Mykonos: Dernière Danse

They couldn't feel sad about Mykonos being their last island stop for too long because sadness is banned in Mykonos.  All that is allowed on the island is drinking, eating, drinking while eating, going to the beach, drinking on the beach, eating and drinking some more, clubbing and drinking, sleeping minimally and then deciding where you will eat and drink and go to the beach and club the next day.  

Where they stayed: Hotel Tagoo, another win.  Hotel Tagoo was set up on a hill to the side of the old Mykonos Town, away from the busyness and with the most perfect view of the sunset.  The hotel put the three in the lap of luxury with a pool and a poolside bar.  It was owned by Yanni, a famous professional Greek dancer, and Anna, his Mississauga-born wife.  The pool side bar was run by Jimmy, Anna's cousin who traveled from Mississauga each summer to work there - not sure how he got such a lucky gig!  Anna and Yanni were the epitome of Greek hospitality, hosting a Greek night their first night in Mykonos, complete with food ... and... lessons... in traditional Greek dancing, from none other than the professional dancer himself.  Yanni brought a crew of guests poolside, Britt and Ash among them.  At one point they tried to escape but no such luck, onto the second dance.  Let's just say Britt did awesome.  Ask us to see the video... or ask Ash... Britt might not show you.  

What they ate and drank:  Anna's mama's tzaziki with bread and Anna's own twist on spinach pies with a secret ingredient.  They also tried two gyro places (neither rivaled #Foodbar of Santorini), pizza complete with a discussion with the pizza chef of how the Greeks will prevail through the economic crisis with the help of the God Apollo, and a delicious meal of pasta, salad, and dessert in a secret garden.  

What they did:  They checked out the famous windmills in extreme wind, finding out that they are just for show and don't actually turn, but look stoically down on the town.  They wandered the streets of Little Venice / the labyrinth, aptly named for the tiny winding streets and the fact that once you enter you will have no iea where you are until you find the water again or a pelican shows you the way.  You can even misplace 5 giant windmills.  They toured Delos at the recommendation of fellow travellers and the pizza chef, managing the 30 minute rocky ferry to see a mythical island.  Delos is said to be the birthplace of Apollo, raised from the sea for Leto to give birth after decades of being pregnant.  Greek mythology is weird.  Delos became a place where people would come to live from all nationalities and religions, finding ways to communicate and live peacefully with eachother.  Later it became one of the most important trading posts in the world, and home to much money, protected from pirates due to it's holy history.  They checked out Super Paradise beach, which truly was an experience of beauty with the clear turquoise waters and white sand.  The beach was owned or used by a club, which blared fun beats and amped up the party at 4:00 p.m. with dancing ladies.  They didn't get burnt in all the wrong places, they were at the wrong beach for that, although they did see some awkward burns and bum cheeks.  They finished off their experience in Mykonos with one of the most epic nights of their lives, when they went out and were adopted by a group of men from London, UK (originally from the states) who bought them drinks and took them dancing.  

Lessons learned:  You will enjoy your fancy hotel poolside more if you aren't confined to a lounge chair unable to move without spinning.  You know you're in trouble when you feel like you're on a boat... before you get on a boat.  Luckily the water was smooth as glass, despite their being an earthquake in Turkey and Greece that day!

Ritziest moment of their young adult lives:  Drinking veuve cliquot with strawberries bottle service on the side of the Mediterranean.  They wish they could show you a picture but they weren't of the mindset to remember photos right at that moment. They must have had too many strawberries.  

A few more questions for the last day in Athens:

1) Will Britt make it home without having to use the first aid kit?

2) Will JD be able to find the many souvenirs he is seeking in one day?

3) Will Ash get to see the changing of the guards before they leave Athens, or will the election in Greece be trouble?

Stay tuned!