Today others in our group took a free day in Athens, but our group signed up for an optional excursion, a
day cruise to three Greek islands just off the coast: Hydra, the smallest and furthest away, Poros, a medium-sized island, and Aegina, the largest and closest to the city. All three are popular tourist destinations. Athenians often travel to them for getaway weekends.
The water and scenery were beautiful on our way to the islands. Here is an example.
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| Scenery on our day-cruise near Athens. The water really is this beautiful blue. |
Hydra, the first island, was charming. No automobiles are allowed, so people travel on foot or on donkeys.
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| Two friends ride donkeys on Hydra |
It was fun to sit in the shade and watch vacationers swim in the crystal-clear, blue water below.
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| Swimmers enjoy the water off the Greek island of Hydra |
Poros, the medium-sized island, had more opportunities for shopping than Hydra and hotel-rooms close to the waterfront. I think Poros is where Don stopped for ice cream, which he seemed to enjoy.
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| Don enjoys ice cream while I sip on fresh-squeezed orange juice. Delicious! |
Aegina is famous for pistachios, but Don and I didn't get to see the main island. We paid for a trip by speedboat to a smaller island and private beach which had a little bar and restaurant and secluded cove for swimming. The water was perfect. The boat trip was fun, especially on the way back when the wind picked up. Our return to the main ship was an adventure in itself.
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| Our secluded cove near Aegina |
We all agreed this excursion was just what we needed to cool off, rest and
relax after our sweltering day yesterday on Athens' Acropolis.
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