Great day, glorious sunshine and blue sky and Mykonos a pretty, clean, arid island. Rode a few miles across the island along narrow streets with a view of the white stucco houses perched on herb-covered hillsides, to a charming cove where our kayaks awaited us. Jo and sons Nikko and Alexi our guides got us suited up, gave a short lesson and launched us on our way. These kayaks didnt seem as stable as those we have used in the past. A little daunting to feel it rock sideways with every stroke of our paddles. I set my mind on the expectation that we would end up capsized at least once but they had told us how to handle it so we just paddled forth. Water about 70 degrees would be cold but not frigid. Nancy paddling with Jo shot through the waves speedily. I was soon exhausted - miss that upper body strength I had long ago worked so hard to acquire. Its all gone since my illness and I hope to rebuild his winter. Meanwhile Ken has been working out and assured me he had no problem paddling for both of us. So I sat back and enjoyed the ride. Water a beautiful turquoise around us, some waves to slice through so not too easy a paddle, the sky wide blue and full of the sun overhead, hills off in the distance covered with herbs and donkey tracks lacing up the hillsides. Wed paddle a ways and sit and rest a bit in the sun then continue on our way till we arrived at a small beach where we landed. Clambered up the hillside to a white group of buildings with an attached personal church - all the buildings on Mykonos white by decree. Many families have their own churches adjoining their homes for family baptisms, marriages, funerals and burials (bones buried within the church). After snacking on plums we resumed our paddle around a headland to the next cove. Ventured out to rougher water with the more adventurous paddlers which Ken handled well. Back to land on a wide soft brown sandy beach. Over some rocks we found another cove for snorkeling or sunbathing capped by a restaurant overhead. Scrambling down the rocky path, I promptly spread my towel and fell asleep. Returning up and over the rocky hillside we found Kostos had arrived and strung up a tarp to make some shade and received our lunch and a lesson in how to prepare and eat it from Nikko. Thick bread made with olive oil, topped with thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh tzaziki made today by Kostos delicious with cucumber garlic and lots of dill, several kinds of Greek cheese, olives for Ken, grapes. It made a tasty lunch and then we spread out our towels and rested in the sun till time to climb into our kayaks again and make our way back. Easier paddling with waves instead of against them. The family who guided us made it wonderful as if we were honored guests of a Greek family. Kostos stopped on the way back and took more photos from a glorious viewpoint which will be emailed to us along with the tzaziki recipe. Returned to the ship and considered a trip into town for some final shopping in Greece but Ken wouldnt go and I decided I was exhausted. After another friendly dinner with G&N and fellow passengers, Ken and I scurried off to meet our fellow performers for our flash mob performance. Donned our costumes (torn tee shirts) makeup (Ken somehow looking great as a zombie), and waited in a side corridor for our cue. Then we lumbered in as zombies, assembled into our zombie chorus, and danced to Thriller which weve been industriously practicing over the past week. Lots of cheers and applause and laughter! Afterwards Ken and I hit the dance floor and enjoyed a ballroom dance or two in our zombie garb. We washed it off and raced to the theater to catch the juggling comedy act that had us delighting in silliness for almost an hour. Then to the casino where I spent a couple of hours steadily losing but persevering. Late to bed. Today at sea and just laying around. Tomorrow we will see the antiquities in the Naples Archeological museum and then return to Rome.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 12:09:42 +0000
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