Delos, Greece

Growing up I spent years reading and studying greek mythology and am finally putting my childhood nerdiness to good use. In Greece I'm surrounded by these thrilling stories and the remains of the ancient civilization who created them. The island of Delos is told to be the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis (children of Zeus and Leto.) Pregnant Leto was driven from all other lands by Hera, Zeus's jealous wife. Leto found relief on this desolate little island which eventually became a thriving port housing a jaw dropping 25,000 people.

Today the island is the site of archeological excavations boasting the most important mythological, historical and archaeological significance in Greece. The island is easily accessible by boat from Mykonos Island, just make sure not to let yourself get trampled by the hoard of tourists rushing to get in line to buy tickets. Bring a hat, a shade umbrella, a misting fan, water, a bag of ice…I'm not kidding. As beautiful and fascinating as the ruins are, the blazing sun is merciless on the island and it will make you sweat like crazy!

The highest point on the island provides a panoramic view of Mykonos island and is also the home of many cairns, (piles of stones left by travelers.) These rock piles are often associated with Hermes, the god of travelers and thieves.

Mykonos, Greece

I came to Greece for a bit of an escape. Even though this is the shortest and simplest international trip I've done so far, I've never felt so unprepared. Thankfully I'm not alone in my travels. Justin from Justin Black Photography took care of all the planning and we've been doing a great job keeping each other alive and happy. He forgot spare batteries but brought a charger, I forgot a battery charger but remembered extra batteries...so it works out well!

The flight to Greece took us through Toronto and Athens before finally landing on the island of Mykonos 24 hours later. To the right is a map of the Cyclades Islands which are a gorgeous and popular vacation spot in Greece.

When I arrived in Mykonos I was so exhausted that I forgot my laptop and tablet on the little plane. The official at the airport counter leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and said in a heavy accent, "Oohhh, no computer huh? Well that's a problem for you isn't it?" Then came an explosion of hearty laughter as he pretended that my laptop was gone forever. Thankfully they rescued it and I was able to escape to the hotel for a nap.

The city was crowded with sunkissed young people and an overall lack of urgency hung in the air. The city had the vibe of a carefully manicured resort which was heavenly at sunrise but hell when giant cruise ships dumped thousands obnoxious tourists onto the beach and crowded maze of tiny streets. I spent hours getting lost in the city, walking up the mountains away from tourists and closer to local homes accented with chickens and bleating goats. The water shined bright blue and turquoise, an indication of the crystal clear wonderland underneath it's surface. I will save all of the Greece underwater photography for one big, watery blog, so keep a lookout for that soon! Until then, I hope you enjoy exploring the Mykonos sunrise, sunset and everything in between.

I don't normally review the hotels I stay in, but the Hotel Tagoo is too irresistable to not mention. The price was one of the lowest in Mykonos but they stil provided a beautiful breakfast and just look at it! The trick is it requires a 10-15 minute walk to get into town. The hill is steep but the workout was totally worth it.