Ydra (Hydra)
A full day has passed since we last spoke - I was sitting in the airport. I'm now sitting in the beautiful hotel Hydroussa on the island of Ydra!
The flight from Split to Athens was an hour late in departing - I panicked slightly wondering whether the person arranging my transfer from the airport would check the time of arrival, given that the instructions to find him were a little cryptic - 'exit 4 by P2 driving a grey polo 8448, he will wait for 30 minutes from landing time'. The reality was that exit 4 was only clear once I was outside the airport, and I could only see P2 by exit 3 and it was very dark with grey cars everywhere... I called the hotel - they called the driver - he found me. Sigh of relief, as Athens taxi drivers are notorious for ripping tourists off.
The hotel wasn't a hotel but a full suite in what used to be an office: kind of weird, in an odd industrial/commercial zone. There is obviously more money in accommodation.
The lady who met me in the 'office' reception area fretted about the bad traffic the next day and made sure that my ride to the port for the ferry picked me up at 8am. There was absolutely no traffic (given it was early on a Sunday morning) and I was at the port for the 10 am ferry with heaps of time for coffee.
I think I slept through most of the ferry ride - in any event I was quickly at Ydra, with my friend Maureen waving out to me. Lovely to see her again.
We sat over a couple of cocktails catching up, ate a delicious early meal and I was asleep by 10.
Today we walked to another beach - 40 mins each way, swam, ate more delicious food (I LOVE Greek food - although the Taramasalata had a dramatic effect on me which necessitated a stop at a cafe - seriously not good with seafood any more).
Maureen was leaving tomorrow for a flight back to Washington, but the hotel staff told her that all ferries and public transport are striking tomorrow, so she has had to leave this afternoon to make sure that she doesn't miss her flight.
So that's enough detail - let's talk about Ydra. This is a stunningly beautiful, quiet, unchanging place. Maureen stayed here for in the 1980s for two months (and returns most years) and says that it hasn't changed since then, when she was in her twenties, backpacking around for a year.
No renovation work can be undertaken unless it is replaced with the same facade. And keeping the good bits till last, there is no traffic, no vehicles except the ambulance which I spotted today, and the fire and rubbish trucks. Nothing. There are no real roads (no road signs which is limiting when trying to find the hotel I am supposed to be staying in for the next two nights) and incredible steep stairs no matter which way you go. When you get off the ferry (if you are flash or lazy or not strong) you pay to have your bags strapped onto a donkey. There are donkeys everywhere lugging bags, plastic bottles, anything that needs to be moved. And up they go up the stairs. I watched today as 4 suitcases were tethered onto one donkey, and off it went. I met a few coming down the steps as I wandered around taking photos. I guess the donkeys would rather not be doing this job, but what do I know. It makes for wonderful photos - I did try to get the donkey driver to smile, but no.
Most of the houses are painted what I'm going to call 'Greek White' and you will know exactly what I mean if you have been to any of the Greek Islands. The doors and windows (and potplants) are a delicious range of blues and greys, reds, soft lilacs and even yellow - all beautiful against the white with the sun shining down.
I took a whole bunch of photos and you are lucky enough to check them out. Oh, and there are cats everywhere, slinking around corners, fighting and sending pigeons on their way. There is a group of local Hydriots (do you like that word?) who have made it their business to look after the many cats - there is no vet on the island although there is a pet shop. The cats flourish in the summer with the many tourists who feed them but can starve in the winter, and often get very ill and die. They certainly are as much a feature as the donkeys. (Don't panic, I'm not crossing over and becoming a cat lover..).
You want a bit of juicy history? (ok I said that just to make you interested).
You can probably guess which superpowers have been here historically - yes, the Venetians and the Ottomans (they have been everywhere). Hydra (so called because of the natural water springs here) didn't want to join in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottomans in 1821, but eventually did so, knowing that its position as a maritime stronghold would disappear with the Ottomans gone.
In the 1960s Leonard Cohen lived here! It was here that he wrote Bird on a Wire and So Long Marianne (which was dedicated to the wife of Norwegian novelist Axel Jensen, with whom he had an affair while living right here). (Are you singing along with me now?)
