Greece - Hydra

When we found out Luke was going to be sent to Delphi by LeTourneau for a conference, we started dreaming about going together.  I wrestled - a lot - about whether I could/should/would leave the kids for an entire week and whether it was wise to be that far away from them.  In the end, I decided that - yes - with wonderful grandparents willing to watch the kids - I would choose to be the woman I want to be - A woman who takes hold of awesome opportunities to explore and have an adventure with my husband!  It was such a wonderful trip!!  The kids did great and we had an absolutely fabulous time.  

Here we are at the airport in Dallas!  The trip took months (!) to plan from plane tickets to itinerary, hotels, transportation, preparing the kids/house, passport renewal, international driving license...  It was such a relief to have the kids happily settled in with Grandma and Granddad and for us to finally be en route!!   

We flew from Dallas to Philadelphia to Athens.  We got very little sleep, but also battled very little anxiety, so that was good!  I had forgotten how much I love being in Europe, but it all came flooding back as soon as we landed.  Getting our bags was simple and we were on the metro to Pireaus Port within minutes.  From the Port, we took a "Flying Dolphin" boat to the idyllic island of Hydra.  We were totally delirious by the time we were waiting for the boat - so much so that we miscalculated the time change and were standing out in the sun, irritated in how late it was when, in actuality, it was early!  We both slept hard on the 90 minute boat ride and felt somewhat human again when we arrived.

After settling into Hotel Hydroussa and cleaning up, we wandered down to the water's edge for a drink and snack.  I loved my first little bottle of ouzo and plate of olives!!

There are no cars on Hydra other than the 2 garbage trucks.  All other transport is done by these donkeys, who are always lined up ready to transport luggage, building supplies, groceries, food, you name it!  

Hydra was pretty much perfection for us as we both love exploring nature and residential areas.  Hydra had lovely spots of both!  The whitewashed buildings, stone steps, and brightly colored doors were quaint, clean, and lovely - 

After wandering a bit, we found our first Greek dinner.  We ate on a rooftop at this little restaurant recommended by Rick Steves.  The food was amazing!!  We had our first Greek salad, tzaziki, and amazing main dishes.  I can't even remember what the main dishes were at that meal, but every bite was delicious.  For a couple that doesn't go out much - to be on a rooftop terrace on a Greek island eating food like this was pretty heavenly!

The courtyard of our hotel where we ate our first Greek breakfasts.  We really fell in love with the Greek yogurt and honey.  So good, healthy, and filling!  The coffee left a lot to be desired...  

The view from our window - 

We had one full day in Hydra, which started with a 4-5 mile hike.  So beautiful and fun!! 

Bridge built during the Ottoman Empire - 

Our place to stop was this beach, where we rented chairs and relaxed for a bit.  Luke swam (he's in the water in this pic), but the ground was too rocky for my little feet.  The water was pretty cold, too.  We didn't stay long at the beach.  I'd forgotten a book and remembered that I'm not a "lay on the beach" kind of gal.  So, we hiked a different route back to town.

There was bougainvillea everywhere and it was gorgeous!

We were pretty hungry by the time we made it back near our hotel, so we stopped for a lunch of Greek salad, tzaziki, and calamari.  Delicious again!  

The rest of our time there was full of perfect moments - baklava, coffee, playing cards, watching the sunset, taking pictures, relaxing, reading, eating awesome food.  It was truly delightful and such a sweet couple of days together!