The following post was written by my friend and award-winning interior designer, author, curator, Maria Brito.
If anyone would have told me that I was going to fall for Mykonos the way I did this summer, I wouldn’t have believed it. After all, I had been there twice before. However, the first time I was too young to understand Mykonos the way I did this time; and the second time I was pregnant and suffering from horrid morning sickness. I guess the third time is always a charm.
To say that I left my heart in Greece is a sentence that falls short of how I felt after two glorious weeks in the so called “Island of the Winds.” I thought that two weeks weren’t enough to mingle with its upbeat people, experience more flaming sunsets, get lost staring at the intense shades of the Aegean blue waters, discover more secluded places, walk more aimlessly in labyrinthine stonewashed streets, or connect more deeply with local contemporary art.
Mykonos feels insular to the Greek crisis, but only on the surface. I spent many hours talking to the locals and to many (among the thousands) of Athenians who come to Mykonos from April to October to fill the much-needed and much coveted service spots in hotels, bars, restaurants and shops (that seem to never stop during the summer months).
Many of those people told me that they are very well aware that they may not have a job past October, that things are hard and that the Greek are going through a period of lessons and profound changes. Somehow, they didn’t seem sad or discouraged– they were really trying their best to make each and every visitor have the best time while on the Island. From my perspective, they definitely succeeded.
There is something so magical about Mykonos; I can’t even put it into words. The rocky topography that looks so arid is suddenly sprinkled with gorgeous white houses typical of Cycladian architecture; the turquoise crystalline waters that bathe sandy beaches; the long, warm, sunny days where nothing more than a bikini and a cover up are needed, the happiness of the people, the beauty of it all.
My hotel, the Grace Mykonos (with only 32 rooms), was a slice of heaven facing the beach of Agios Stefanos and a mere five minutes from town by car. Every staff member knew us by our names and we knew theirs. Never busy, never crowded, beautifully designed– this hotel was simply perfect. My kids are still asking me when are we going back!
The gorgeous beaches ranging from Ftelia (a very small one that turned out to be one of my absolute favorites, including the super cool restaurant-beach lounge Alemagou) to Elia (windy and fun) to Panormos (super boho chic) took my breath away time and again.
And then there is the recently opened contemporary art platform, Dio Horia, that combines exhibitions, residencies for artists, pop-up book shops and vibrant salons. The platform is a remarkable project by the brilliant and warm curator Marina Vranopolou (who also runs the acclaimed Deste Foundation in Hydra).
Dio Horia means both “two spaces” and “two villages,” which pretty much sums up what Dio Horia wants to accomplish: a permanent location in Mykonos town and a more itinerant perspective within. It includes artworks in other locations around the island and everything that is shown or presented needs to have a relationship to Mykonos.
From my angle, the day party (which for us started around 5 pm) was so much more fun than the night party (considering that the sunsets happened around 9:00 pm!). We went to Nammos which was too crowded, too trendy and too cool-for-school (the restaurant is superb, though), to Skorpios (simply designed with hammocks and wood furniture perfectly blended with the landscape) which was too relaxed for my taste, to Alemagou at Ftelia (during the day and at night) and to Astra in town which is the preferred nightclub of many of my friends.
It was Jackie O’ at Super Paradise that swept me off my feet. Perched on top of a hill facing one of Mykonos’ most famous (or infamous) beach, Jackie not only had the best music, but the nicest barmen, the chicest boutique, the most entertaining crowd and the most incredible views. They were always accompanied by golden, fiery sunsets, whose memory alone brings tears to my eyes.
Mykonos is intensely polarizing; and some people think of it as a repulsive, excessive and overindulgent spot insulated from true Greek history and culture. Others like me are stirred to the core and can’t get over the magnetic pull and intoxicating beauty of the place and its people. I just broke the globetrotter rule of never visiting the same place two years in a row. All I want is to be back in Mykonos whether it is tomorrow or a year from now.
