After leaving Hydra, I returned to Athens by ferry and arrived back in Piraeus around 2pm. Athens has great public transportation so it was just a short metro ride to the city center and my AirBnB south east of the Acropolis near the Συγγρού - Φιχ (Sygrou-Fix) metro station. My AirBnB was a top floor unit on an 8 story building with a small studio of inside space and a whole lotta balcony.
Technically an Acropolis view, but a little bit of a stretch. From my bed, I could open the curtains just right to look out and see it without as much visual clutter and it made me happy.
Looking around the other side from the balcony near sunset. My school was a three minute walk in this direction.
There was a cute little church across the way.
By the way, the Greek song for this blog post is one that Paul found for me when we were trying to find some indie Greek music - Ταξίδι (Taxidi) by Marina Spanou. Taxidi means "journey" so it was pretty fitting to my current experience. Also, Marina is a really great singer/song writer - give her a listen.
After settling in, I decided to grab some groceries for the week, because I didn't really want to eat out for every meal. I went to a nearby store and grabbed a matcha latte on the way back. That evening I walked along the south side of the acropolis along Dionysiou Areopagitou and listened to some buskers before wandering up around the lower part of the Filopappou Hill.
My matcha latte from a Mexican-inspired restaurant/coffee shop.
Athens has lots of really cool pedestrian spaces up hills.
Heading around the Fillopapou Hill
Acropolis from the park.
From there, I was hungry so I stopped by a pedestrian street in Fix and went to a Cretan restaurant called Κουκάτσι (Koukatsi). I ordered some Cretan wine (μαρουβάς - marouvas) - the smallest size they had was 500 ml - and was recommended the special of the day, which was snail soup. I figured I'd pass this time and instead got some φάβα με απάκι και κρεμμύδι (fava with "apaki" and onions) and xorta Cretan calzone. Spoiler alert - I have a really different definitions of "calzone" than the folks on Crete. That said, the Fava was probably the best single thing I ate on the entire trip. Apaki is a smoked Cretan pork that's slightly vinegary and delicious.
Bread
Cretan "Calzones" - I took 2 of these as leftovers and ate them for a couple days.
The smallest amount of wine they would give me.
Fava with apaki - the star of the trip foodwise.
After dinner I was pretty tired so I headed back to the AirBnB - I'd only had two nights of sleep in Greece so far and jetlag was a killer this trip.
The next day (a Monday) was my first day of Greek school! You know, the main reason I came to Greece? It's easy to forget after a couple days on an island and with dreams of apaki and the acropolis in my mind. My class started at 10:00 am and I was up by around 7. The only downside of my AirBnB was that it got pretty bright in the morning so I was up with the sun most days. Before class I grabbed another matcha and a koulouri from a nearby coffee shop. There are as many coffee shops in Athens as there are grains of sand on a beach. It's always amazing to me how they all stay in business.
I won't speak too much about the classes in this travel blog - but just some high level info so you know (also so I remember) how I spent 2.5 hours/day plus an extra 2 or so hours a night on homework. I was hoping for a small group class to speak with other people around my level and to maybe make some friends. Unfortunately, while there were other students, some were more advanced and some less so I ended up having private lessons.
My instructor's name was Spiros - he is 27 years old, he's from Athens and he lives about 20 mins from the school with his girlfriend. He was super chill, very friendly and very patient. We spent some time on the first day discussing what my goals were - which were primarily to improve my speaking and listening skills. He then spent some time probing me to see how much Greek I knew. We spent about 1 hour of each 2.5 hour class just talking in a mix of Greek and English. I found this to be very fun and challenging. Spiros would jot down new words I was trying to communicate and we'd make a game of me trying to memorize them before the next class.
The rest of the time we did exercises with cards with verbs on one side and scenes on the other. I'd have to make sentences out of them. Throughout the week he introduced how to conjugate verbs in simple future and simple past. Simple future is required to form the infinitive, so I was pretty happy to be working on that because I really want to tell people things I need to do from time to time. The cards then became a game of conjugate this word and tell me a sentence about the verb in the future or in the past. I was pretty close to starting simple future with my tutor (Mary) so it seemed like a good next step.
Most days we'd get a little break mid-way through the lesson and Spiros would step out (to smoke - this is Greece after all). He invited me to hang out during the break on the second day and the rest of the time it just became a chat session for the two of us outside on topics from politics (bleh global situation) to where to get good pizza (apparently Mario and Luigi about 20 mins from the school) or what it's like living in our countries (good and bad, obviously, in both places). It was really interesting and I really enjoy chatting with people about the world...now more so than usual since I'm working towards Greek citizenship, learning more about Greece was helpful.
Vocab words for the day. Despite the smiley face, that eraser was absolutely useless. Also, Spiros always asked if he could "delete" the white board when he wanted to erase it. I didn't correct him until the last day b/c I thought it was cute/funny.
Verbs - can't "do" anything without them!
After class, I dropped my stuff off and took the metro up to Kifissia - a nice suburb of Athens to the north of town. I have never really seen a Greek suburb before so I was curious what it would be like. Spoiler: it didn't look that different than the city, it was still mostly multi-family housing with shopping and restaurants but there were more trees and plants in general.
