Day 8 - Cruise to Hydra, Poros, Aegina, Final Dinner and MORE...

Our day began before the sun came up. We had a 45 minute drive to the pier to board the boat for our cruise with stops to the islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina.

The first leg of the cruise was three hours giving our exhausted students plenty of time to catch some zzz's. In fact, most of the group could be found snoozing in booths on the lower level of the ship. We came aboard about an hour before launch so we had sleeping location options.

As the sun came up, a few of us ventured two levels up to the upper deck to see the sites. The weather was crisp and cool and warmed up as the Sun peeked through. About 150 people joined us on this cruise and there was plenty of space for everyone to get a great spot.

Before too long, we disembarked at our first island, Hydra. This picturesque little town has no cars or mopeds. You get there by boat and travel around by foot or donkey!

After we returned to the boat, we enjoyed a nice buffet style lunch with an organist playing live music while we ate. Shortly after lunch, we were ready for our 45-minute stop on the island of Poros. At this stop there were lots of quaint shops to explore. A few of us hiked up more steps to enjoy the views near the clock tower. Then, we were back on board.

Our final stop was Aegina and we had one hour and forty-five minutes to explore at this location. This stop included another archaeological site (we opted out) and shopping for souvenirs and the pistachios for which the island is famous. Two of us enjoyed a traditional Greek Mass and story sharing over desserts and coffee. It was time well spent!

Back on the ship, we enjoyed more naps and more Grerk music from the organist. Then an evening of Greek dance performances with a wardrobe change and lots of group participation--some voluntary, some not so much. As the cruise came to a close, we ended the night with a sampling of music from around the world. We had a wonderful time Opa!

We wrapped up the evening with a family dinner and packing because the next day we were heading home! Hotel departure was the earliest yet, 5:45am!