I woke up very early this morning for the journey through the Saronic Islands. It took be 45 minutes to walk across the port to the berth that the boat for the cruise was. It was a long walk and I was pretty tired after it. I was greeted when I boarded the ship but 2 characters dressed up. They took pictures of me with them as well.

I looked around the ship, which was 3 stories big. The bottom floor was  a dining hall, the second floor had some outdoor seating and then had a room with sliding glass doors all the way around it so it was like and indoor/outdoor room, and the top deck was all outdoor seating. I love being outside and I love the ocean breeze in my face, so I found a place to sit on the top deck.

I got there pretty early, because that’s how I am, and there weren't a whole lot of people there yet. But by the time the ship left the port, the whole ship was full. And to my surprise, the SAS trip to the Saronic Islands was on the same ship. So there ended up being 100 of my fellow classmates on the trip as well. So much for a day on my own.

On this journey, we visited the islands of Hydra, Poros, and Aegina.
        Hydra is different from the other Saronic Islands with its white, red and pink houses built in tiers. Substantial stone mansions and white, tiled houses climbing up from a perfect horseshoe harbor create a beautiful spectacle; this harbor also once served as a safe haven for Saronic pirates. Once a fashionable artists’ colony, Hydra has metamorphosed into one of the more popular (and expensive) resorts in Greece. The small, narrow stone-paved streets can be explored on foot or by the island’s traditional “vehicle”—the saddled donkey. Hydra is also reputedly hallowed by no less than 365 churches.
       
        Poros is in fact two islands separated from each other by a shallow engineered canal. Views of the harbor and the town from the ship are picturesque. The waterfront area, filled with the many cafés, is quite animated. Upon arrival, explore Poros at your leisure for approximately 50 minutes. At the center of this small island, note the Sanctuary of Poseidon where the Athenian orator and politician Demosthenes committed suicide in 323 BCE.

        Well-positioned on the trade routes, Aegina was once a prosperous maritime center and a rival to Athens. The Aeginetans were first among the people of Greece to mint their own coins, and they also created a standardized system of weights and measures. Today, Aegina has become an inexpensive resort for Athenians. A primary attraction for visitors is the beautiful Temple of Aphaia, one of the most complete and visually complex ancient buildings in Greece. Situated on a promontory, the temple also offers superb views of Athens and Piraeus across the water.

It was about a 3 hour ride to the first island, which was also the island that was the furthest away. I found a great seat at a table in the sun next to the edge of the ship. I really enjoyed having the ocean air in my face. An Egyptian couple came and sat with me at the table and they were very friendly. I managed to fall asleep during the trip so I was able to get a little cat nap in which gave me some extra and much needed energy.

The first island, Hydra, was a very mellow island. When I got off the ship I ran into more SAS people, this time staff members. I walked with one of them and her husband around the island. It was very pretty and there were a lot of Donkeys!

When I got back on the ship, it was time for lunch, kinda. They decided to break up the ship into 2 different shifts for lunch because the dinning hall is not big enough for 300 people. I was in the second shift though, so I made my way back upstairs to relax and drink a ton of water.

We made it to the second island, Poros, where we only had about 40 minutes to walk around. I stuck with just going in the shops close to the boat.

When I got back on the ship, it was my shifts turn for lunch. I went into the dining hall and they sat me down at a table with 3 other people. They were a family with a mother and son and grandmother from Chicago. Before the boat left, I was looking outside and somehow a fire started on the hillside on the island. There were huge flames and black smoke taking over. I had never seen anything like that in my entire life! We left before anything was being done about it, so I wonder how long it took them to get the fire out.

The food that they served us was absolutely terrible First was a salad with tuna and olives pilled on top of it. Then they served a Greek dish that could have been good if they hadn't had to make it for 300 people. The final course was a lemon square which was actually good and the only thing that I enjoyed.

During lunch, there was a group of children sitting in the booth behind my table. They were part of the first lunch shift so they weren't eating, they were playing cards. I have never heard of a group of people being that loud playing cards before. I got annoyed and turned around in my seat and told them they needed to quite down. That didn’t work at all. The old lady at my table was getting a headache from the screaming of the children, so she asked a waiter to tell them to quite down. The waiter tried but of course that didn’t work either. It was way to hot for me to just sit there and do nothing, so I got out of our booth and walked over to their table and gave those kids a lecture of a lifetime. I completely went off on them just like a very frustrated teacher would. I managed to dumb down everything I said to the most simple sentences possible. I also gave them my famous death look and it seemed to do the trick. They stopped making noise after that.

After lunch there was still about an hour left till the final island, so I moved back outside to sit in the breeze.

When we got to the final island, they had given us the option to do it on our own for 2 hours, or to pay a small price for a guided tour. I choose to do the guided tour of the island. I got on the air conditioned bus (a very nice relief) and got the best seat on the bus. The tour showed us around the island as well as the ruins and the church.

We got back to the ship and started the 1.5 hour journey back to Piraeus. It was very very hot at this time of the day and the trip seemed to take forever. I was very happy when we finally got back.

It was a good trip, but made me miss Dubrovnik even more! I got back to the ship and packed my bags for Mykonos. We would be leaving on the 7:15am ferry the next morning.

After everything was all packed, I got in bed and passed out!