After reading the book Theater of Dreamers by Polly Samson, I became interested in Leonard Cohen’s early years on Hydra. When I saw there was a place available on the island through the Home Exchange website, I immediately contacted the owner to see if he’d be interested in an exchange. We agreed I’d be at his home for two weeks, just in time to celebrate my 65th birthday and before the start of my three month train pass.
I flew in to the Athens International Airport and wasn’t sure how I’d get to the port of Piraeus to catch my ferry to Hydra. The driver that had been recommended to me would have cost 70 euros and I considered it, as there was some rioting in Athens at that time due to the tragic train accident which had killed 54 people a few weeks earlier. However, on arrival I was glad I didn’t book a ride when I learned that I could catch the X96 bus by going through exit 5 of the airport and that would take me directly to the port. It only cost about 5 euros but it took 1.5 hrs, driving through mostly the kind of unattractive outskirts of most modern cities.
I didn’t know where to get off the bus and grew a bit anxious as I realized how large the port was. We drove past several signs announcing different berths (all labelled E-and a number). I scrambled to find my ferry reservation but there was no indication on it of where to ferry would be. I stayed on, figuring I had plenty of time and could always just ride the bus back again if I went too far (I knew we were near the terminus). We eventually pulled into the bus terminal (an eerie space under an overpass) and only an older Chinese couple and I were still onboard.
I asked the driver about the ferry to Hydra and thought I’d made myself understood. He said “taxi” which wasn’t very helpful as there were no taxis to be seen. I asked a couple other drivers and one finally pointed me to a parked bus, so I assumed that meant it would be the next to leave, going the desired direction. The elderly couple then started to rely on me as their guide. I tried to make it clear that I had no idea what I was doing, but I guess I was their best bet. They were doing a recognisance for their cruise ship which would be leaving the next morning, but they still had all their luggage with them, so really needed some help.
After about 15 mins of nervous waiting, the bus began to move. In the meantime I had Whats’App’d Daniella, the house keeper of the the place on Hydra, and asked her which berth the ferry normally left from. She replied 8 or 9, so I still wasn’t sure where to get off, but I had communicated E-8 to the driver and he indicated he’d let me know. After about 5 mins, he gestured for me to hop off, so I did, leaving my hapless travel companions on their own. The boats were all much larger than I had expected. The ferry ride was only a short hop (1.5 hrs) so I had a imagined it would be a relatively small vessel.
I had to walk the length of several of these boats until I found the Hydra bound one, and then had to walk back almost the same distance to find the office that would validate the start of by 4 day Blue Star Greek Ferry pass. The pass had only cost 80 euros and the single ride to Hydra was 60, so it was a good deal, and almost worth the extra walk! The ferry had a snack bar and was almost empty (probably 15 passengers on a ferry made for hundreds). I love travelling in low season!
What the ferry didn’t have was outlets for charging my iphone. I found one on the ceiling, near a TV, but my cable wasn’t long enough, so I had to stand and hold it rather than let it dangle (which unplugged it). I recharged enough so if Daniella didn’t meet the ferry as arranged, I would have a way to contact her. I didn’t have any information about where I’d be staying and was relying on her. Luckily, not only was Daniella right there when I disembarked, but the donkey I had reserved to carry my luggage was there as well! Hydra has no wheeled private vehicles and relies on donkeys for most of the portage up and down the stone steps that connect the settlements.
I had not gotten a chance to get cash at an ATM in Piraeus, so was happy there was one at the quay so I could pay the donkey owner the 20 euros. He took off with my wheelie bag and my bag pack while Daniella and I went to the small grocery store to buy a couple necessities (wine, yoghurt and orange juice). I had a moment’s hesitation about the wisdom of this as they plodded off, but Daniella (a complete stranger) seemed to think it was fine, and explained that the donkey had to go to sleep, so couldn’t wait for me to shop. The walk was manageable without luggage, though I did pause to “admire the view”, in the dark, several times to catch my breath.
It turned out that Daniella is from Bulgaria and I’m heading there after Greece so we talked about the sights to see and the challenge of getting there now that the train line was shut down following the crash. She also informed me that Hydra residents were not fans of the Polly Samson novel I had read as it got lots of details wrong, and there were lots of more accurate books. I asked if Leonard Cohen’s reputation on the island was a good one and she said, “yes” though I sensed some reticence. The last flight of stairs was a doozy as some of the steps were quite high and there was no handrail to hold onto (read: haul myself up with), but we finally made it.
The gate opened onto an inner patio off of which the “old” house and the “new” house lead. Both are old fisherman’s houses with walls about 60 cms (two feet) thick and small windows. The old house has a living room bathroom and bedrooms. The new house has an open plan kitchen/dining room, a bathroom and up a corkscrew staircase, a second bedroom with two balconies off of it with fabulous views of the sea. All are recently and tastefully renovated and make a luxurious home for my two week stay.
