kitchenette, private bathroom with 24 hour hot water, and a small veranda which I liked sitting out on, enjoying the nice weather, fresh air and reading a book.
We were there, in my opinion, at the right time- experiencing what the island might have been like BEFORE mass tourism, materialism, mass promotion discovered Mykonos and made the island what it is during high season. Strolling freely down back alleys, no rush, no crowds, no pushy atmosphere, getting served straightaway in restaurants, going to quiet beaches, smelling fresh sea air instead of suntan lotion. People served with a smile and looked at you and not just your wallet.
Now that I had tried this experience in Mykonos, I will visit other islands around the world famous for its busy life which, when I visited then, was "turned off" by the atmosphere, and will re experience them once more under a different feeling.

"touristy pic of me at Parthenon"

"me at Parthenon"

I know this page was dedicated more or less to Mykonos, but I wanted to put in a few words and my pics about Parthenon. It is a major tourist trap with more of the world's faces and languages represented here than Greek is, but WELL WORTH the time and effort to climb and see it all!

DELOS, GLORY AND DEATH

by Orkaena

"COLUMNS"

My first time in Delos I've got the impression of being an intruder, a man that belongs to a different world.

"WATER"

The ancient fresh water source behind the stage of the amphitheater of Delos is calm and quiet, but sometimes the frogs sings and the feelings changes, the reverberation against those millenariy walls of stone change the tone and the loudness.
Magic?
Magic.

"THE PERFORMING"

I was seated in those banks of marble, the sculpting work is extraordinary, perfectly adjusted for a human being it fits perfectly with my modern ass.
After one hour I was convinced... the theater performing was suspended.

"THE DOOR"

The door of an ancient house. Nothing on one side, nothing on the opposite side. The door to nowhere.

"TRACES OF A HOME"

Thinking from my ignorance... well, I guess it was the home of someone. This walls and columns of stone keeps the voices, laughters and cries of generations. Then, they keep a deep secret, who knows about that?

"THE TEMPLE"

The ruins of a temple, the temple of a forgotten god. A very important lesson for us, because somethings never change.
Thousands of years from now someone will see the ruins our own "temples of our gods".
And here is The Question: Did it worth so much suffering for a stupidity?...

"THE BULL"

Lonely, outcroping from the marble, magnificent, silent, waiting for something happen, or for someone to break his solid chains...

"THE ETHERNAL FACT"

History changes, winner changes, values changes... power changes.
But something is ethernal: the blue sky observing us.