Tinos
Tinos was another one of those places where fate decided that we should be there. The only ferry at the time we needed to leave from Mykonos was going to Tinos and we knew virtually nothing about it other than than it was a holy pilgrimage place for Greeks and at the direct center of the Cyclades. When we got off the ferry it was very evident that this was Greek island for Greeks. Not one foreign tourist in sight, only Greek being spoken. There were no corny beach side tavernas, overpriced boutiques or tourist traps, just pure unadulterated and slightly more holy Greece.
From the moment you enter the port you can see the way up to Our Lady of Tinos, the famed church of miracles which houses a sacred icon (discovered by the Saint Pelagia and painted by Luke the Apostle) that has been the source of numerous miracles. A red carpet lines the way from the port up the hill to the church and pilgrims arrive daily and crawl on hands and knees up to the church to kiss this icon.
Inside the church is filled with with silver, gold and jeweled hanging sculptures called Tamata which represent different prayers, requests and gratitude offered to the miracle church. We attended the evening vespers there first thing after arriving and it is definitely a holy and spiritual place. All who enter form a line and to kiss the jewel encrusted icon and it is treated with the utmost reverence. I listened to the Greek chanting and kinda spaced out and next thing I knew I was communicating with my deceased grandmothers. They expressed their joy in Christina and I being married and before I knew it, I heard the recognizable voice of Christina's recently deceased Grandmother chiming in as if to not be left out. She comforted some personal doubts and also gave her blessings and then as I kind of snapped out of it, Christina gave me a wide eyed look and I knew she had also felt something. It definitely felt like some kind of vortex and powerful gate as we both had unique other worldly visions while being inside.
The island of Tinos itself is beautiful and we hiked quite a ways down the coast and found tiny hillside churches and deserted rocky beaches with clear crystal waters.
Panormos Beach
FOOD FACTS: the mineral-rich soil makes certain parts of Tinos incredibly fertile and known for its wild artichokes. Artichokes, both cultivated and wild have been consumed in Ancient Greece and used as medicine, first to treat digestive issues and later on to help with jaundice and liver conditions (drinking a tea made from boiled artichoke stems is said to be particularly beneficial for the liver).