Today is our fifth day on Mykonos and I feel bit like the Bill Murray character in the movie Groundhog Day. We've woken up each morning to the same reality: the Meltemi is still howling outside and we're still tied up in this ugly place they call a marina.

We've been tied up adjacent to and downwind from a gravel parking lot and I may need a snowblower to remove the layers of sand and dirt that have been accumulating on top of the boat. This is without question the worst marine facility we've been in since arriving in Greece 7 weeks ago. It's incomprehensible why a place as popular as Mykonos can't develop and sustain a proper marina. There is no electricity, only sporadic access to running water and no other facilities to speak of. Granted, the price is right -- it's free --- but really. This is yet another example of why it's hard to be optimistic about the future of the Greek economy. That's a topic I'll expand on in a future post.

Our plan was/is to leave this morning and spend 1 night on the island of Naxos before skipping next door to Paros tomorrow. My mother and step-father are arriving in Paros on Thursday and will be with us for 9 days. The wind was supposed to subside today but that hasn't materialized yet so we'll sit tight for a few more hours before making a final go/no-go decision for today. It's only a 25 mile downwind trip so it won't take long to get there.

These past several days have definitely been memorable. Rather than recap in narrative form, here's a list of the highs and lows from our time on Mykonos:

Highlights:
- Two VERY enjoyable evenings with our new friends from the Australian Navy (now retired) who tried valiantly to provide assistance as we moved Interlude to a more secure berth in 30-35 knot winds on our second day here. (See lowlights). Kudos to Charlie, Lyle, Jeff and Brenton for their efforts!
- Our day spent touring the island via rental car. Spectacular scenery, great beaches, an interesting monastery and, of course, a smattering of ancient ruins.
- Watching the new Batman movie under the stars at an outdoor theatre in town.
- Streaming the Packers season opener live on Tyler's computer from a taverna nearby. The game ended around 3am but they were kind enough to let us stay on their patio after they closed.
- An afternoon swim in the saltwater pool at a nearby hotel. The manager, Georges, was very kind in allowing us to use the facilities despite the fact that we weren't staying there.
- Tyler had a taste of the Mykonos nightlife with some friends he met on a neighboring boat back on Kythnos.
- Great intel on cruising and wintering over in Turkey from Ruth and Iain, Americans who spent the past 3 years living there.

Lowlights:
- Two hours of drama and angst while moving Interlude inside the marina on our second day here. We were in tight quarters with wind blowing us sideways and were unsuccessful at getting the anchor to bite on our first 4 attempts (not quite enough room to pay out the proper amount of scope). Despite the valiant efforts of the "Australian Navy", Interlude now has a few scars on her transom which will need to be repaired when we haul out for the winter.
- The incessant howling wind.
- A "near miss" as Chris slipped while stepping from Interlude onto the neighboring boat to get ashore. Our dingy is up on the davits so we can't deploy the passarelle. So we have to hop across two boats to reach shore, a tricky task given the surging and rolling motion of each. But thanks to Tyler's quick reaction, Chris remained dry and unharmed.

I'll post another update once we get to either Naxos or Paros.