Ydra is my weakness; I just love this little Greek island and everytime I set foot on it, I plan on coming back and staying for one year!
Ydra has everything I want (small villages, quiet life, slow pace, nice weather) and everything I need (quiet, slow, nice) – so what am I waiting for? I’m not sure, but I know, that one day, when I’m sick or old or both, and I haven’t lived on Ydra, this will be one regret. And I tend to live my life so there aren’t any regrets at the end. So far, so good!
I was here in summer, in the fall, and now it’s winter, December, and many stores and restaurants are closed. And the few that are open are very welcoming; the people working there are talkative, interested, helpful and friendly. They have more time, the off-season has lots of advantages! 2500 people live here and there are 2 nursery schools, 2 public schools and 1 highschool. 164 churches (mostly temples) and 7 beautiful monasteries.
We found a really nice Airbnb right on the Westside of the harbor. It is a cool, airy space with an unusual floorplan and stunning views to the east side of the harbor!
Did I ever mention that I’m a big Leonard Cohen fan?
Leonard Cohen lived here for ~10 years in the 1960s, with his Norwegian girlfriend Marianne. He wrote his best songs while living here…
Aside the garbage truck, there are no vehicles on Ydra. The preferred choices of transportation are 1. your feet, 2. the boat, or 3. the donkey. I like that. It makes life here very quiet!
And beside all the donkeys, there are many cats!
Another important aspect of every place we go is the food. We like to explore new things everywhere we go, but sometimes it is the good old classics that makes me happy. For example Tzatziki! Theoretically, I could eat Tsatsiki with everything (except icecream, but fortunately I’m not a big icecream fan anyway)!