Monday, September 28, 2015
We got up early this am, had a little breakfast before
walking to the pickup point for the boat cruise to three islands: Hydra, Poros
and Aegina. The pickup point was only a
short walk from our flat. It was pretty
quiet in town, still early, but once we got to the main road, it was
packed! Tons of traffic.
We arrived early at the marina.
One of the other cruise boats.
We had a short van ride to the marina and got right on our
cruise boat. It was a beautiful
morning! There was another boat leaving
within a few minutes of us. Beautiful
day for a boat ride. I sat up on top,
nice breeze perfect temperatures.
Beautiful early morning sunshine.
On the boat for the islands tour.
Nutmeg showing off his bling!
On the top deck of the boat.
windmills are being used for power.
Entering the port of the island of Hydra.
Our first stop was the island of Hydra. From the Lonely Planet, Greek Islands guide: Hydra (ee-dhr-ah; Υδρα) is truly the gem of
the Saronic Gulf and stands alone among Greek islands as the one free of
wheeled vehicles. No cars. No scooters. Just tiny marble-cobbled lanes,
donkeys, rocks and sea. Artists, musicians, actors and celebrities and travelers
have all been drawn to Hydra over the years. So in addition to the island’s
exquisitely preserved stone architecture, criss-crossing rural paths and clear,
deep waters, you can find a good cappuccino along the people-watching harbour.
No cars on the island. Donkeys and horses are used for transport of goods and tourists!
The mules and donkeys
are the main means of heavy transport and they, along with the rustic aspects
of life on the island, give Hydra its two faces: chic and earthy.
The boat cruise company offers tours: a walking tour of
hydra and a bus tour of Aegina. I signed
up for both. I was the only person that
did the walking tour! It was fun having
a private tour! We wandered through the
streets, in and out of shops, got some history, and admired architecture. Nice way to get a little more knowledge about
this beautiful little island.
The oldest bakery in town. They make a candy of almonds and rose water. Very tasty.
The buildings are centuries old. They can be restored and modernized, but not torn down or remodeled.
The veterinary office.
The vet's dog...
...and cat.
Produce and supplies are delivered on Mondays and Thursdays.
Kimisis Tis Theotokou
Housed in the peaceful
monastery complex on the harbour, the cathedral dates from the 17th century and
has a Tinian marble belltower. Its Ecclesiastical Museum contains a collection
of icons.
The clock tower in the center of town.
After the tour, I still had time to wander on my own, climb
the hill to get some beautiful views, take a few (or more!) photos and even
have a gelato!
Wheel barrows for hauling supplies.
What's for lunch?
Working on the boats.
The donkeys helping to work on the roads.
Met the gang back at the boat for our next leg of the
trip. Next stop: the island of Poros.
The Island of Poros
Again from Lonely Planet: Zippy Poros Town is a mishmash of charming ice cream–coloured houses that look out across the narrow channel at Galatas and the shapely mountains of the Peloponnese. Sailboats bob along the lengthy quay while ferries glide through the channel and smaller vessels scurry to and fro. Behind the harbour, plateies (squares) and tavernas hide from view and a rocky bluff rises steeply to a crowning clock tower.
Waiting for a snack at lunch. She got it.
This was just a lunch stop for us. We walked to a local tavern to enjoy a buffet
lunch. Then we had a short time to
wander the town before returning to the boat.
It was the afternoon rest time, so it was pretty quiet. Pretty little coastal town.
Water taxi.
Off to the last island of our tour: Aegina.
From Lonely Planet: Beyond its bustling port, Aegina (eh-yi-nah;
Αίγινα) has the seductive, easygoing character of a typical Greek island but
with the added bonus of more than its fair share of prestigious ancient sites. Unique
Aegina treats include a special, and delicious, pistachio nut, the splendid
5th-century Temple of Aphaia and the magical Byzantine ruins called Paleohora.
The bus tour gave us a nice overview of the island. But if you ever take the tour: get on the
left side of the bus! That side has 90%
of the views! Luckily we met a fun lady
on this trip, Janet, and she took some pictures that she shared with us. Thanks, Janet!
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| Two of the nuns from the monastary. |
Aegina was the leading
maritime power of the Saronic Gulf during the 7th century BC, when it grew
wealthy through trade and political ascendancy. The island made a major
contribution to the Greek victory over the Persian fleet at the Battle of
Salamis in 480 BC. Despite this solidarity with the Athenian state, the latter
invaded in 459 BC out of jealousy of Aegina’s wealth and status and of its
liaison with Sparta. Aegina never regained its glory, although in the early
19th century it played a bold part in the defeat of the Turks and was the
temporary capital of a partly liberated Greece from 1827 to 1829.
They grow pistachios on the island of Aegina. I bought several bags from street vendors. Fantastic! Sept is the harvest month. Will never tasted the same, buying them at home...
The beautiful monastery at the top of the island of Aegina.
The monastery of Agios Nektarios
(Text by Souzana Raphael)
A massive,
recently-built church sits up on a hill in the inland area known as Kontos on
Aegina island, just a few miles from the port. Built for the most recent Greek
Orthodox saint - Agios Nektarios - it is visited by large numbers of people
every year, many of them seeking help from this miracle-working saint, who died
in 1920.
The last bit of this tour was at a local taverna to have
some ouzo, a local drink. From the Webtender
website:
The classic Greek
drink Ouzo is made from a precise combination of pressed grapes and herbs and
berries including aniseed, licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel and hazelnut.
When mixing Ouzo with
water it will turn whitish and opaque. The reason is that the anise oil
dissolves and becomes invisible when mixed with a conventional alcohol content,
but as soon as the alcohol content is reduced, the essential oils transform
into white crystals, which you cannot see through.
I tried it all! Nutmeg really got into the ouzo!
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| Nutmeg with three glasses of Ouzo, a local liquor. It tastes like black licorice followed by very sweet flavor. It is a Greek favorite, served at many functions. |
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| Stacy and Nutmeg with our treats. Yep, I tried the Ouzo. Not bad! |
The little treat that I am holding is a fried anchovy. I actually tasted it. Tastes like tuna! LOL!
So I ate the little devil!
Back on the boat for the last leg of our trip. There was live music and dancing for
entertainment. It was fantastic! Then they invited guests to dance as
well. You know I jumped up and joined
in! What a fun way to end an excellent
trip!
On the final leg of the boat trip we were entertained by musicians performing traditional Greek music...
...and professional dancers. They were awesome!
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| The male dancers really do some aerobic moves, Up and down and lots of jumping. |
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| when the musicians invited folks up to dance... I was there! |
What a fun way to end the trip!
