No Flies on Me: Dirty Corner

https://youtu.be/Mf2QBo00EEw?si=FM5JcukfUWB3oB9y
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No Flies on Me: Dirty Corner

Chernobyl Special

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Donkeys Uber Alles

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Hydra finishes the season on a high note!

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Inkaminicado!

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A Lovely Tribute to Kamini’s Tassia

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Romantic August Kamini Sunset

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Hydra Revisited

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Mutters & Musings

Parole to Ancient Greece

Pop's rental, Hermione, at Hellenic Seaways office

Our chariot from Pop's car rental, Hermione, at Hellenic Seaways office

Much as we love our village, for the sake of sanity, it is necessary to escape the Rock now and again. Even folk on an extended holiday here may ask us for an alternative idea. We discovered a grand and comparatively inexpensive change of scene. Pop on a Hydrofoil over to Ermioni, rent a little car, and drive up to Nafplion, about a two hour scenic meander through the Pelleponses. We found a quaint little pension in the old town and made that our base. An easy walk into the romantic old part of this historic port, which sports numerous tavernas cafes and cottage industry type shops. 

From there we would take daily road trips off to the must-see-sights of ancient Greece. Epidavros, Mycnea, Larrisa, the area is rich in things to do and see, and all within and hour or two by car. They say a change is as good as a holiday, while we were delighted to get home, the break was awesome. Old Greece, is hospitable, gentler on the wallet and quite stunning.

Nautical Greek Tragedy: The Rest of the Story

Silly Season 2010

18th-century engraving of Hydra Harbor
Port of Hydra, crowded since time immemorial.

Perhaps because we have lived here too long, or maybe because we just know the island and locals too well, intelligence concerning last week’s tragic nautical event involving the sinking of a passenger ferry, crushed by a monstrous cruise yacht in the main port of Hydra, was greeted with a grain of sea salt in our village.

Freedom II approaching Hydra Harbor
Freedom II heading into Hydra Harbor.

Within minutes of the drama’s unfolding in the big city, the tom-toms (these days, text messages) had informed us of the excitement occurring in the island’s main harbour. Before we sound too sceptical or cynical in our reporting “the rest of the story,” the Comet wishes to add, had anyone been hurt or made to suffer financial ruin, in no way would we take a lighthearted approach to the story. On the contrary, our sources have revealed that all’s well that end’s well.*

The cruise yacht Bilmar
Cruise yacht Bilmar.

Highlights from the initial murmurrings suggested that passengers’ lives were in danger, some near-drownings had been witnessed, and one of the island’s largest mainland transportation boats, the Freedom II, was sinking amidst scenes of pandemonium. Indeed, crew of the offending craft—a huge, privately owned luxury cruise yacht named the Bilmar—were nonchalantly ignoring the plight they had caused, and a poor Hydra family was about to be destitute, probably left to starve, their dreams sinking before their eyes, while fat-cat guests aboard the floating palace sipped exotic cocktails, pretended not to notice the panic on the harbour quay.

Hydra's crowded port.
Various and sundry ships crowded into the Port on an average summer day.

Happily, the on-land reality and postcatastrophe facts are a little more in line with what we expected at the outset. Let’s be quite straightforward: given the amount of sea tonnage in shipping terms, as well as the number of yachts, passenger ferries, hydrofoils, catamarans, fishing boats, cargo boats—in fact just about every type of floating vehicle with the possible exception of aircraft carriers—frequenting the little port, it is in fact surprising to most, and a tribute to the seafarers, that so few accidents occur in the high-season confines of Hydra harbour.


Two boats aiming for the narrow harbor outlet.

As with any excessively busy intersection, the odd fender bender is ultimately inevitable. In this case perhaps the harbour master should have discouraged the Bilmar from entering the harbor, especially as the sea was choppy due to wind on the July 16. Apparently the cruiser, in trying to manoeuvre back out, drifted against the Freedom water bus, puncturing the hull in two places just below the waterline.

Eighteenth-century engraving of Hydra Harbor with boats navigating in and out
Ships have been navigating that passage, generally without incident, for centuries.

Indeed, instant rescue operations erupted the moment the incident occurred. Savvy Hydriot sailors rallied to the floundering boat’s aid and managed to save the Freedom II from going under with the ingenious use of floating barrels and help of a local building crane. With hindsight, some locals even suggested that as the insurance and instant offer of remuneration from the yacht owner himself were going to cover all damages; they should have let the boat sink. As it is, Freedom II is in the repair shop and expected to be up and running in a couple of weeks, complete with refurbished engines and equipment.

Engraving of rescue operations.
Many lives were saved.

The only rumour still afloat surrounding the incident is the possible reposting of a certain harbour chief, perhaps to a very small and distant port. This said because he had not behaved, at the time of the accident, in a courteous manner. A pistol was nearly unholstered during a postcollision argument with a local captain. This, of course, is also only hearsay, but like all rhubarbs on the island, where there is smoke on the water, there quite possibly a sinking ciaqui.

