The Hydra Meetup 2013

[oblivion]

wow, jarkko you´re getting better and better!
margaret i will miss you ! i thought we could talk about Laos and the elephant-village
hope to see you somewhere else
ute

[daniD.]

..........yes, me and oli will stay at erofili as well.........

left days counting dani

[hydriot]

The island is on fire ... again. Fortunately, it does not look as serious as the last devastating one a few years ago.

We were turned back from approaching the Miramare at Mandraki about lunch-time as the hotel was in danger. (As usual it looks like it began at the city dump above the hotel). For the past six hours, the gallant Greek airborne fire service has been briefly landing its flying-boats alongside Vlichos, scooping up water and then 'bombing' the hillside. They seem now to have got the flames outside the nunnery of Matronis extinguished and the fire contained around the dump and kept away from the hotel. My concern is I see some smoke rising from the south side of the island near Limnionitza, and as I write it is nearly dusk when the aircraft will have to depart.

We have had a lot of wind over the past two days, but it feels calmer today, so let us hope the fire does not spread too far down the sparsely populated south coast overnight.

[lizzytysh]

Praying for Hydra... all aspects.

[Suemerlyn]

Hydriot - oh no, please keep us posted!!

[joyezekiel]

Hydriot - oh no, please keep us posted!!

How awful. Thanks for keeping us posted, Hydriot. We're due to arrive this Wednesday, so fingers crossed and hope those winds stay away.

Joy

[hydriot]

Overnight, the fire did not spread (windless night thank goodness) and was fully extinguished by the following morning. No more aircraft. Today, there is nothing untoward visible from the port. I walked to Episcopi, in the far southwest, on Saturday from where you can see all the south coast up to Cape Rigas (so about half way along the south coast): there was no burnt vegetation, which was a great relief.

However, locally the fire was severe. At the Miramare Hotel (Mandraki Bay) you can see that the fire reached the front-door to the beach, stopped only by the road acting as a fire-break. It came very close to some of the houses above the road to the port. The whole hillside west and south of the hotel is charred black. I have heard that fortunately the three monasteries up there, St Nicholas, Triados and Matronis are all untouched and safe.

As usual, it began at the rubbish dump. When will the municipality learn?

[joyezekiel]

Good news.... Thanks for the update.

[joyezekiel]

We arrived yesterday, and haven't seen anything of the fires, thank goodness. The weather is perfect..... quite hot when we went hiking in the hills today, but cooler in the evening.

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week!

Joy and Mark

[Sophia]

Welcome, Joy and Mark:-)
Safe travels everyone, see you next week:-)

Sophia

[Suemerlyn]

Hi all Hydra Leonard gathering visitors this year ( 2013) - I would say Hydriots, but that may be taking your forum name in vain, Hydriot!

As some of you who are already there will have seen/heard from Jarkko, I'm really sorry not to be joining you all this year. My flight, hotel in Athens and accommodation of Hydra was all organised, and my participation in the Epidaurus boat trip on Friday. BUT...

My youngest son has been suddenly taken seriously ill, and we are waiting to hear his operation date - means I could not come and had to cancel everything.

Hope you all will have a splendid time and I will be thinking of you in between thinking about my son, Kris.

Hopefully I will see some of you at the O2 in London 21 June, and in Pula, Croatia at the Roman amphitheatre Leonard gig.

Love to you all. x

[anneporter]

Oh, Sue, I was so looking forward to seeing you again and hearing your music!
My thoughts are with you and your son. I hope all goes well.

Here's hoping we'll meet again, soon.
And we will raise a glass and a song or two or three... In your honour!

Anne