Fly from Athens over the Aegean and the deep azure of the sea and broken aqua
patches that surround the hundreds of jewels of Greek islands will delight you. You will
feel the energy of the Ancients as you approach the Cyclades - birthplace
of the Gods and center of Western Civilization. In that small cluster of islands,
Mykonos is a many faceted diamond.
Bright whitewashed houses with blue doors and shutters; red-domed churches;
stone fences etched into the hillside; and narrow, twisting cobblestone streets laid
out like a maze to confuse pirates: Mykonos is ancient. Mykonos is also new: this is the island to which
the fashion industry's top designers and most beautiful models come to escape business and to play.Long before sunrise in Mykonos, fishermen load their nets into their kaikis and head out to sea - and by sunrise, the fresh catch is in the harbor market. The local farmers are also there with fresh produce on the stands and flowers displayed from baskets saddled to the backs of mules wreathed behind the ears with azaleas and trimmed out in colorful blankets and a jingle bell or two. Breakfast smells - fresh philo pastries filled with rich cream; hot feta cheese pies; spanokopita and the pungent smells of the Greek sausage and fresh calamari sizzling in olive oil and garlic, and the wake-up fragrance of steaming cappuccino or frappe - waft from the harbor tavernas.
Afternoons at Mykonos are, by comparison, quiet. Most tourists go to the beach or rest by hotel pools. The locals take their siesta before the evening's work. Afternoons are for reading and napping, for taking the sun on a rooftop, for dreaming.
For clubs along the water in Little Venice, the Sunset Cocktail Hour with its rounds of exotic drinks ushers in a night that will last far into the morning. And if evening falls to the sounds of soft jazz, pop, and bouzouki, night and darkness bring to the air the driving pulse of disco and techno-rhythm dance music. But not far from that crowd, and in a snugly nested Little Venice nook on the waterfront, the melodies of American show tunes and jazz standards weave their way into the night's mix too. You will find me there - at Montparnasse/The Piano Bar. Every night (seven nights a week) at ten o'clock The bar serves up live musical entertainment brought to the island by performers from across Europe and the United States.
In all, Montparnasse is a unique venue on a most inviting and simpatico island. I am enjoying life here. Come visit me and enjoy the show, the bar, and the island for yourself.
