The Theatre of Greece -5

Day 2 at Mykonos  |  October 2, 2015

M. Gautham Machaiah

After the late nights and early morning of the last few days, I decided to take it easy today. I woke up leisurely and had a late breakfast. This was my fourth day in Greece.

The breakfast was set in a restaurant on the first floor which was directly overlooking the scenic new port. It was a typical continental breakfast comprising eggs, bread, puffs, cake, fruits, sausages, cold cuts and the usual trappings.  

While I was serving myself, I found a lady struggling with the toaster. She gave up after a while and turned to me, "Can you please get the bread out?" She profusely thanked me as if I had done some great favour. An old lady on the next table dropped her walking stick and almost had a fall while trying to get out of her chair. I quickly rushed to her aid and she too was very thankful. My good deeds for the day were done.

There were no tours scheduled and I had the whole day to myself. Mykonos is spread across 85 Sq km and has only 10,000 inhabitants, most of them living in the main town which also goes by the name of the island. Once an important port, the economy of Mykonos suffered after the First World War, forcing many of its citizens to move to mainland Greece. Now, the local economy depends largely on tourism.

My agenda today was to get lost in the narrow lanes of Little Venice, in Mykonos town.  With my camera in hand I explored area where the little shops merged with white washed houses and quaint churches. My walk brought me to the iconic sixteenth century windmills which were in use until the middle of the twentieth century, to mill wheat. There are 16 such windmills spread across Mykonos.

Little Venice is said to be one the most romantic townships in Europe kissed by the blue waters of the Aegean Sea. You can spend hours together in one of the coffee shops or ‘tavernas’ watching the calm sea and the ferries making their sorties. This is a place where you can virtually forget yourself.

After a very enjoyable walk, I sat down for a cup of Greek cold coffee. Unlike the cold coffee that we normally have, the Greek coffee has a strong thick espresso like concoction at the bottom, something that I did not relish much. Then on, I stuck to Cappuccino and Cafe Latte. 

I then toyed with the idea of taking one of the many short trips to other islands, particularly the UNESCO protected Delos, but all boat tours ended at 11.30 am and I was late.

During my walk at Little Venice, I had noticed a hotelier accosting tourists to sample his authentic Greek food. I decided to give it a try. This time, I ordered the Lamb Kebab, which had a distinct Indian touch except that it was 'continentalised' by adding fries and a huge blob of cheese. I was simply beginning to love Greek cuisine. Kavos as the restaurant was called was perched on the beach with the sea waves gently hitting the seating area. It is a view that will remain etched in my mind forever.

Mykonos is famous for its beaches—there are dozens of them. I decided to mark my attendance at the most famous of them, Kalafatis, which a favourite among wind surfers. I came back in the same bus that took me there and then returned to my room.

I had planned to have a long nap, but Greece is such a beautiful country that it is impossible to confine yourself indoors for long. Soon, I was out with my camera. Today, I was keen to catch the famous Mykonos sunset.  I walked over to the new port which was just opposite my hotel and watched the sun merge with the sea. It was a beautiful sight as the yachts and boats berthed at the port were painted red.  The entire sky and the sea turned crimson and soon the sun was swallowed by the Mediterranean.

I checked my watch, it was 7.30 pm. It would now be 10 pm in India and it struck me that I had not yet called my mother.  This has almost become a ritual. For the past 15 years, ever since my father passed away, I have been calling my mother every single day wherever I am. I really find it strange when people say they do not find five minutes in a day to speak to their ageing parents. Parents do not expect anything from their children except a few kind words.

This reminds me of a story where an old man goes to a mobile repair shop complaining that his phone is not working. After thoroughly checking the instrument, the technician confirms there is nothing wrong with it. Refusing to believe the technician, the old man says, "There should be something wrong with the phone, because I have not received a single call from my son for days together" That is the sentiment parents have towards their children. Let us leave such children to their Karma. 

Another ritual I have been following is to visit my mother on her birthday on November 5. In the past 15 years, I missed her birthday only once as I was posted in Mumbai. There have been instances when I have skipped important meetings with top bosses to be in Coorg for mother's birthday. On at least two instances this could have cost me my job. But my philosophy has been, “You can get another job, but you cannot get another mother.”

Once I was done with my phone call, I found that Little Venice was beckoning me again. There is some magnetic attraction with Little Venice that you never get bored of the place. I was to leave for Santorini tomorrow and for one last time I walked through the narrow white washed streets admiring the Aegean Sea calmly lashing the town's walls.  The owner of Kavos where I had lunch recognised me and gave me a high-five. It was an emotional bye to the fabled town.

The night was still young and I decided to have dinner at the restaurant at Hotel Olia, where I was staying. Continuing my experiment with Greek cuisine, I asked for a plate of meat balls with basmati rice and some greens that I did not recognise. Honestly, I was not aware Greeks were rice eaters until now. The real treat was the dessert which was offered on the house—a cake made of only orange and butter—a fitting way to end my last night in Mykonos.