Hydra

On Friday some of us went to Hydra. It is a very small island in the Saronic Gulf south of Aegina. The best thing about Hydra is that no cars or (even better) motorbikes are allowed, with the exception of large delivery vehicles. This means that a) it is very peaceful and b) you don't take your life into your hands every time you cross a street! How do people get around? By donkey! You are greeted at the dock by a number of "donkey wranglers" who will charge you a certain fee (which, like the fee for the Sibylline books, seems to become increasingly more expensive for an even shorter distance as the day wears on...) to cart you, your luggage or both up the steep hills of Hydra Town. We were also greeted by Brian and Jonathon, who had spent the night before on Hydra. Their adventures must best be described by them.

Donkeys on Hydra

We walked. I felt a certain sympathy for the donkeys, and it reminded me of the scene from "Ghostbusters" when Rick Moranis tells the carriage horse to

"Wait for the sign.  Then all prisoners will be released."

The first walk we did was from Hydra Town up and around to a beach about a half-hour away where for 3euros one received the use of a Lovely Deck Chair and Umbrella. It was rather windy, with the sun wandering in and out of clouds. Joy and Jon jumped into the surf immediately. They were warned against venturing too far into the water by a "Sea Urchin Sighting"–they have nasty spines. A Lovely English Family of Mum, Daddeeee, and four proper little tykes wriggled nearby. Why is it that all of their sentences have the exact same cadence, including the upwards lilt at the end? Do all American sentences have the same cadence?

Some sunned, some slept, I read...it was very relaxing. Then most of us went to a nearby taverna and ordered some food. You could tell that they were used to tourists...We paraded into the kitchen to see what they had. The proprietor (Hmmm...rich Americans!!) wanted us to order lobster, showing us the largest lobster I've ever seen! But we opted for the cheaper, yet still tasty, treats from the ladera portion of the kitchen. It was fairly pricey, but the mussels in tomato sauce were huge and delicious.

Then we trotted back to Hydra Town and relaxed at a seaside cafe. The wind started to pick up and the clouds rolled in. A few drops of rain fell. Time passed slowly for someone unused to too much leisure.

After a while I got restless and decided to go on a hike. Brad came too. We climbed up as far as we could in the NW part of the island. Here we encountered some untouristy alleys including a cat-feeding area. Lots of local tavernas with no English menus (not open yet, of course, as it was only about 5 p.m.). Some interesting places to stay. How did the locals deal with the long climb everyday? How many of them owned their own donkeys? I bet their calf muscles are prodigious.

We climbed up this hill to where the houses stop.

We descended rather reluctantly back down into the busy portside streets and decided to watch the first game of the World Cup until it was time to board our ferry back to the Piraeus. I tried to surreptitiously feed a gang of very small cats who congregated under our table with the leftovers from my pasta con frutti di mare. My wine I did not share.

The ferry ride back was a bit rougher, but for someone used to the choppy waters of the Puget Sound it was a lulling rock-a-bye. The movie that they showed did surprise me somewhat, as it was a suspense film about a submarine in trouble ("K-19, the Widow-maker")! Makes you wonder–do they show "Castaway" on Greek flights??