Mykonos and I go way back to my first trip to Greece.  It was the first island I ever visited so it remains the quintessential greek island to me, and to a whole lot of other people.

That first trip was over twenty years ago, and Mykonos is quite a bit busier now than it was back then, but some things never change:  the windmills, Paradise Beach, the gigantic Pelican at the port, and old fisherman sipping ouzo after a long night on the boat.

I think it’s a bit difficult to get a feel for Mykonos looking at the photos I’ve posted.

Mykonos is open all night, its beautiful people, its Dolce and Gabbana, its gay, its young, its designer, its nudist, its boutique, its gourmet, its dancing.  Mykonos is where you go to see and be seen.  Mykonos is where you go when you don’t have enough money for a hotel room–you’ll just stay up dancing all night and sleep on the ferry the next morning.

I took a day trip to Mykonos from Tinos, and heard more American English spoken there than on all the other islands combined.  The speakers were mostly young people in their twenties.  I’m glad Mykonos remains a sort of rite of passage for young people vacationing in Greece.  Its the place everyone should visit on their first trip.  Athens-Mykonos-Santorini, that’s the golden ticket for first trips.  Its our dream of Greece.  I’ll write a post on choosing islands, but the itinerary above should be engraved in stone for first time visitors.

I’ve posted  a lot from Tinos because I had a convenient Wifi connection.  When I planned my trip, lo those many months ago, I left time at the end to go back to whichever island was my favorite.  Today I leave for the island where I’ll spend the remainder of my time in Greece.    I feel like I’m going back to an exotic friend.

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