Those who know the song, "It's 5:00 Somewhere", have probably figured out that it is Bernice who is writing this post.  I got the shirt with that saying a few years ago from our friend, Eileen, and I wear it on every sailing vacation. So this is a shout out to Eileen.  This post is also about food and beverages, and, well, not only is it 5:00 somewhere, it's 5:00 here!  Here is the beautiful island of Hydra.  We left Aegina by 7:30 am this morning and arrived in Hydra around 2:00, starving and a bit stressed from a challenging docking experience.  Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself.  I need to take our dear readers back to Aegina, so you can share in our experiences with the fabulous people on the island.  
So, last night we went scouting for a place to have dinner -- and like all good Americans, it was around 7:00pm, way too early for the European crowds.  We went to a row of outdoor restaurants that lined a beach.  Each menu looked the same and it was difficult to decide, but in hindsight, we probably could not make a bad choice.  Anyway, Mark struck up a conversation with an owner who was trying to get us to eat in his restaurant - and, well, he did such a good job that we decided to go in.  We had a lovely meal of appetizers that included grilled octopus, tzatziki, Greek salad and saganaki (flamed feta).  The owner indicated that he made his own wine, so Sue and I shared a 1/2 liter of the red.  He then gave me and Mark each a glass of the rose' to try - and we chose to get another 1/2 liter of that.  The rose' was a little sweet and fruity, but it arrived chilled, so it was refreshing.  We asked the owner about the making of the wine and casks he uses (after he drew a picture of the leaves of the tree from which the wood comes, we realized it was oak and not just any oak, American oak).  He proceeded to tell us all about the making of the wine, the  making of the casks, and drawing us pictures.  He was very sweet (like his rose').  The waiter brought us a plate of watermelon on the house.  But wait, that's not all.  After we paid the bill, the owner asked us to wait a few minutes.  He came out of his restaurant carrying a liter water bottle full of his rose'.  Gee Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore!    Can you imagine that happening in NY?  I think not.  So this is a shout out to Costas, the owner of Aypa restaurant on the Island of Aegina.  If you ever visit the island, please eat at his restaurant. 

Finished our first beautiful day of sailing.  Captain Mark was very patient and even let us sleep late.  We left the dock around 9:30 (though Mark would probably say 10:00), hoisted the sails, and proceeded to sail all morning.  The wind died down around noon which was perfect timing to go below and make sandwiches for lunch.  

We arrived in Aegina around 2:30.  The port where we were to dock was pretty full.  There was just one small space available.  Docking in Greece is a maneuver that Mark had never done before.  In essence, you lower the anchor and back in.  Bernice was at the bow controlling the anchor, Sue was in charge of the fenders (making sure there was a fender between our boat and any other structure), and Becky was in the stern ready to throw a dock line to someone on the dock.  Captain Mark was in full control the whole time.  Our docking was smooth and we did it in one try!  Wow, we are AWESOME!  We are now ashore, exploring the island in the middle of a hot day.  Silly tourist.  We found a nice little hotel with an outdoor seating area that was shaded and breezy to enjoy cool refreshing beverages. Two of us are whining about wanting ice cream. You get to guess which two. More later!

We made it to Greece!  The car service on Friday morning was 1/2 hour early, we left Ossining right at 11:00 and made it to JFK, went through security by 12:30! You never know with the traffic in Queens so we were really early, but...you never know. We were able to ditch our bags pretty quickly and then start wandering JFK's new Terminal 4. It's going to be like the new ones in Rome and Heathrow with luxury shops and great dining, but it's still in progress.  It was a nice experience though. The ladies' room areas are huge! (Ok, so you know this isn't Mark writing, right?). The only disappointment--and it was only a disappointment to one of us--is that there was no Starbucks. 

The plane ended up leaving two hours late and was filled with kids who screamed and whined throughout the night, but that could happen anywhere.  Unfortunately, it happened to us.  Oh, and there were also two cute little traveling dogs.  Next time, we want to sit by the dogs, who were quiet and well-behaved. Skip ahead to our awakening unrefreshed this morning and arriving in Athens only 45 minutes late. We had no adventures in passports and customs.  In fact, customs at Athens consists of a few inattentive employees (two in uniforms, one in civvies and looking like someone's cranky, missing grandma) studying their cellphones while people push their piles of luggage past the empty tables that, seemingly, are meant for luggage that is being opened and checked.  One of us has been through this Customs area four times now and has never seen anyone taking notice of the luggage that is wheeled through. Possibly the Greeks want to take advantage of anything anyone is willing to bring them these days.  Gone are the days of "Greeks bearing gifts." 

The most exciting part of the day, and I do mean exciting, was our taxi ride with Theo from the airport.  It was about a half hour drive to the marina but Theo made the drive very efficiently.  For instance, he was going 140 kph (I was cursed with a view of the speedometer) as he entered a curve posted at 50 kph. For anyone trying to shake off the sleepiness left over from the long night this was the cure. We will get back to you with the mph equivalencies, but let's just agree that it was really fast.

It is very hot here.  But it's a dry heat.  And tomorrow we sail!

So part of the discussion on the way over to the airport was, which one of you will be joining me at the Greek bars for the evening? The conclusion is that Becky is my woman, probably with Bernice as an occasional backup. Word has it that Beck stays up until 1am anyways, so I am sure she will have nothing better in mind than reading her book whilst drinking Ouzo and munching on some roasted Octopus.

An update on the boat. Our email from the charter company says the boat we originally booked was recently damaged, so we have been upgraded to a 2009 Bavaria 43. Google it. This boat is sweet.

Perhaps our followers are wondering, "How will I ever know who is writing these posts?"  Here is a foolproof guide:  Bernice will always be talking about practical things and planning (mostly having to do with food; that's my bet); Sue is very outdoorsy so she will probably speak admiringly of the scenery; while Mark is the one who will always work roasted octopus into the conversation.  Look to the left for the Kamini Yacht Club of Hydra island "burgee." Yes, that is an octopus. It will be a theme of our trip. I hope Cap'n. Mark can get the t-shirt.  For those not in the know (like me), a "burgee" is a usually triangular, colorful flag with the emblem of a yacht or recreational sailing club. Isn't it swell how I'm getting the lingo already? I'm the landlubber in the group so you can learn along with me.  Did somebody say "pirates"?!!

In 15 hours, the car service will be here (I hope) to take us to the airport.  We have printed out our boarding passes and are almost packed.  Next I need to weigh our bags to be sure they meet the limitations.  hmmmm.  The temperature in Greece has been in the low 90's and sunny.  I expect, however, that we will not experience the high humidity that we have been having in NY.  That will be a relief! 

Today Becky, apparently having fully packed already, had plenty of time to research. She found this website of Hydra, which gives everyone a taste of where we'll be in just a few short days:
http://www.hydra.gr/en/hydra-ydra/
If that does not make our readers jealous, just think of roast octopus, and you will wish you were with us.