I think I will dedicate this post to Leonard Cohen!
The flight from Split to Athens was an hour late in departing - I panicked slightly wondering whether the person arranging my transfer from the airport would check the time of arrival, given that the instructions to find him were a little cryptic - 'exit 4 by P2 driving a grey polo 8448, he will wait for 30 minutes from landing time'. The reality was that exit 4 was only clear once I was outside the airport, and I could only see P2 by exit 3 and it was very dark with grey cars everywhere... I called the hotel - they called the driver - he found me. Sigh of relief, as Athens taxi drivers are notorious for ripping tourists off.
The hotel wasn't a hotel but a full suite in what used to be an office: kind of weird, in an odd industrial/commercial zone. There is obviously more money in accommodation.
The lady who met me in the 'office' reception area fretted about the bad traffic the next day and made sure that my ride to the port for the ferry picked me up at 8am. There was absolutely no traffic (given it was early on a Sunday morning) and I was at the port for the 10 am ferry with heaps of time for coffee.
I think I slept through most of the ferry ride - in any event I was quickly at Ydra, with my friend Maureen waving out to me. Lovely to see her again.
We sat over a couple of cocktails catching up, ate a delicious early meal and I was asleep by 10.
Today we walked to another beach - 40 mins each way, swam, ate more delicious food (I LOVE Greek food - although the Taramasalata had a dramatic effect on me which necessitated a stop at a cafe - seriously not good with seafood any more).
Maureen was leaving tomorrow for a flight back to Washington, but the hotel staff told her that all ferries and public transport are striking tomorrow, so she has had to leave this afternoon to make sure that she doesn't miss her flight.
So that's enough detail - let's talk about Ydra. This is a stunningly beautiful, quiet, unchanging place. Maureen stayed here for in the 1980s for two months (and returns most years) and says that it hasn't changed since then, when she was in her twenties, backpacking around for a year.
No renovation work can be undertaken unless it is replaced with the same facade. And keeping the good bits till last, there is no traffic, no vehicles except the ambulance which I spotted today, and the fire and rubbish trucks. Nothing. There are no real roads (no road signs which is limiting when trying to find the hotel I am supposed to be staying in for the next two nights) and incredible steep stairs no matter which way you go. When you get off the ferry (if you are flash or lazy or not strong) you pay to have your bags strapped onto a donkey. There are donkeys everywhere lugging bags, plastic bottles, anything that needs to be moved. And up they go up the stairs. I watched today as 4 suitcases were tethered onto one donkey, and off it went. I met a few coming down the steps as I wandered around taking photos. I guess the donkeys would rather not be doing this job, but what do I know. It makes for wonderful photos - I did try to get the donkey driver to smile, but no.
Most of the houses are painted what I'm going to call 'Greek White' and you will know exactly what I mean if you have been to any of the Greek Islands. The doors and windows (and potplants) are a delicious range of blues and greys, reds, soft lilacs and even yellow - all beautiful against the white with the sun shining down.
I took a whole bunch of photos and you are lucky enough to check them out. Oh, and there are cats everywhere, slinking around corners, fighting and sending pigeons on their way. There is a group of local Hydriots (do you like that word?) who have made it their business to look after the many cats - there is no vet on the island although there is a pet shop. The cats flourish in the summer with the many tourists who feed them but can starve in the winter, and often get very ill and die. They certainly are as much a feature as the donkeys. (Don't panic, I'm not crossing over and becoming a cat lover..).
You want a bit of juicy history? (ok I said that just to make you interested).
You can probably guess which superpowers have been here historically - yes, the Venetians and the Ottomans (they have been everywhere). Hydra (so called because of the natural water springs here) didn't want to join in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottomans in 1821, but eventually did so, knowing that its position as a maritime stronghold would disappear with the Ottomans gone.
In the 1960s Leonard Cohen lived here! It was here that he wrote Bird on a Wire and So Long Marianne (which was dedicated to the wife of Norwegian novelist Axel Jensen, with whom he had an affair while living right here). (Are you singing along with me now?)
I think I will dedicate this post to Leonard Cohen!
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