…………………On another trip to Greece Jac and I stopped in Athens to visit Elena, Angelo and Yanni. After three days we took the ferry, approximately two hours from Athens to HYDRA. An interesting thing about the Greek islands is that the topography and vegetation is very different from island to island. Hydra has many hills that the homes are built on, and there are lots of trees. There are also ZERO cars, so people either walk, take their donkey or their boats to get around.. We stayed in a very old stone house/hotel that had a beautiful court yard where breakfast was served. There aren’t fabulous beaches on Hydra and people lay their towels on the large flat rocks to take the sun and swim. Unfortunately, when we were there for two days of the six days….there was a very rare tide that brought in masses of Medusas…….jelly fish with stinging tentacles! There was a small group of Swedes who were on the rocks near us, and they dove right into the water through the many layers of Medusas! They seemed to come out of the water unscathed, but Jac and I weren’t as brave or maybe as stupid…..The jelly fish disappeared as quickly as they came…..One beautiful balmy evening, after dinner, we took a walk. In the distance we could hear beautiful classical music. We followed the sound to a cliff side bar. We sat at the furthest table, and ordered Ouzo…..a Greek drink that tastes like licorice, and watched the sun set……..We were a little surprised how empty the bar was, but we were happy to have it to ourselves…….After a few drinks of Ouzo, and after the sun had set, we left and started walking to the town that was on the water……..In the square it looked like the whole town turned out?! What was going on???? Then we noticed a large TV, and everyone was sitting riveted to what was happening. Soon we could hear wild cheering….I had to find out what was happening!!!??? I asked the waiter and he explained that they were watching the WORLD CUP SOCCER MATCH between Greece and another country, but I can’t remember which country…….I do remember that Greece won and all were celebrating………From a lovely quite evening sipping Ouzo and watching the setting sun to this madness it was an evening to remember.
Love this picture of you and Jac ❤️
I’ve visited Hydra twice, Louis. It is located close to Spetses, where my family has a home, and we visited Hydra on a day trip from the home isle. Was I ever surprised by the beaches that were all pebbles! They made the walk to the water painful, but they also helped (I am guessing) clarify the surrounding waters. It is a lovely island that is part of the trio of Aegina-Poros-Hydra, which are often visited by tourists. When I last visited Spetses (decades ago), there were no automobiles on the island. You walked or took one of those lovely horse-drawn carriages. There were a few donkeys about, too. A memory that is indelible is the mingled fragrance of jasmine and donkey poo. Yes, that was my memory of walking at night on Spetses.
I’m traveling places in the world I would never experience otherwise through your wonderful pictures and descriptions !
Thank you so much !