May 8: Hydra to Athens

I got up early, had another shower, and then went to Papagalos for breakfast. I had the Greek Breakfast again and ate everything. I lingered until around 10:30am, drinking in the atmosphere of the port, then headed back to the apartment to finish packing and check out.

My ferry was scheduled to depart at 12:55pm. I left the apartment just before noon so I had lots of time to get down to the port with my luggage. I had to stop a couple of times to rest my legs, but I made it there by 12:15pm with plenty of time before the ferry arrived.

I found a shaded bench and sat down. I was joined a few minutes later by a older Swedish woman who was very gregarious. I learned that she had first visited Hydra in the 1970s when she was a model (!!). She visited with her photographer boyfriend, fell in love with the island, and bought a renovated windmill above the port. At the time she was living in New York, so she rented it out during the summer to offset costs. She moved to Hydra permanently 20 years ago. Now, she rents the windmill out 6 months of  the year, and lives in it the other 6 months of the year. She was waiting for the Aero Highspeed to arrive, so she could collect her guests and walk them up to the windmill. I think this is the listing for the property. She said she was starting to get tired of renting it out, and might retire in a couple of years. I could appreciate that.

My ferry arrived on time. This time I had a much easier time finding my seat. The trip back to Piraeus was pleasant and went by quickly.

Alex the taxi driver was waiting for me and whisked me back to Rita's apartment. Rita had cooked a delicious pork stew with tomatoes and macaroni, as well as "salad" (warm canned corn, canned carrots, and canned peas) and bread. She loaded my plate. I was absolutely stuffed. Then she produced dessert. After washing the dishes, I rolled myself into the living room to read my book, "Mythos" by Stephen Fry, while Rita retired to her bedroom to watch TV.

It was a quiet evening. I read, had a shower, then went to bed around 9:00pm. I had to be up at 4:45am the next morning. Alex the taxi driver was picking me up around 5:30am to drive me to the airport, and I wanted to make sure I was ready in case she arrived early.