This “one at a time hotel room”, or rather our “Superior Room”, permits only one person to prepare for the day e.g. to shower and dress. Dearest F did so first leaving me to navigate the tiny space and get ready which I did. I looked for Dearest F, I and T in the breakfast room but they had gobbled and ran so I skipped breakfast, which in any case looked on the minimally interesting side and headed to the sea boardwalk and caught up with the gang but not before purchasing a rather unique and folksy icon bargaining the price down by 60 Euros. Cash deals are always the best way to bargain. I had promised myself when leaving Toronto for this trip I would not purchase another icon but this one with its folksy style caught my eye and wallet!
We walked to the left of the main square and admired the coastline of Hydra.
We headed to the right of the square and visited the Museum of History and Archives. When travelling in many countries in Europe one may be easily afflicted by various “fatigues” one of them being “museum fatigue”. Geez seeing the name of “Museum of History and Archives” does not exactly act as a vaccine against “museum fatigue” but reluctantly I entered.
In 1918 the Historic File Museum of Hydra was founded by a shipowner and benefactor Gikas N. Koulouras who donated the building to the Municipality of Hydra in 1952. Antonious D. Lignos, doctor and the mayor of Hydra for over 40 years, sorted and transcribed all the files pertaining to Hydra which he found in storerooms inside the Holy Church of Dormition in Hydra. The Museum contains a File Department, a Library Department and a Museum Department.
The Museum Department has two levels; the ground floor displaying exhibits from the Balkan and the two World Wars and in the antechamber there are traditional costumes for Hydra and figureheads from Greek battleships. Most impressive are a collection of portraits of famous Hydra navy commanders many with eyes that peer at you to the extent that when walking around the exhibit area one feels that they are following you. These portraits were the highlight of the museum to the extent I returned to them two more times. Hydra has given birth to many well-known naval commanders. My impression this is very much a seafarer’s museum. I felt I was on the deck of the Pequod hunting for Moby Dick.
As we left the museum ominous dark clouds could be seen in the distance prompting my urging the gang to get a move on. If only they had listened to me!
