Monday--Beach Day!

Monday was pretty much a free day and, while some folks went by ferry to another island--the tourist popular Mykonos--we went to the beach across the island. Jeshua had scoped out several choices and chatted with some local folks. We ended up directly across the island at Kini. You can see Hermoupolis on the east side and Kini on the west--note the curvy road in between! Less than five miles, but over and around the mountains. We took the local island bus which took us 20 minutes. I totally admire the skills of those bus drivers!

To start our day we walked the complete "u" of the harbor...our hotel was almost to the point of one side and the bus stop was almost to the point of the opposite side. We passed this gas station:

Of course the cost is in Euros ($1.20 to one euro) and the measurement is in liters.

I went into the gas station to get a diet coke (missing my DP) and saw actual chocolate candy bars!!! They just don't exist at all the little shops...too hot, I guess! They only had a few kinds, but oh the joy of Bounty--chocolate dipped coconut, when you haven't had any for a while!

The expanse of water across the harbor.

Once we arrived at Kini, the bus stopped right at the beach. Kini is a sleepy little town with a population of about 500. There were rows and rows of beach chairs under umbrellas and they were in sections by colors...turned out that each little cafe was in charge of a section and you could either rent the chair/umbrella for 3-7 euros or buy a drink/snack and use one for free. Jeshua and I promptly ordered frappes off the menu...which turned out to be an iced coffee with a sweet cream layer on top. Not what we had expected, but good! 

The view from my chair!

Looking to the left...

...and to the right.

It was a perfect day. The water was just right...saltier than the Pacific Ocean, so you bobbed right up if you laid back! (Phil said the bobbing was actually caused by all the gelato we had been eating, but I'm pretty sure it was the salinity😎)

Feet in the Aegean!

Jeshua and I split a pizza for our late lunch. Pizza was very different there, but the same basic ingredients--but, sadly, no pepperoni!

And the local kitty wandered by.

The 16 of us came over as a group, but could go back whenever...the buses ran about every hour and 15 min. Some of them went straight back across and some went on to other places first. By the time Jeshua and I were ready to leave, there were 7 of us left. Three went in for a last swim and came out of the water just in time for the bus only to discover that if you are wet, you can't ride the bus! So they ended up with another hour+ at the beach drying off!

This monument of the mermaid with the man is in memory of all those who have lost their lives at sea. Nice.

It was a great day, made perfect by having an air conditioned room and shower to go back to! And a bus to take up there, even if I did have to walk the whole waterfront to get back to it!