Away from Bodrum

I spent most of yesterday travelling away from Bodrum. Not far, just to Hydra on the other side of the Aegean.  Unfortunately to go West, I have to first fly North. I  keep meeting Greeks who have really enjoyed holidaying in Turkey and Turks who have loved visiting Greece and I'm hoping that one day this will encourage airlines to put on direct Athens-Bodrum flights.  Until this happens, I leave home at 7:30 am and, via two planes, a lot of sitting around and a hydrofoil, get to Hydra at 9pm. I haven't picked my dates well this time. My tiny Bodrum garden is belatedly bursting into flower and I'm missing the first canna lilies, blooming honeysuckle and the delight of sitting beside a newly flowering jasmine on a warm evening. When I get back it will be time to move to the country so only the site's feral cat population will enjoy the scented sun-trap.  I also hadn't anticipated how important May 1st is in Greece; I am travelling at one of the busiest times of the year. I  risked being stranded on the island as all the ferries have been booked  for weeks but was lucky to be in the right place at the right time last night to book a seat out next week. 

I am also missing a very busy week-end in Bodrum. There is the  Global Run around the centre of Bodrum, (click here to read about last year's run. 2014 Bodrum Global Run), a Black Sea Festival on one side of the town and a folk celebration at Pedasa on the other, not forgetting the last cake sale before summer in Gumbet.   

I'm not expecting much sympathy as I'm on one of the most picturesque islands of Greece and, having just joined Instagram, I am finding a suitable photo opportunity around every corner, but as I'm cutting back on internet access I'm rationing myself to just one a day.  You'll have to click on the instagram logo on the right to see what today's is.