We were scheduled to stop in Athens which I was very much looking forward to. But there was some kind of boat strike and the ship could not dock there. So Mykonos was added. I chose to go to Delos for my excursion and so glad I did. What a cool place! Delos is a UNESCO World Heritage site and considered the birthplace of Apollo, god of the sun, and his sister, Artemis, goddess of the moon whose father was Zeus. The island holds traces of civilizations from the 3rd century BC!!!

After 167 BC, it became the most important trade center and sea port of the Mediterranean. Delos was attacked twice and after 69BC was gradually abandoned. Excavations of the island began in 1872 and are still continuing today. Today, the entire island is an archeological site. We toured the island with a guide and tablets that when pointed to a ruin would give you a 3D rendering of what it probably looked like. Delos is fairly well preserved since it was uninhabited since the 7th century and due to its remote location. The only modern buildings on the island are the museum and a few small house for the workers.

Around 600 BC, the Naxios Lions were built to honor the god Apollo. The winds and sea spray required the lions to be moved to the museum while replicas were put in the original place. There were originally 9-to 12 lions on the “Terrace of the Lions”.

The mosaics and frescoes that remain are amazing!! So hard to believe that they have survived but they were probably buried under dirt and sand for centuries.

The building with the columns was actually a bank and there was a window that the people could go to to conduct their business.

Delos is really amazing. If you get the chance to go, take it!

I didn’t really get to see any of Mykonos but that is fine. Cool windmill house, tho.

I did find a take out spot for Gyros so I did treat myself to a real Greek Gyro!