Hydra

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I think I must have done something wrong. As I write this I am staring at the behinds of no fewer than five donkeys, forming a semi-circle around me. Perhaps they don't like tourists.

On Hydra there is no motorized transport, except for sanitation and construction vehicles. Instead donkeys, mules and human power everything that moves, and some things that don't. It's only a small part of the massive charms that this lovely little Saronic Gulf island offers.

Today I had few plans other than strolling through the town and along the seaside, having lunch and drinking Greek coffee. Luckily enough, the day was even more interesting than that and I managed to run into a group of five older American ex-pats having lunch at the same place I was going, who invited me to sit and eat rice and spinach with them. Turns out the host was celebrating the showing of some of his new sculptures. One couple in particular, who used to live in San Francisco, told me their life story: they sold their house in California and now travel through Europe in a van during most of the year, while they spend winter on this fabulous island. What a plan!

...

In the evening I ended up visiting the National Art Gallery, and although some the of exhibitions were closed and they wouldn't let me take any photos, there were at least six paintings that I found particularly interesting or just plain beautiful. I'm including their names in case anyone wants to look them up for future reference:

On the Terrace (Athenian Evening) by Iakovos Rizos
The Grandmother's Fairy-Tale by Nikolas Gysis
The Lighting of the Pipe by Symeon Savidis
The Booty by Theodores Rallis
Toilette by Georgious Jakobides
Flowers by Nikolas Gysis

Tomorrow morning I'll be visiting Athens's Islamic Art Museum in preparation for my early afternoon train to Istanbul.

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Photos

Hellinic Seaways
My ferry to Hydra

Donkeys
Some of the donkeys waiting to meet the ferry and carry the baggage

Lunchtime
Lunch at Taverna Gitiniko

Comments

[Amanda]

I love the pic of you! You look so cute with that donkey. And you're meeting so many interesting people. I know you're having a blast! Thanks for the updates and the pics!