The cobalt blue shutters of the hotels and small pensions 

are being cleaned and painted in anticipation of the blitz of tourists hotly anticipated to arrive on Mykonos. Canvas is being scrubbed and hung as shade against the pervasive Mediterranean sun. Pools are filling and lounges unfolded. Everywhere there is activity. It is already the first week of May and things are only now beginning to open for the expected charters and cruise ships. We remain on limited food menus in the restaurants and some of the more popular bars and nightspots open for an hour and then close again quickly. Sticking a cautious Greek toe in and testing the very cool waters.

We have been chumming around with Neil from London and Uwe from Austria the last couple of nights. As always, we are told by the owners and managers of the restaurants and bars that “it is still early, the season has just opened.” I get a feeling that they are trying to convince themselves that there will be a season. Not that there is any indication that there won’t be. The manager of our hotel tells us that everything was up and running in April last year. Our pool hasn’t even had the last bit of winter debris swept out from it. Maybe this is just the Greek way. Wait until the very last minute to get things done and then scramble 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get it all ready.

We have all agreed that this seems like the perfect time to be in Greece – warm sun (when there is some), cool evenings for walking, a lovely breeze from the ocean. If I was coming from North America for two weeks of balmy beach weather and glorious sun tans then perhaps I might not be so content with the weather and the lack of crowds and tourists. But I have already had my beach holiday after all.

We say goodbye to Greece tomorrow as we head to Turkey for 19 days. Our tour is an organized one and we will be spending those days with people that we hope will connect with.

We aren’t sure of what to expect in terms of internet availability while we are in Turkey so please bear with us.