If I had a dollar (or a euro) for each church we saw on our travels through Greece, I may have been able to cover half of the cost of the entire trip! There were plenty in Athens, but when we visited the islands they were much more visible. Some were small; they were built to honor someone in the family, such as a loved one who died during war and conflict ~ but I imagine there were many different reasons for building these tiny memorial chapels. Our tour guide mentioned that many are built as a private family chapel, or are churches that honor the Saint of a local village. I also visited a few cathedrals, which were stunning.
I am not sure if our guide was correct in saying that this small church was one of the most photographed in Greece, but it is near plenty of restaurants.
This church (which is considerably bigger) is about 20 yards from the one pictured above. The cafe owners were cleaning up and preparing for the influx of tourists that would happen a couple of weeks from when we were there ~ so there were some that weren't open yet, including around half of the hotels.
Mykonos....
It's easy to get turned around, wondering where you are ~ but eventually you catch a glimpse of the sea and you're back on track.
Note the date on the door of this church (1816). The inscription, color and door columns caught my eye.
Mykonos is so picturesque!
The Mykonos windmills were primarily used from the 16th century until the mid-20th century. They
were built by the Venetians and were strategically positioned to
harness the strong northern winds to grind grains like wheat and barley. The
windmills played a vital role in the island's economy, particularly in
the 17th-19th centuries, by producing flour for both local consumption
and trade. While
still standing and serving as iconic landmarks, the windmills ceased
their operational use with the advent of modern technology and the
decline of traditional grain milling. **I wish there had been one that had it's sails intact so we could view them turning!
Colorful little Venice. Later, there were 4 girls practicing their cheerleading skills right on this beach ~ in their bikinis of course! It was really chilly too.
I have been playing around with Copilot ~ a new app on my iphone. Hmmm, it made me look younger and skinnier! I like it!
As Dave and Ruth are heading up the path, I had to stop and take a photo of this little shop called Happiness. My own was thwarted, as it was closed. 😊. Ruth and Dave were very kind to the solo travelers like me, and often invited us to dinner, drinks, and a wine tasting.
The hotel in Mykonos was one of my favorites, and this was the view from the balconey.
Our tour guide, Michael took us to the Lighthouse point to take these gorgeous photos of the sunset. It was extremely windy and cold, so as we were waiting for that magic moment, we huddled on the side of the old lighthouse out of the wind.
And this seems a good place to stop for now!
No, I did not post every photo. There are too many!
Love, 365
