Friends in Hydra

Where ever we seem to go in Greece Nick seems to be mistaken for Greek. Not sure if it’s his looks or appearance but the other night Nick while walking around Hydra he made some Greek friends his own age. The boys are 16 and 17 years old and work at the Four Seasons Resort. Local to the island the boys have adopted Nick as their Americani friend from California. Yesterday Nick took a water taxi to the resort and hung out while his friends worked. The popular one (Nick cannot remember his name) speaks English and French as well as Greek. Nick overheard the group while sitting up at the Fortress one evening speaking in English with a couple of girls also working at the Four Seasons from Slovakia. Jumping right into the conversation they were having about music Nick fit right in.

I know someone in Prague Nick said to the girls.

No…that’s the Czech Republic. Slovakia is the other half of Czechoslovakia, a different country now.

The girls spoke English better than the Greek boys. The girls said they like Americani accents. The Popular Boy said he liked the accent too, especially the southern accent. The kids hang out together at night like everyone else does. They have cell phones and collect MP3’s but they do not sit at home watching TV or playing video games. They hang out, make up games, eat at the restaurants and talk about different kinds of boats they want to own when they can afford to buy one. No cars on Hydra so they learn to drive boats instead.

Socializing in Hydra is the pastime that everyone young and old does. I have no idea what everybody is talking about but the café’s are packed every night and not just the tourists but the locals as well. It’s hard to tell the difference since this seems to be a popular destination for Greek tourists more so than non Greeks. While Nick has been doing most of the socializing I have taken it upon myself to sample all the food.

I start my day with Yogurt, fruit and honey and a double Greek (don’t say Turkish) coffee for breakfast, Greek salad with a big hunk of Feta cheese and local bread for lunch and a host of different seafood (Octopus to squid to red mullet), skewered meats, chicken or pork called Souvlakia and pasta, yes pasta and the ever popular Gyros in a Pita Bread. The bakeries are sensational and add local marmalade or honey and it’s hard to beat. For dessert there is an assortment of filo pies and ice cream everywhere.

So what else is there to do besides eat? Sweat. I think I lose a pound or two of water every time I go outside. I think this is why the Greeks look so healthy. They eat this terrific Med diet and then sweat it all off. I usually drink one these huge 1.5 litre water bottles with every meal. That and of course an ouzo (over ice makes the clear ouzo go cloudy), a glass of retsina (tastes like turpentine but you acquire the taste) and Mythos beer (beer of the Gods, no kidding)

The kids say Greeks are proud of their past but not so much the present. As one of the waiters who greeted Nick like a long lost relative at the café said to me (saw Nick’s Ramones shirt and is a huge fan, saw them 3 times in Athens)…work is work here. It’s not so beautiful.