I assumed that an island that has no wheeled vehicles would be strikingly quiet. I’m not saying it’s not, but somehow the noises there are seem to fill in for the noises that we are accustomed to hearing. I wake to the sound of chickens and at least one turkey(!) from nearby. This is then joined by the semi-constant noise of a jack hammer, a drill and a back hoe at work nearby. It turns out that the downside of travelling in low season, is that everyone is getting their properties ready for high season! I see (and hear) donkeys’ carrying building supplies up from the port and donkeys’ carrying debris away to a landfill (lots of broken white tiles….makes me think of the decor at Valencia’s city of Arts and Sciences!). There are also the frequent sounds of water taxis blazing from small port to small port. In between these disruptions, you can hear people going about their daily business in the homes around me. It seems the quieter it is, the more you are able to hear!
My first venture out is to the little port of the village that I’m staying in: Kamini. It is only a five minute walk from the house and though it usually has three restaurants, only one is open at this time. Luckily the one has great food and is perched above the port with fabulous views. I went to celebrate my 65th birthday and had a great meal, with a fabulous view. The waiter tried to short change me by 10 euros, and when I questioned him about the amount of the bill, he promptly gave me 10 euros, so it felt deliberate. However, I’ve been back several times, and the food remains great, the view spectacular and the change correct.
A little past the small port of Kamini village is “baby beach”, a small rocky beach which, in season, is dominated by the Castello restaurant which also provides lounge chairs and umbrellas. When I was there, it was almost empty, though a few tourists came to swim and sun. Based on their reactions as they got in the water, I decided it was not the temperature that would tempt me in, but it was a lovely spot to sit and read.
I returned to the main port of Hydra where the ferry came in and had a wander through the small streets leading up from the port. When I planned this trip, I really wanted to be surrounded by the iconic white buildings on hillsides that you see on postcards. Done! I’m a cat lover and was happy to see that there were cats everywhere! Most of them were strays, but even they looked to be in pretty good health. I saw little bowls of water and sprinklings of dry cat food on many of my walks. Cats were eating and drinking, but not rushing to do so. Most of the alley ways that I walked down were almost deserted, just a few other pedestrians, mostly local though some tourists.
The donkeys were clearly a vital part of the island’s infrastructure. Usually there was one man leading (sometimes riding) a string of 2-4 donkeys. I saw them loading up with building materials at the ports, but also carrying supplies such as water and toilet paper for delivery to the small markets. The donkeys agilely negotiated the narrow, irregular stairs, even with heavy or bulky loads.
Their owners seemed to really understand how much they could carry and arranged it so their loads are balanced. I did see a donkey just below my balcony who had lost part of his load. I could hear the man speaking to the donkey and the tone was one of apology. I saw the same man, and probably the same donkey, go up the killer staircase to get to our front gate that I find difficult to negotiate. I felt a certain schadenfreude when I realized the donkey had stumbled on the really high first two steps that I struggle with, and this caused him to bump his load of broken tiles into the wall causing them to dump out. The man was not apologetic this time, but he was busy picking up the spilled tiles!
Next time I was in the main port, I popped in to the Historical Archive museum. As the captions were only in Greek (and I now realize why the expression “it’s all Greek to me” came into being) it was a quick stroll-through visit, admiring lots of uniforms and women’s clothing from the time of the Greek war of independence from the Ottoman empire (1821-32). There were also weapons and boat models and maps and more from this period, but I didn’t get a whole lot out of it. Watched one of many stunning sunsets from my balcony that evening.
While in the port, I also went into the “super”market that my host had said would deliver groceries. The market is right on the port as you walk toward Kamini and is the only one with an upstairs. There are 4 or 5 other little markets that I saw and it’s a joy to see that small businesses have not been taken over by a large chain here. The upstairs and downstairs of the store combined are probably about a tenth the size of a normal Lidl shop. But they had everything I wanted, including Twinnings Early Grey which is the only brand name item that I really care about. They also had a fair selection of wines and fresh fruit and veggies, so all good. My bill came to 100 euros and as instructed, I asked them to deliver it to “Mr Dan’s house, near Zoe Apartments in Kamini”. Several hours later, from my balcony, I heard someone ask for “Mr Dan” so I called out. A young man (no donkey) delivered my groceries and left before I could even get a tip out for him. You aren’t supposed to drink the tap water in Hydra, so the whole order probably weighed about 25 kilos. I’m truly grateful to have this better than Amazon Prime delivery service!
A week later, I did another big shop and asked for delivery, but it didn’t arrive. Rather than walk back into town the next day to investigate the issue, I decided just to forget, but then spotted the young delivery guy about 24 hours after I expected him. When asked, he pointed the to the one flight up (and only about 4 meters away from my front gate) where he had left the box. I felt like the opposite of Curious George, not to have at least looked around a bit! Luckily it has been an overcast, coolish day and even my Mars bar wasn’t melted, so I figured my sausage, cheese and yoghurt was probably alright too!