Freedom I, still in operation in the interim while Freedom II is repaired* We spoke to the Zogos family on July 20, who assured us that they are doing well. Freedom II is in drydock for repairs and will be up and running again in a few weeks. Meanwhile, it’s business as usual, with Freedom I still running a full schedule. For schedule info, see the Hydra Lines website (for contact info, click “Επικοινωνία“) or call 6947325263

<<–Comments–>>

A very well written story. The problem of the skipper of Bilmar losing control of his vessel, even briefly, shows how critical these maneuverings can be in such a small harbour as Hydra.

The skippers that regularly have to use this overcrowded harbour have all, at some point, “lost it” … ( myself included) … with a mistimed cross wind or a fouled anchor, etc .

Part of the problem lies in the fact that Hydra is a “free harbour.” It is not a marina with preset moorings or any reserved spaces. “First come, first served” is the rule of Hydra—with a little advice from Pandelis (oopp!! oopp!! 🙂 ).

Maybe it is time to put a few new rules in place. A limit to the size of “private” vessels attempting to moor inside the harbour wall would be a start. These LLVs (large luxury vessels) have the equipment and crew to safely moor on the “outer” wall … or heaven forbid … anchor outside Kamini Harbour.

The reason this does not happen is touched on in the lead article: it is damn hard on the owner’s lady friends to hobble around to the water front gold shops from the outer molos in their stiletto heals … and those same heals are murder on the tender dinghy .

With respect ,
Capt. Saronic RYA ret.

The New Face of Baby Beach

Castello Beach, pretty packed even on an overcast late afternoon
Summer bathers coming and going from Kamini’s Baby, aka Castello, Beach

To be fair, Castello did a grand job restoring Kamini’s old armory to its former glory, and the initial worry about an excess of skoopethia (garbage) and sewage pollution in the little bay of what was known as “Baby Beach” has not materialised. In fact kudos to the Castello gang for setting an ecofriendly example when it comes to takeover bids and development projects.


A smattering of sun worshippers in mid-summer, 1984

Raw sewage is extracted from the cafe-restaurant’s vothros (septic tank) with the aid of a noninvasive, high-powered electric pump, sitting up the hill behind the establishment; the waste then passes through a series of sand filters, and then recycle water is used to irrigate the land behind the valley in which Castello is situated. It’s similar, our sources say, to the “grey-water” systems used throughout the Caribbean.


Subtle blue piping carries waste water away from the sea to be recycled for
irrigation in the valley behind Castello.

However, as local full-time residents (or “old timers,” that is, decades-long punters of the tranquil little pebble beach in Kamini), we were personally disappointed by this onward march of “progress” into our little village. It’s like a little piece of Mykonos has landed in our immediate vicinity.

Brollies and chaises, occupied by spectators and packed sardinelike all along the back of Baby Beach, make one feel like one is on-screen at a drive-in (lie-in) cinema. Once submerged in the water and off snorkelling though, one can ignore the sensation.

Still, one cannot help but feel a little sad. Even if we did sport a large holiday wallet, we would rather have gone to the Cyclades for such service. The music, too, is unintrusive—but why is it necessary? It’s certainly not our semideserted family beach anymore.

Optimistic waiters hover behind the umbrellas, hoping to bare trays of expensive cocktails … and, well, you know the syndrome. A step forward into luxury for some is still a step in the wrong direction for those of us who prefer the status quo.


Status quo ante.

<<–Comments–>>
I totally agree with your comments about Baby Beach, even though they are too light. Kamini’s Baby Beach is dead! It has been trasformed into a very poor-tasting Greek Salad. Children playing, mothers and grandmoms screaming at them to be careful, loud music in the background, nice women and middle-age Greeks pretending their are Onassis, teenagers peeping at the women’s bodies … ALL OF THEM crammed into 50 meters of beach!! I can’t imagine who is gonna prevail! It was the only beach in Hydra that could be accessed by parents with young kids and babies … too bad!! Anyway, the fact is that we have almost destroyed our country and now we are struggling to survive. Kamini beach is a minor example of what we have done to ourselves. —Nikos

No April Fool

It would have been inappropriate, and certainly not our style, to whip out the camera paparazzi style to record the event, but only in Kamini. …

I popped down to get a Paska celebratory take-out bottle of local porridge at Kristina’s, when daughter Archodoula tells me look at who is sitting in the corner of the taverna minding his own.

Perhaps the gent with the toughest job in Europe, taking a well-deserved break. None other than our prime minister, Georgo Papandreao, enjoying a quiet family night out, sampling our village cuisine.

Ahoy, there!

Whenever an unusual vessel lurks off our little harbour, rhubarbs abound. This month a strange-looking, hi-tech floating crane was cause for such instant rumour—one being that the new and somewhat controversial Castello beach resort is now building a new pier to accommodate water taxis and other modes of transport.

The immediate response: this would be dangerous to bathers and further ruin the tranquillity of baby beach. Already citizens of our village are divided on the new business, arguing against the music/noise the place generates verses the business it attracts. While it is out of budget for many, it must be said that the new bar/restaurant is making good use of the old armory.

Another obvious conclusion was that the crane had appeared to lay a new electric cable, but for once the news is very good. The Assosdivers company were here to connect the new OTE (national telephone company) fiber optic cable to Hydra. It is said that this will greatly enhance the island’s already overcrowded bandwidth for Internet streaming and such.

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