Editorial Director Ruthanne Terrero is attending Crystal Cruises’ Top-Producers Gala this week aboard the Crystal Serenity. She flew into Athens to board the ship, spent yesterday in Kusadasi, Turkey yesterday touring Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the city’s main bazaar. Today she’s reached Mykonos, Greece. Here is her report:
 |
| |
I’m sitting on the veranda of Cabin 9060 aboard the Crystal Serenity staring at Mykonos. We’re in port for just one day and this morning we took a shuttle bus to town. It is just beautifully quaint and filled with all-white buildings with azure-blue-painted doorways, cats that lounge in the sun and attractive and gentle people manning the many shops and cafes.
I’m not sure if it’s just a Monday morning thing, but we found the traffic in Mykonos to be surprisingly busy. Even though the streets are incredibly narrow and curvy, there are plenty of toy-sized vans and trucks to navigate them. We got used to getting out of the way of these tiny vehicles that essentially drive right up to you without your noticing them. By the time you do see them, they’re about to knock you over so you jump up onto the sidewalks in front of the quaint shops selling everything from souvenirs (think tee shirts and refrigerator magnets) to wonderfully white cotton shirts for men and women that would fit any jetsetter’s lifestyle. But oh, the exchange rate on the euro, makes nearly every discretionary purchase in Europe these days feel like a foolish indulgence.
 |
| |
Still, Mykonos is one of the most gorgeous places on Earth. Having the ability to walk through its tranquil streets and sunlit alleyways that occasionally get their share of dappled sunlight is one of my top treats of the year so far.
The beauty of this port of call is that the Serenity doesn’t leave until midnight, which means that, after a day of enjoying the ship’s amenities, as well as a little bit of computer time, we can head back into Mykonos to watch the sunset from one of the many oceanfront bars. Who knew it was so easy to set up shop in such a beautiful part of the world?
Tomorrow we’re at sea, headed to Albania. More to come, Internet connection allowing.