It was a pretty spontaneous decision to visit Hydra. I’d wanted to go but somehow thought I’d have to stay and the accommodation was expensive. I hadn’t realised that you could catch a small passenger ferry from Metochi for €6.50 and you were there in 40 minutes. When I found out I parked up the night before on the small road which leads down to the jetty ready to catch the 8am boat. It was a pitch black night with beautiful stars and a couple of friendly stray dogs. I saw the sunrise the next day and after a swift breakfast drove the short distance to the secure parking, passing the dogs emerging from their grass nests into the morning sunshine. Although I often leave the van all day at other places it somehow seemed riskier port-side when everyone knows you are on an island and you definitely won’t be back before the next boat comes in. Anyway it gave me peace of mind to pay the small amount for peace of mind. I was first on the boat, followed by the oranges, tomatoes and about 5 passengers. I imagine it’s a very different experience in summer. It was great sitting at the top of the boat watching the pine trees of mainland Peloponnese disappear whilst Hydra emerged out of the mist in front. The harbour itself is stunning, surrounded by cafes with a lone donkey tied up waiting for an intrepid (or gullible) tourist. In fact there was hardly any tourists, it wasn’t at all busy, maybe because it was January 6th, Epiphany, a public holiday in Greece.

Hydra is a great place just to wander. Climbing up one of the small alleys directly from the harbour gave a panoramic view of the town. I wandered the warren of paths and came to Leonard Cohen’s house, his idyll in the 1960s. I imagine it must have been like a paradise then.

And as I climbed all I could hear were cockerels and dogs barking, with the occasional donkey braying, carried on the wind. I walked right up to the gates of the monastery but they were locked, I don’t know if the monks were all at mass because it was the Epiphany or whether, like the tourists they only come back en masse in the summer months.

I found the monastery by following a random path leading from the graveyard but it turned into a wonderful long circular walk, away from the harbour and back down a donkey path, where I was overtaken by some men and their horses going down the precarious track as if it were tarmaced. I stumbled behind before finally sitting to take in the breathtaking views and eating my well-deserved spanakopita bought earlier from the harbour bakery.