photos: Gerasimos Domenikos

"And you will go to Mykonos  With a vision of a gentle coast  And a sun to maybe dissipate  Shadows of the mess you made", sang some nice guys from Seattle, USA about this tiny princedom in the Aegean Sea. The Fleet Foxes write verses confirming their illusions, perhaps without having spent a single second in the "gentle coast" of Super Paradise, a famous for the rich and famous beach in Mykonos Island. Without yelling the notorious "Mykonooooooooos." Mykonos causes major contradictions. The most beautiful island of the Mediterranean Sea or a "hot" tourist destination? Is this what thankfully we are not, or is this what we wanted innermost to be? Allegations of some supposed celebrities or a worldwide promotion of the country icon? The picturesque cycladic island of Peter the pelican or a kind of tribal gathering of thunderous djs in Cavo Paradiso, a mega mykonian dance club? Contrasts of the island bring us face to face with a reality that is false and true together. Be involved with high society, have amazing fun without limits, a nonstop glamorous party where we would like to participate as long as we keep it secret between us. But in Mykonos nothing stays secret for long. Because what happens in Mykonos, spreads out beyond Mykonos. The drunk, the oily strong muscles, the traditional windmills, the luxurious brands, the Italians bon viveurs whistling on the scooters, the over bronzed bodies, the expensive jewelery, the super yachts, an Arab prince, some Russians tycoons, super stars, international football players, top models, greek pop idols, Greek TV celebrities, intellectuals not ashamed for their lavish way of life, clothes designers and their seamstresses, the retro, the beautiful, the extravagant, the disgusting, those who want from the others to watch them, those who think they are being watched, those who are watching them. Mykonos causes an attraction as location while "forcing" the regulars to imitate the attitude of the person next to them. And all this in a huge crowding, on a tiny rock, in the middle of the sea.