I am Giorgos Zoyganelis and in this web site you will find photographs taken by me and my wife Sofia, which I have processed with my computer.
The web site was the idea of my brother-in-law Markos Zoyganelis (http://www.mykon.net ) who has helped me with this project by his knowledge in web building.
Also my nephew Fanis always push me to rebuilt my site and to put new photos.
MYKONOS
What new can I write for this island?
I will try to write what I have heard and lived for the island where I was born. I'm no writer but will do my best.
Mykonos is located beside the famous Cycladian island of Delos and that is why it has become known. Only from Mykonos could anyone visited Delos and he was one of the reasons why he became so famous worldwide.
In early mythology, the first reference to Delos began with its appearance as a non-visible rock that floated aimlessly about the sea, formed when Asteria, sister of Leto, was turned into a rock following her pursuit by Zeus. He later pursued and impregnated Leto, resulting in an angry outburst by his wife, Hera, who connived with other gods to prevent Leto from giving birth anywhere in the world and under the sun. And so Leto wandered, yet her time drew closer to the birth.
Zeus appealed to his brother, Poseidon, to help them find some place, somewhere in the sea where Leto could rest and eventually give birth to Zeus’ child. Poseidon then took the invisible floating rock called Adelos [the invisible] and anchored it to the sea with four columns of rock-hard diamond chains and then renamed it Delos [the visible]. Leto promised to Delos that she would make the island the richest in the realm if Delos would allow her to rest here and to give birth to her child, and that the child would never leave the rock. And so it was agreed, and Leto alighted to the Sacred Lake where one palm tree grew at its center. There, Leto, unaided, since Hera had forbidden Eileithuia to assist her, gave birth to twins; the first was Artemis, goddess of the hunt and virginity. Nine days later, she gave birth to Apollo, god of truth and light.
Delos was the religious and economic centre of ancient Greece and the geographic centre of the Cyclades. The excavations in the 19th century revealed the city of Delos, the theatres, the "lion avenue" and other archaeological discoveries. The prewar and first postwar visitors of Mykonos came in order that they could visit Delos. Charmed by the (then) virgin beauty of Mykonos and its residents, the early tourists expounded its unique attractions which has made it famous all over the world.
I wonder how it was then - Mykonos ?
Then they had a electrical generator only for the Hora (town) and for every house one lamp.
Then they fishermen fished for no profession, but to live their familial.
Then the children walked the summertime barefoot.
Then the kids swam in the St. Anna and the voices of their games, heard throughout the Hora as a concert sparrows.
Then we slept without closed door with key.
Then we spoke our dialect without shame.
Then they saw their greengrocers to sell on the donkey (which now tend to disappear) milk, potatoes, eggplants, green beans, and anything else that gave them a huge effort this barren land.
Then children played marbles, tig and were not locked in the house to watch television or play videogames.
Then they windmills with all their sails openly worked, grinding wheat or barley to make flour and . the whistling of wind through their antennas, the smell of flour and that miller, the sweetest person; how can I forget him - and all the others?
Then the porters, shoeless, who carried the supplies on their back. No reason for cars and motorbikes were few.
Then the boats came seldom because they travelled long distances and today they come in 2 hours with the speedboats. Then the arrival of boats was welcome for the Mykonos residents received news from their own their emigrants and new supplies for the island.
Then we did not have a harbour and an airport. Now we have two harbours, one for the ferries from Piraeus or Rafina and one for the cruise ships. Then we did not have doctors or hospitals and the women gave birth in their houses with the help of a midwife.
Mykonos is not the way it was, neither would it be expected to remain as it was before her tourist growth. Mykonos is not the virgin islet anymore; it is a place of destination for tourism of all purses; it has changed and has been upgraded, in order to it remain thus. Everything has changed and in order to make the tourists interested - Greeks and foreigners alike.
Mykonos today is a place of tourists from the all over the world and for different reasons. Some for their swimming, others for the amusement, others for Delos, others come just to be seen. Mykonos in the year 2005 was, for the Americans, the first choice for a vacation.
What will the tourist find today in Mykonos?
Firstly the beautiful beaches for swimming, from May to October. Platy Yialos, Paranga, Paradise ([Kalamopodi]), Super Paradise (Plintri), Agrari, Elia, Kalo Livadi, Kalafatis, Lia, Merhia, Fokos, Ftelia, Panoramas, Agios Sostis, Saint Stefanos, Ornos, Saint Yiannis are most popular.
The nightly amusement is loud and constant.
The town of Mykonos, with the traditional architecture, her white cubistic houses, her churches, her windmills, "Little Venice", has a number of museums - archaeological, folklore, and nautical, beautiful traditional festivals (panigyria), dedicated to the Saints of our religion, the Ano Mera community with her monastery, beautiful villages in the countryside.
and our pelicans that are always set up for photographing to everyone.
I wish she will remain beautiful, traditional for us the residents but also for all her visitors.