Leafy Kifissia.
Nice housing - mostly all still multi-family.
While in Kifissia, I visited the National Museum of Natural History Goulandris (Εθνικό Μουσείο Φυσικής Ιστορίας Φουλανδρή). The museum was small with just a handful of exhibits on wildlife, minerals and climate change. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit as a tourist. Afterwards, I walked around a bit and did some window shopping before settling on Mexican food for a late lunch - mostly out of a morbid curiosity of what Greek people think that means - from Ancho Grill. This is probably the closest approximation to a Chipotle or Willy's I've seen abroad. I had a quesadilla and some guac and chips. After spending a few hours in Kifissia, I took the metro back to my AirBnB and did homework (a common theme).
Triceratops skeleton at the Natural History Museum.
There were lots of taxidermized animals.
An exhibit on Climate Change. At least now I know the word in Greek! Κλιματική Αλλαγή.
Some of the nicer housing in Kifissia was really quite pretty.
Mexico food for lunch in Athens. Odd but ok.
Back in the city center at Syntagma.
I strolled through the National Garden on the way back towards my AirBnB.
On Tuesday my morning repeated with a snack and matcha from a coffee shop then school from 10 - 12:30pm. I met an Aussie half-Greek guy on the way out of class who has family in Lesbos. He's just starting his Greek learning adventure, and luckily will be in Greece for a few months. After, I went to the National Archaeological Museum. The museum houses some of the best artifacts from across the country. It's in need of a facelift, and work is underway towards that goal, but it's still a must-see when you're in Athens.
I really like the bronze statutes. I like to imagine them painted and wearing clothes. They must have been very impressive.
One of the more famous artifacts is the "Jockey of Artemision" from around 150 BCE.
After the museum, I walked around Exarcheia. I popped in a comic book store and was scolded for not knowing the greatest Greek and European comic artists by an older man. I left with a few books mostly out of guilt. I also popped in a store that had some LGBT colors and cat imprinted items in the window. The woman running the shop was in her 20s and there was no one there so I figured I'd try speaking to her in Greek and asking if she would speak to me. She happily agreed...I paused and looked around at leather wallets, rainbows, scarves, etc. and realized I didn't really know the words for anything in the store. I landed on something like "my sister likes cats...what do you recommend" and walked out with a small leather bag with a chonky cat. I consider it a communication win.
Parts of Exarcheia are rough around the edges.
From the eclectic shop I headed towards the center and stopped at a bookstore recommended to me by Mary - Βιβλιοπωλείο Πολιτεία (Bookstore Politeia). This store was huge and occupied multiple store fronts - you'd have to leave one store and reenter to see everything. Many of them were multi-story. I asked if they had any Greek/English books and they had some poetry books by Kostas Karyotakis and Nikiforos Vrettakos that I picked up. They also had some Greek learning books so I grabbed some books on grammar and a book for kids called "Το χειροτερο βιβλιο του κοσμου" (the worst book in the world). Overall, a good haul.
The Greek version of one of my favorite sci-fi books - maybe some day I'll read it in Greek.
By now I was pretty hungry - I didn't eat lunch after class today - so I popped by a taverna near a park a few minutes walk from my AirBnB that was recommended to me by the school - Λοστρέ Κουζίνα (Lostre Kitchen). There were only a couple people there and the food was really good. I had a dip trio and a carbonara. I wrapped up the day back at my AirBnB with homework - despite there being no classes on Wednesday for the Greek National Holiday. To be continued!
In late March I (David) took a solo trip to Greece to take a Greek language class as part of my work towards getting Greek citizenship. I arrived in Greece on a Friday morning before classes started on the following Monday. To do something new I made my way directly from the airport to the port in Piraeus and hopped on a 90 minute ferry to Ύδρα (Hydra) for the weekend. Hydra is known for its historic preservation requirements that keep it looking like a late 19th century village. There is a small port, a town with a couple thousand people, some beaches (mostly accessible via boat) scattered around the island and a monastery 2/3 of the way up the mountain. The best part of Hydra, in my opinion, is that there are no cars! Travel through the town is solely by foot or donkey.
Departing from the Port in Piraeus.
Right off the boat into Hydra.
While waiting for the boat in Piraeus, I figured I'd flex my Greek muscles and try to get a sandwich from a little περίπτερος (peripteros - a food/drink kiosk). I pick my items, walk up to the counter, handed the items to the woman after giving a friendly καλησπέρα (good afternoon), and then when she asks how I want to pay "με tarjeta" is what comes out of my mouth. Greece 1, David 0. On the boat, they played the most dramatic video for a ferry service I've ever seen...and thanks to YouTube you can see it too! Enjoy the award winning short film "Η μαγεία ξεκινά με το ταξίδι" (The magic begins with the journey).
First thing off the boat I needed to locate my AirBnB. There were some hotel options in Hydra, but they were pretty expensive. In general, Hydra was expensive compared to prices I've paid in Athens or other parts of Greece. All that charm isn't cheap, I guess. My AirBnB host actually prepared a video showing the way to the unit. I'll include that link below. It gives a good sense of the scale of the town. On the walk up to the AirBnB I paused in a little courtyard filled with orange blossoms - the smell was incredible. I spent the next nearly 48 hours making sure I walked through that courtyard every time I was in the area - bonus cats to pet were always in the courtyard.
