They say that there are a few places in the world which exude spirituality and energy , sending positive vibes to any visitor who comes near. Bali is thought to be one such place, as is Baalbeck in the Lebanon and the Greek island of Delos. Unfortunately due to lack of time, I didn’t set foot on Delos itself, but I did have the opportunity to contemplate the mystical island from a very short distance across the water, sitting for hours on the beach, in a restaurant in Ai Yianni in Mykonos.
Delos has been a holy sanctuary since about 3000 BC, long before Greek mythology tells about Leto, who was chased by the jealous Hera and finally found refuge in Delos to give birth to the twin gods Apollo and Artemis. (The tiny island is full of incredible historical sites and monuments, like the famous Terrace of the Lions, dedicated to Apollo and dating from about 600 BC, the Temple of the Delians and the Hall of the Poseidoniasts, to mention but a few.) The island was a place of pilgrimage for the Ionians and continued to be a place of worship throughout the centuries. The only inhabitants today are the people looking after the holy sites and their families. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001 and nobody can stay over night or dock with a private boat without prior permission.
I had come to Mykonos as a stop over to my next destination, which was the island of Naxos and, for various reasons, was upset and nervous. I made my way to Ai Yianni and, believe it or not, as soon as I saw the two rounded mounds of Delos right across the water and settled myself in a lovely restaurant called The Hippie Fish, I calmed down and even started to make fun of myself and my supposed ‘problems’. They weren’t serious. It was much more important to contemplate the calm sea and to remember the history and mythology of the sacred Delos. Daily boats depart from Mykonos as well as Tinos and Naxos but I couldn’t get onto one.
The improvement of my state of mind was helped along by the Hippie Fish, which is located directly on the beach with outdoor tables and comfortable sofas, offering fantastic food to be enjoyed below a canopy of wines.
As the sun was setting, I was able to enjoy a rare silver sunset over the island of Delos and I could swear that I felt positive energy drifting across the water, putting things back into the right perspective. Next time, I’ll definitely pay Delos a visit and so should you if you get the chance.
Inka is German and used to be an international attorney with offices in London and Spain. Retired two years ago because I wanted to be a traveler and writer and now live between Didim, Turkey, and Miami with plenty of travel in between. Next destinations: Istanbul, New York and Petra, Jordan.
I have been to Delos many times and I don’t think you can truly contempate it’s full meaning — the sanctuary where Apollo was said to have been obrn — once one of the largest trade posts of slaves in the Aegean, until you have actually stepped foot there. You might have captured a ‘feeling for it from afar but that is a bit doubtful as you can’t really ‘see’ what is there from Mykonos — only the distant island. To really understand and ‘feel’ Delos you need to walk among the many temples and ruins that are there. this is an interseting piece of writing. But as a long-time travel writer, I believe you should really write what you know and have actually experienced. As someone who is very entrenched in the history of ancient Greece and who has lived there and visited there for many years, I urge you to actually go to these places and experience them before you write about them.
I just reread your story and yes, you did a really nice job of it. I see that what you wanted to do was ‘invoke’ the spirit of Delos. My point was, that to really do this you need to have at least once visited there. From the beach on Mykonos it would be impossible to tell what it is really like there. Hence, I suggested that it would be better to write what you know about having experienced Delos. A lot of people think they can write about a place just from reading about it but that’s a cop-out. I’m sure you’ll get over your bad experience on Mykonos and go back again (at a better time of year) and then you’ll get to Delos and see what I mean.