Mykonos

Our first stop on the cruise is Mykonos from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Monday evening. The island is best known for its sandy beaches and nightlife, which is probably the reason for the late visit. Because of the short 5-hour stay, there is no optional excursions offered here leaving plenty of time to soak up the local culture.

Mykonos is one of the better known of the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean Sea that we will visit. They are known as Cyclades, or circle, because this group of islands “circles” the island of Delos where many ancient ruins are found.

The island is rocky and barren, but its main village Mykonos town (or Chora) is a shining example of a typical Cycladic village with its tangled white alleyways and cube-shaped houses. The narrow winding alleys were designed to defy the wind and ward off pirates. Everything here is blue and white - the sky, the sea, the houses, the windmills.

The harbor is one of the most photographed in the islands and its mascot Petros the Pelican stands perpetual guard near the quay.

Several museums can be found in Mykonos town. The Archaeological Museum (closed Mondays) houses many Roman and Hellenistic carvings. The Maritime Museum of the Aegean houses many model ships from Minoan to the 19th century.

The Folk Museum located in the Kastro, or Venetian castle, features many ancient and modern Mykonian textiles. Outside is the Vonis Windmill restored to full working order. It was one of the 30 windmills used by families all over the island to grind corn.

The most famous, and most photographed, church on the island is the Panagia Paraportiani in the Kastro. Built on medieval foundations it features four chapels on ground level with one above.

Lanes run down from the Kastro to Little Venice (officially known as Alefkandra) which is the artists’ quarters. The tall houses have painted balconies jutting out over the sea. Here is where many beach bars are located and the center for a lively nightlife.

Known for its famous beaches, many of them are to the south of Mykonos town requiring a ferry. And since many of them are nudist beaches, I guess it is best for us that they probably can’t be seen from town!

Lindos on the isle of Rhodes

Lindos, a small village on east coast of the island of Rhodes, is featured on one of the optional excursions offered by the cruise ship. The excursion takes you to both Old Town Rhodes and Lindos. In order for you to decide whether you want to spend the extra money on this excursion, it will help to know a little about what you might see. It is located about 55 km south of Rhodes town.

Lindos has been inhabited for some 5,000 years and features picturesque white houses, Crusader castle, and a dramatic acropolis overlooking the sea. As a National Historic Landmark, development is strictly controlled.

It is a tourist town and its narrow, winding cobbled streets can be crowded and quite warm in the summer. Traffic is banned so it retains much of its charm, and donkeys carry people up to the acropolis. Steep stone steps also gain access to the acropolis.

Rich sea captains built the traditional whitewashed houses between the 15th and 18th centuries which are noted for the distinctive carvings on the stonework, like ship’s cables or chains. They are built around choklakia pebble mosaic courtyards.

In the center of the village is the Byzantine church of the Panagia, complete with its graceful bell tower and pantiled domes. It was originally built in the 10th century as a basilica, but was rebuilt in 1489-90. It is noted for its beautiful 16th century frescoes.

On the road up to the acropolis is the Pantheon, a waxwork museum of characters in mythology, including gods and heroes. Also on this road are women who sell the famous Lindian lace.

The jewel of Lindos is the imposing acropolis perched on a sheer 410-foot precipice high above the village. Its highlight is the ruins of the Temple of Lindian Athena built in the 4th century BC with several columns still extant. The temple was one of the most sacred sites in the ancient world visited by Alexander the Great and supposedly by Helen of Troy and Herakles.

A relief of a trireme warship was carved into the rock at the base of the acropolis around 180 BC. In the 13th century, the Knights Hospitallers of St John fortified the city with massive battlements much higher than the original walls and built a castle during the period of the Crusades. The ruins of many structures built over the centuries top the acropolis.

It is believed that Lindos harbor was where St. Paul landed on his visit to Rhodes about 50 AD. St Paul's Bay is named after the monastery which still stands.

Some scenes from the well-known movie, The Guns of Navarone, were filmed here.