After finding my AirBnB, and despite being very jet lagged and tired, I wandered around the island for a couple hours and found some dinner at a taverna that good reviews (Παραδοσιακό). While eating dinner at the taverna, I got to try out a bit more Greek... in general people were willing to try to speak with me in Greek, even though I'm still a beginner. While sitting there one of the first Greek songs I ever really liked (Ο Προσκυνητής - the pilgrim), which was introduced to me by my Greek tutor Mary, was playing - which made the experience feel serendipitous. Props to Mary for helping prep me for this trip! She's the amazing Greek tutor I've been working with since last Fall. Link to her Preply page here if you are interested in taking the leap into learning Greek. Feel free to play the song while you read the blog. It'll put you into the Greek mindset.
The island was not very busy. The weather was poor (windy and cold) and many people day trip to the island from Athens on the weekends. There'd be more people when I was leaving on Sunday, but the island was mostly tourist free in late March on a weekday.
Winding up the stairs towards my AirBnB.
View from my balcony. The weather wasn't the best but it was still beautiful.
Back at the port.
The main port area. Hydra wasn't busy at this time of day.
The famous old pharmacy.
Dinner at the taverna: χόρτα (boiled greens) and feta/cream chicken with fries. There are almost always fries with taverna meals in Greece whether you think there should be or not.
After dinner, I wandered back to my AirBnB and passed out for nearly 11 hours. Traveling overnight across and ocean is always exhausting. The next morning, I set out for my main purpose of visiting Hydra, climbing Mount Eros and visiting the monastery along the way. Mount Eros is the highest point on the island at around 1,900 feet above sea level and I was starting at around 0 feet elevation...fun. Before hiking up the mountain, I went down to the town center and got a croissant for breakfast and a spanakopita to take up the mountain for a snack. The man at the bakery said καλημέρα (good morning) to me, and I responded in kind. When it came time to order he realized I didn't speak Greek well then proceeded to apologize for saying καλημέρα and explained what it meant. Greece 2, David 0. The croissant was good though...
Pistachio croissant.
After packing a backpack with water and my spanakopita, I set out for the top of Mount Eros. The walk was wonderful. There were lots of flowers, trees, birds singing and great views back down to the sea and the town. It took maybe 90 minutes to get to the very top, including the stop at the Monastery to look around briefly. This was really the highlight of the trip to Hydra. On the way down, I spoke with a few different groups of people - all were tourists from other places in the world.
I made a lot of cat friends in Hydra, just like my trip to Greece last fall.
Part of the path up to Mount Eros.
Great day for a stroll - less windy and warmer than Friday.
Some part of the path had been recently improved.
The monastery about 2/3 of the way up the mountain. There was a little shop run by the monks with souvenirs (on the honor system of payment), free filtered water and a toilet.
Looking back towards the sea from above the monastery.
I loved how variable the path was. Here felt like a mountain goat trail.
On the top of Mount Eros looking towards the West. You can see the end of the island and the sea all around.
Eating a spanakopita atop Mount Eros. Does it get more Greek? Can I have my passport now please?
So many flowers in both Hydra and Athens.
Another sleepy cat friend.
Sunlight streaming through the alleyway back in Hydra town.
It was late afternoon by the time I came back down the mountain. So I stopped by the AirBnB and rested a bit and refilled my water bottle. Later that afternoon I walked along the sea for a while and did some souvenir shopping. Souvenir shopping became a great way to practice Greek through this trip. Eventually, I found a place for dinner (Μικρά Αγγλία) and had fish, fried feta cheese balls and bread.
On the way back to the AirBnB I popped into a small bakery and asked for a few κουλουράκια (Greek cookies that are typically not very sweet and can be flavored with a variety of things) and some baklava. I'm never able to find κουλουράκια like my mother and γιαγιά make except for in the Peloponnesus region of Greece, and this trip was no exception. Side note, the γιαγιά that sold me the cookies put in twice as much as I asked and charged me full price...so if you see an old lady selling cookies in Hydra watch yourself. 😜
Apparently I ordered a half liter of Aperol Spritz. But after walking 30,000 steps up an down a mountain who's counting calories?
...which is also what I told myself when I ordered fried cheese balls.
... and buttery delicious bread with a creamy spread.
Fresh fish with χόρτα underneath. This was intimidating, but the fish was fileted underneath.
My bag of twice the amount of κουλουράκια I requested.
The next day (Sunday) my ferry back to Athens departed at noon, so I wandered around town a bit more grabbed some more breakfast pastries and then packed up and left for Athens. Overall, Hydra was an amazing place for a short stay. It's cute, quiet, and on a very human scale. I can imagine coming in the summer would find the place more crowded with visitors but still lacking the noise and hustle of cities like Athens. If you're looking for a place to spend a few nice days, do some hiking, exploring, swimming or to just get away from traffic and cars do come to Hydra.
