As I settle in to my time on Hydra, I’m trying to find ways to describe how it is special. I do believe that the lack of cars or motorcycles influences the energy of this island. The vibe is quiet. And slower. Even with the presence of a few mega yachts in the harbour and the day boats from Athens, the relaxed vibe is discernible and real. Lots of time is spent just looking out at the water to watch for approaching new guests. Like this one…

Those that stay here, whether short term like me or long term, find a rhythm that is centered around the beach, the cafes and the beautiful water. I like it here alrhough admittedly it takes a minute to recalibrate to this new energy.

My day is spent at a beach at The Four Seasons resort. No, not a part of the franchise but Hydras own little Four Seasons.

This little resort is a 10 minute water taxi ride from the port, perhaps a 20-room hotel with a pebble beach and taverna. This is the Greek island style of beach, where you balance yourself over the rocks to get in and out of the water, but fall happily into the sea. Yes, it is different from the white sandy beach but it feels authentic and rustic and lovely. Having said that, I would not want anyone to take a video of me climbing in and out of the rocky beach. Awkward. (And serves as some entertainment watching people go in and out of the water)

The day is spent reading and swimming, with a break for a Greek Salad. Yes, I know, so predictable.

These days are so slow yet pass quickly, as I realize it is time to take the 6 pm water taxi back into town. With the luxury of no schedule, I go to a cliffside bar to watch the sunset. People sit here along the waterfront for hours, some take a dive into the water and others just sit drinking and others reading. It is so normal that it is almost awkward to ask the waiter for the check after the sun goes down.

Then time is spent walking thru town, with the funky complexity of high-end shops, cafes, cobblestone streets and colorful doors. It is easy to get lost although the town is small enough that you can not get too lost. The paths from the port go up, up, up so you realize the higher you are the farther away from the port you have gotten.

Always the day wraps up with a shower and late dinner, tonight it is at a cafe back in the alleys, said to be a fave of Leonard Cohen, the writer/musician. Imagining him here eating and smoking and drinking adds a certain ambience. It is lovely and cheap and authentic.

The streets are lively and crowded at midnight, long past my bedtime at home but now becoming the new normal, at least for a few weeks.

I try to adapt my language skills, which are actually pretty pitiful especially in Greek. Yassas instead of Hello. Kalimera for good morning and Kalispera for good evening (I think) and this word for goodnight which I rarely hear

So, for now, Kalinychta Hydra.