Delos and Mykonos Islands
During the early morning hours, Panorama made her way east towards our morning destination of the small island of Delos, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. The island of Delos always raises astonishment when one compares its size to its extraordinary history. It is 5km long and 1,300 meters wide and, as the birthplace of Apollo the sun god and his sister Artemis, goddess of animals and the hunt, for the ancient Greeks it was the most sacred of places.
Delos is situated in the heart of the Aegean. It is in the center of the Cyclades that form a dance circle around it; “hearth of the islands” Callimachus (3rd century BC) calls it, i.e. shrine and center of the islands. It was founded as a sacred place of worship in about 1000BC, and became a pilgrimage destination and was the center of worship in the Cyclades by 700BC. It is estimated that at the beginning of the 1st century BC, some 30,000 people were living on this little island, and it is estimated that over 750,000 tons of merchandise were moved through its port in one year.
The prosperity of the island and the friendly relations with the Romans were what caused its fall and destruction. Delos was attacked and looted twice; once in 88 BC, by Mithridates, the King of Pontus, an enemy of the Romans, and later in 69 BC by the pirates of Athenodorus an ally of Mithridates. Since then the island was gradually abandoned and fell rapidly into decline.
The excavations that started in 1872 and continue to present day have unearthed the Sanctuary and a good part of the cosmopolitan Hellenistic town.
We were offered the option to join either Sophia or Effie for a full guided tour of the site making our way from the Sacred Way through the Commercial Ports, the Agora of the Competaliasts, the Stoa of Philip V continuing through the commercial area of the island community heading towards the Lions of Naxians and then walking past the museum that holds much of the original artwork found on Delos, heading towards the residential parts of the island.
Our guides Sophia and Effie took a short break in a café near the museum for refreshments and a much-needed rest in the shade, before entering what was the residential area of Delos. Once back on the trail, we entered narrow alleyways, houses with intact stucco and frescoes, a very old olive press, a finely engineered storage system for catching rain water and piping it through the homes were just a few of the comforts provided to a very large community of merchants and their families who made their home on the island of Delos.
Our walking tour ended in the open-air theater where our imaginations were carried away on the stories of our guides. We could easily imagine thousands of people enjoying performances in the theater quarter, which is one of the oldest sections of Delos. We had been ashore for three hours, the time flying by as we learned what life was like here more than 3,000 years ago.
All too soon it was time to return to our local tender, which waited in the main harbor ready to ferry everyone back to the Panorama to continue our Mediterranean cruise. Back on board, it was time for lunch and further announcements for the remainder of our day.
Our first stop this afternoon was a swim stop just near the Rinia Island. Once the swim platform was ready and lifeguards on duty, the very large, warm and brilliantly blue swimming pool was opened. The next two hours brought 28 people went to the back of Panorama for a quick swim in the Aegean Sea. Warm water, blue skies, and a light breeze – all the components that brought smiles to many a swimmer’s face!
Once everyone was on board, the anchor was lifted and our ship made her way towards our afternoon destination of Mykonos Island. One of the more well known of the Cycladic Islands, Mykonos offers small alleyways filled with shops, Greek Orthodox churches and a photograph around every corner. Our guides led a short walking tour of the Kastro or center of town and then we were free to enjoy some time to wander on our own. A little shopping was accomplished; many chose to stroll comfortably catching glimpses and images on our cameras of typical Cycladic architecture. A few of us found the perfect café or bar to pause and catch the sun as it sank towards the horizon, while we enjoyed a glass of wine or a perfectly made mojito with new or treasured old and dear friends.
