August 10 – 16, 2015 —
Poros became our next destination. It is just off the Peloponnisos peninsula allowing us several options for touring and also has a good fast ferry service to Athens for Kathy and Brad to return at the end of their stay. There is a convenient anchorage just off the town of Poros, located on a small peninsula at the southwestern part of the island. The Poros waterfront is busy with restaurants and cafes, clothes shops, souvenir stores, motor bikes, ferries and water taxis. Typical of Greece in the summer, it is quieter in the afternoon than the evening, when it is crowded until after midnight with people enjoying the cooler evening air.
The town is built on the side of a hill with narrow streets winding their way throughout the neighborhoods. We noticed that there are no street signs or house numbers to identify an address. When we asked a local about this, she commented that everyone just knows. And that’s that…
We couldn’t decide between taking a side trip to Navplion or Hydra.
After finding rental cars all booked, which was the only way to get to Navplion we decided on plan B and went to Hydra for the day on the thirty minute fast ferry. 
Hydra is a pedestrian island. No motor vehicles or even bicycles are allowed anywhere on the island. Luggage to hotels and merchandise to stores are delivered by either donkey or pushcarts. It is a popular upscale tourist island also with narrow winding streets woven throughout the village.
It had been recommended to us that we not take the boat to Hydra. We now understand why. The harbor at Hydra is small, one end filled with fishing boats, and the other a limited space for yachts. The maneuvering space is small and with the island being a great destination and many boats trying to enter, the traffic jam is a challenge. Add to the volume of traffic, the tangling of anchor chains asnd it provides hours of entertainment for those sitting in cafes watching. We were happy not to participate in that entertainment.
The following day Kathy and Brad took the one hour fast ferry to Athens and a final night there before heading back home. We had a great time with them and Sara enjoyed her time with Kathy and having family aboard.
Between projects on the never ending to-do list, we managed to find a local hotel/restaurant with great WIFI and a pool. Perfect! Twice this week we went there for lunch, where we caught up on computer work, and enjoyed the delightful, clean pool.
While walking the back streets of Poros on Saturday we discovered a local restaurant that was spit roasting lamb for a big holiday festivity that evening with Greek music and dancing. That evening we went back. We had not made a reservation and they were full. They very kindly squeezed us in. Bob decided he would order up the traditional favorite dish of lamb and lamb liver wrapped with intestines. The lamb was ok, but after trying the liver he commented that is was as bad as what his mother served the family growing up. He said the intestines were much better!
During dinner we enjoyed watching the three musicians on guitar, mandolin, and keyboard. With them were two men and one woman doing Greek dancing. Initially it seemed a demonstration but soon they had locals up dancing with them. They were still going strong when we left well after midnight. Since the restaurant was open air and right on the street, when the dancers got going doing a chain, they wove a route throughout the restaurant and into the street. Motor bikes stopped and waited until they danced their way back into the restaurant, and then continued on as if this happens all the time. It probably does.