I was lucky to be in Greece during the Greek National day (March 25th) which commemorates the start of the war of independence from the Ottoman empire. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1453 and the war lasted 11 years, so it still has a lot of meaning even though it ended in almost 200 years ago. There were parades of school children in uniform or national dress, from pre-schoolers up to Naval cadets. I noticed that there were more girls than boys in all the groups I saw, so I asked someone if that was because boys were less willing to participate or went to schools off island, and was told, “No. Everyone participates!” but they did say there was currently a preponderance of girls in the Hydra youth. There was, however, only one female in the naval cadets.
I was trying to file my tax returns (German, French and US!) so spent a fair amount of time in the upstairs bedroom, with a great view, dealing with bureaucratic stuff. I needed to print out and sign a couple things, and was relieved to learn from the host that I could email documents to a stationary store in the port and they would print them for me for an amazingly cheap price (six pages for under 1.50 euro). What a service! All the people I interacted with during my visit were very helpful (except for the one waiter who short changed me). I’m not sure how high season might affect the atmosphere, but I felt safe and supported as I wandered through narrow back alleys and got lost. My host even said he doesn’t usually lock the doors of his house when he leaves for the day.
I’ve walked to the main port and back several times during my visit, and it doesn’t get easier. I’ve found a couple different routes to vary things, but the one I like best is along the coast. It has frequent benches with great views and I now plan to sit and read my book at several different spots along to way (to rest up, but also just to enjoy). One bench is actually dedicated to the memory of Leonard Cohen and one time I saw a group of tourists who had music playing and were dancing. I didn’t recognize the song, but it may well have been one of Cohen’s.
I decided to have a “Leonard” day and took off through the narrow streets (most of which don’t have names or at least signs) to find his home which I had read was between my village of Kamini and the main port town. The house was labelled on my GPS and I eventually found my way to the one block long street/alley which was actually labelled with his name, but I had no idea which house was his. I got lucky as Daniella, the only person I know on the island, happened to walk by and showed me which one it was and even took a picture of me knocking on the door. She said that Cohen’s son and daughter still own and come most summers.
I ate in a restaurant at the port where the walls are covered with plates that have been hand painted by locals and tourists over the years. Several are signed by celebrities such as members of: the Kennedy family, Pink Floyd as well as Cohen. Displayed were also plates by a lesser known couple on the world stage: Charmian Clift and George Johnston. They were central to the expat experience on Hydra in the 60s, and close friends of Leonard’s . That evening at sunset, I went and sat on his bench and listened to So Long Marianne and Bird on a Wire, both of which were inspired by his years on Hydra.
If you’re a Cohen fan, you probably know about the Norwegian woman who was the inspiration for So Long, Marianne, but you might not know the inspiration of Bird on a Wire. Apparently, when he first arrived in Hydra, there were no telephones and no regular electricity; once the government eventually installed the necessary infrastructure, the wires stretched across his windows (which also had not had running water), which depressed him, making him think that he wouldn’t be able to escape modern civilisation. He then observed the birds landing on the wire like notes on a music sheet and he began to compose the song. The only thing marring the view out of the upstairs bedroom at my house was an electrical pole, so I thought often of this story.
A day later, I spotted this casting call stapled to a lamppost. Out of curiosity, I showed up at the hall. There were two woman running the event and when I got there, only two women being interviewed to be extras. They kindly switched to English when I arrived and were explaining what the process would be like. Basically they will be filming on Hydra for 35 days in late April and May. They need 300 extras! The mini-series is also being filmed in Norway and Toronto, so I guess it will feature parts of the Marianne/Leonard relationship. They asked us some surprising questions about any tattoos we might have, if were willing to remove any nail and hair coloring, if we smoke… and explained this is all important for creating the 60s atmosphere.
An older Australian man showed up and offered his services as a consultant to the project for local and period knowledge. He had moved to Hydra in 1972 and offered to show lots of photographs of the early years that would include many of the people who would be portrayed in the filming. I met up with him in town later and offered him a drink, but he was meeting his wife. I thought it would be been interesting to hear some of his stories.
I was very lucky with the weather and the season of my visit (late March early April) as it was sunny most days but also not too hot: 13-19 degrees/low 50s to high 60s. There were also abundant wild flowers sprouting everywhere. The bougainvillea was not yet in blossom, but you could see many patios and restaurant terraces would be abundantly colorful in the right season.
In summary, Hydra is a beautiful place to visit, especially at the time of year I was there. A couple caveats: 1. if you aren’t in good enough shape (or don’t like) to walk up and down hills and irregular height steps without hand rails, think twice about coming. 2. If you can avoid high season, do. I think it will be very busy/crowded and also uncomfortably hot. 3. I was really unable to speak or read anything in Greek. It was never a problem as everyone spoke enough English to get my idea across, but it was unsettling not to be able to decipher even the simplest things (I speak several languages and can usually get by). 4. Unless you just want to settle in and pretend to be a resident, two weeks is probably too long of a stay. Maybe if I’d been more adventurous with my excursions, or spent money on water taxis to go to other parts of the island it might have been different. As it was, it suited me fine as I do like to settle in and take care of ongoing projects (taxes, setting up my blog). Thank you Hydra and “Mr Dan”!
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