Oct 29 – Mykonos and Delos

Today we took a boat trip from Mykonos to the ancient island of Delos, to see its remarkable collection of ruins. About 2,500 years ago, this largely barren island would have been the centre of the civilised world, and the most important port in Greece. As the mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, this was also one of the most sacred spots in Greece too.

Unfortunately, the last 2,000 years haven't been kind to the island, as most of its treasures and once-fabulous buildings have been sadly destroyed or stolen over time. However, there is just about enough remaining to hint at its former grandeur, and it makes a really interesting site to explore. We saw the remains of various huge temples, a large tumbled-down theatre and the ruined houses of the main town.

Our guides were excellent – Tracy took a liking to her young guide who was, appropriately enough, called Adonis. Jon attempted to bring her down to earth, by telling her that Adonis is just the Greek, for boring old Anthony.