Upon arriving in Mykonos, we were met by the driver for Hotel Adonis, our home base for the next few days. He navigated the narrow winding streets with amazing acuity, dodging pedestrians, mopeds and other assorted small children and we found ourselves at a charming hotel above the town center, overlooking the ocean. Our rooms are clean and comfy, and as soon as we settled in, we made our way out again in search of lunch.
We found a beautiful sea front restaurant perched in a quiet corner right on the water beneath the famed Mykonian windmills, and had our first true Greek meal of Greek salad, tatzikis (a yummy yogurt bread spread), grilled veggies, grilled calamari and a small grilled fish that had unusually sharp and vicious looking front teeth. Weary from the past few days of travel, we headed back to the hotel for a Greek siesta and woke up refreshed 2 hours later, ready to explore town.
Wandering the cobblestone, pedestrian streets of Hora is truly a Greek island experience, as we twist through the narrow lanes, lined by whitewashed houses with bright blue shutters, leading to a deep blue ocean set against a perfect blue sky. We're in Greece! 
There was the hum of excitement in the air as the sun set, and the town readied itself for the Easter weekend. The festivities began at around 8 pm by the waterfront, where the promenade filled with locals and tourists alike, clutching long, thin candles. From the cathedral, a procession marched through the streets, led by the "tomb" of Christ, as everyone made their way outside into the darkness, blowing out their candles. It was somewhat of a somber tradition, as the joyful part of Easter woudln't happen until the next evening when Christ has risen. For dinner, we found ourselves at an adorable little Italian eatery tucked away on a quiet side street. Although we finished dinner at around 11pm, the streets were just beginning to fill up with party revelers. Techno music blasted from several bars and many of the chic boutiques were still open to customers. We observed the atmosphere with a few scoops of delicious homemade ice cream from a local gelateria and then headed home for the night.
This morning, we woke up bright and early for breakfast at 9 am, before heading down to the port to catch a short ferry ride to the small island of Delos, also known as the birthplace of Apollo. The island is rich in ancient Greek culture, and outlined ruins of the ancient city are part of the draw of this amazing archeological site. Because the place is considered one of the holiest sanctuaries for the Greeks, there are some strict rules to abide by, for instance, no visitors are allowed to stay overnight, and no one is allowed to be born, or to die on the island. I wonder how they enforce that. 
We wandered through the gravel pathways, overgrown with colorful wildflowers, as we passed ruins with labels such as, "House of Dionysus," "Sanctuary of Aphrodite," "Temple of Apollo," and a curious set of stone lions facing east in an eternal roar, greeting the rising of the sun each morning. 
The small museum on the island housed an interesting collection of headless bodies, bodiless heads, and other assorted artifacts collected from the island.
Famished upon our return to Mykonos, we wandered into a quaint part of town called "Little Venice" for the buildings that overhang the water, and each ordered a pork gyro which was so delicious that it made us giddy with happiness.
At 3 pm, once again, we wandered back to the hotel for our siesta, knowing well that it was going to be a late night. Dusk found us wandering around in town again, in search of a restaurant that still had reservations open for the Easter dinner, which was to be served at midnight. We found a spot at a spacious garden restaurant called Phillipi's, made the reservation, then wandered again in search of a snack to tie us over for the next 5 hours.
A few doors down around the corner, a small taverna caught our eye, mainly because when we peeked in, we saw mostly older Greek men sitting around the bar, laughing heartily and smoking cigarettes. Must be where the locals hang out! We stepped in and enjoyed a few small plates of fried mushrooms and garlic, Mykonian rusk (a grilled, crispy bread) with local cheese and fresh tomatoes drizzled in olive oil, and zuccinni balls, along with a carafe of a very drinkable house red wine. Satiated just enough, we decided to walk to the otherside of the waterfront where we had seen lights the night before, and after climbing a welcoming set of stairs up from the busy car road, we were greeted by the sight of a beauitful hotel with an amazing night view of the entire bay. The quiet serenity of the patio and the warm glow emanating from the windows of the luxurious white washed buildings surrounded us in a momentary cocoon of comfort as we observed the electricity of the town below from a bird's eye view. Every so often, the quiet was broken by the firecrackers being set off in anticipation of Easter midnight.
Easter in Mykonos is truly an amazing experience. On our way back to town, we picked up a few candles and followed the crowds to the cathedral, where we waited a full hour amidst the throngs, listening to the chants and liturgy of the clergy. At 10 minutes to midnight, a candle was lit, and the light was passed from the priest to a waiting child in front of him, and soon, the entire crowd was holding glowing flames, trying carefully not to drip wax on clothing or catch a stranger's hair on fire. At midnight, a boy rang the church bells and another boy threw confetti of flower petals from the bell tower, as the crowd made it's way to the surrounding restaurants for the much anticipated dinner of roasted lamb and other traditional foods.
Unlike other Easter meals I've had in the U.S. or in Europe, Greek Easter, or at least Mykonian Easter means party time. The quaint, quiet restaurant that we had booked our meal at just a few hours earlier was suddenly a thriving, throbbing night scene, blasting Shakira dance music into the streets. We sat down at our lovely little table and found a red dyed egg on our plates next to a sweet, spicy bread. Striving to pace ourselves for the ensuing 10 course meal, we nibbled gently, knowing full well that course #9 would be the roasted lamb. It was a fun and festive evening and I was amazed to see the small children at the table next to ours full of energy still, hours after they would normally be in bed. We left the restaurant at 3 am and rolled ourselves back to our hotel, bellies bloated and eyes tired from too much wine, too much sun, too much smoke and too much laughing. As I look at my clock now, I see that it is already 4:15am, (I didn't want to sleep on a full stomach) (althouh it doesn't seem to be bothering Jack at all). Alas, it is definitely time to rest this weary head. Happy Easter!
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