Getting Your Passport

You could travel to Europe without new clothes, guidebooks, or even a toothbrush, but there is no way you can even get on the plane without a passport! It is THE one essential that everyone must have.

If you already have a passport, then check the expiration date. It must be good for at least 6 months after our return. In other words, your expiration date must be AFTER December 2011. If not you will need to renew before departure. Adult passports are good for 10 years.

If you do not have a passport at all, then you need to start the process to obtain one. Whether you are getting a new one or renewing an old one…do not procrastinate, start now. Currently it takes at least 6 weeks to process a passport application.

NEW PASSPORT
Passports are obtained from the U.S. Department of State, but must be applied for locally in person at the district clerk’s office or post office. You will need a certified (stamped with a seal) copy of your birth certificate from the county where you were born. This can be obtained from the county clerk's office where you were born or the Vital Statistics Office in the state where you were born.

You must apply for your passport in person at the district clerk's office or post office. Go here to find the closest office. Check with your local offices for complete instructions. Here is a link to the district clerk’s office here in Ellis County, Texas to give you an idea.

You will need a completed passport application which is available online, 2 passport quality photos (from CVS, Walgreens, etc.), certified copy of your birth certificate, your social security card or number, your driver's license or another state issued photo ID, and the fees ($110 for the application and $25 for local processing fees here in Ellis County.) You can pay an extra fee to expedite the process, but save the money by starting early. (NOTE: New passport application forms will be available online Feb. 1, 2011. If you are going to submit your application AFTER Feb. 1, then you must use the new form.)

RENEW PASSPORT
Passports may be renewed by mail by sending your old passport, application, and fees following these directions provided by the State Dept.

Rhodes Old Town

The decision to purchase optionals on the island of Rhodes is, of course, your choice, but my friend who took this cruise did not recommend spending money on any of them. He said that the town of Rhodes offers so much that he preferred using the time to explore it on his own.

So I’m going to provide you with some of the highlights of Rhodes Town so you can make a more informed decision. Rhodes Town is divided into Rhodes Old Town and Rhodes New Town. The more picturesque and interesting parts appear to be in Old Town.

Occupied for over 2,400 years, The Knights of St. John arrived in 1309 and built their citadel over the ancient remains. The Knights medieval citadel, dominated by the towers of the Palace of the Grand Masters, forms the center of Old Town. New Town lies beyond the city walls.

Of the medieval walls’ 11 gates, Koskinou (St. John’s) gate has the best view of the city’s defenses. It leads into the Bourg quarter which has an impressive clock tower. The defensive walls date from 1330 and are 40 feet thick and 2.5 miles long.

The Palace of the Grand Masters is one of the highlights of Old Town. Built in the 14th century it features some priceless mosaics, including the famous Gorgon Medusa Chamber. The central courtyard is paved with geometric tiles.

The palace’s main gate is an imposing structure built with twin horseshoe-shaped towers with swallowtail turrets. The palace is also home to two permanent museum exhibits of Medieval Rhodes and Ancient Rhodes. It is open Tuesday through Sunday; we’ll be visiting on Wednesday.

One of Rhodes Old Town’s most famous sites is the medieval Street of Knights that leads from the harbor to the palace. Also called Odos Ippoton, it is lined with the Inns of the Tongues, or nationalities, of the Order of St. John. The inns were used as meeting places for the knights.

Founded in the 11th century by merchants from Amalfi, the Order of the Hopsitallers of the Knights of St. John guarded the Holy Sepulcher and tended Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem. When Jerusalem fell in 1291, they took refuge in Cyprus and then bought Rhodes in 1306.

A Grand Master was elected for life to govern the order which was divided into seven Tongues, or nationalities: France, Italy, England, Germany, Provence, Spain, and Auvergne. Each Tongue then protected an area of the city wall known as a Curtain.

Great pictures on this site! Here are a couple of videos to give you an idea of a walking tour of Rhodes Town. This video shows a lot of the inside of the Grand Palace.