RENDEZVOUS WITH HYDRA




The next Hydra Meetup (June 12-14, 2009)

Here is something for those who want to return to Hydra, or who missed the 2002 Event or 2005 and 2007 Meetups there, or have severe withdrawal symptoms while waiting for the Summer 2010 Event in Krakow, Poland!

The dates for the meetup on Hydra next summer have been fixed to the weekend June 12-14, plus extra days before and/or after according to everybody's own schedules. (Looks like many will take extra days before the weekend).

We have to underline that this will not be any official gathering, just a meetup for people who want to spend some time on the beautiful island with like-minded Cohenites. This will mean that we do not have any pre-scheduled program nor registration. We will give some advice about the connections from Athens/Piraeus to Hydra and some addresses for booking your accommodation, but all arrangements are up to the travellers themselves.

Early June has been chosen again for several reasons. First of all, the tourist season has not yet begun - there are plenty of rooms available, and the prices are lower than two weeks later. The weather is ideal, not yet hot but warm enough. The restaurants are not full, and serve the most delicious food.

One more time: this unofficial gathering is only for people who want to spend some time together on the beautiful island. There will be no registration, no participation fee, no program, no venue, no concerts. We will choose a good restaurant for every day for dinner, we take some Mythoses at Roloi Bar in the harbour, maybe do some walks in the Hydra city and into the country side, probably have a night videos & music -- it will be more like a holiday! We hope that those who play guitar take their instruments with them!

Connect with the www.leonardcohenforum.com to talk about the Event (select the Hydra section of the Forum).

Some Travel Hints

  • Note: this information was compiled in 2007. We will update the details in Spring 2009 when the summer schedules are available!

  • Book your flight to El.Venizelos, the Athens International Airport

  • You may use either train or bus to get from the airport to Piraeus.
    - If you choose the train: At the airport, go out and follow signs "To Trains". Buy a metro ticket to Piraeus (recently 5 euros per person) Take Line 3 (Blue Line) to the terminal station MONASTIRAKI. At that station, take Line 1 (Green Line), go to the terminal station PIRAEUS. In Piraeus, use the main exit, and turn to left. Go some hundred meters until you are in the front of a very tall house, covered by a huge red advertisement. Go over the street and you have found the Dolphins.

    - If you are arriving in the small hours or for other reasons prefer the bus, then the Piraeus bus (X96) stop is right outside the arrivals entrance. This bus runs right through the night at about half hour intervals Buy your ~3 euro ticket at the kiosk and then validate it in the machine on the bus. This bus will take you straight to the harbour in an hour or an hour and a half depending on the time of day.

  • Take a ferry or Dolphin hydrofoil from Piraeus to Hydra. The Dolphin schedule from Piraeus for weekdays in the beginnig of June 2007: 8 - 8.30 - 10 - 12 - 14 - 14.30 - 16(w) - 17 - 18.30 - 20.15 (w). (w means: not on Sat/Sun). NOTE! Check the exact schedule for your arrival date! Book your tickets on-line at www.hellenicseaways.gr The route is Piraeus - Hydra and it takes about 90 minutes. Online reservations with credit card.

  • Hotel info is available on the following sites (and many others, you may google to find them!): www.hydradirect.com (Operated by Saronicnet), and HYDRA-island.com

  • You may also contact the hotels directly (after finding the info on these or other Hydra travel sites). In early June it will not be difficult to find a room, also in the budget category.



    The 2007 meetup on Hydra (June 8-10, 2007)

    See photos from the Meetup!!!

    Photos © 2007 Eija Arjatsalo, Wijbe & Willy Lageveen, Tom Bohan,
    Elizabeth Bacon-Smith, Martti Müller, Margaret Humphries

    Meetup 2007 participants:

    Arjatsalo, Eija & Jarkko - Finland
    Bacon-Smith, Elizabeth - Florida
    Bohan, Tom - Maine
    Costello, Joe - Ireland
    Darbyshire, Andrew & Tim - Australia
    Egle, Ute - Germany
    Forsyth, Ken - UK
    Franz, Christoph - Germany
    Franz, Henning & Elke - Germany
    Gansbeke, Antoine & De Wispelaere, Monique - Belgium
    Goeschel, Frauke & Nathalie - Germany
    Hiljanen, Sinikka - Finland
    Humphries, Margaret & John - UK
    Jaensch, Juergen - Greece/Germany
    Koutselini, Sofia & friend Maria - Greece
    Lageveen, Willy & Wijbe - Holland
    Meyer, Miriam & Piepenbrock, Nellie - Holland
    Mitchell, Anne - Canada
    Müller, Pirkko & Martti - Finland
    Nedbalek, Dolores - Germany
    Nicolaescu, Laura - Romania
    O’Mahony, Sheila & McSweeney, Helen & Hutchinson, Marian - Ireland
    Peter & family - Germany
    Sak, Alicja, Anna & Kazimierz - Poland
    Sebban, Sam - France
    Smith, Sherry - Switzerland
    Triesch, Sylvia & Volkmar - Germany
    Tsimperis, Demetris - Greece
    Pulverich, Kerstin - Germany
    Rekunen, Sirpa & friend Annemari - Finland
    Sakic, Tom - Croatia
    de Windt, Gerry & Henk; Baudoin, Monique & van der Steen, Henri - Holland
    (54)


    The 2005 meetup on Hydra (June 10-12, 2005)

    See the 2005 photos!

    Participants of the 2005 meetup:

    Arjatsalo, Eija & Jarkko - Finland
    Bacon-Smith, Elizabeth - Florida
    Dolfino, Andrea & Marco - Italy
    Fagerström, Mia - Finland
    Forsyth, Ken - UK
    Franz, Elke & Henning - Germany
    Harvey, Russell - UK
    Hiljanen, Sinikka - Finland
    Humphries, Margaret & John - UK
    Jenkins, Paula & Megan - UK
    Lageveen, Wybe & Willie - Holland
    McSweeney, Sheila & Helen - Ireland
    Meyer, Miriam & Piepenbrock, Nellie - Holland
    Mitchell, Anne - Canada
    Morris, Linda & John - UK
    Müller, Pirkko & Martti - Finland
    Nedbalek, Dolores - Germany
    (27)


    Photo © 2000 Rauli Arjatsalo

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    Last revised on August 29, 2008


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