The harbour district of Aegina

The culinary excursion from Athens to the island of Aegina is rounded off with a long meal in the picturesque harbour district of Aegina after the hike through the olive groves and pistachio plantations, as well as the guided tour of the oil mill in Kipseli.

There was a relaxed atmosphere in the narrow streets around the harbour, even though many weekend visitors from Athens had come to the island today, being Saturday. At the small fish market in the first row of houses on the harbour promenade, you can also find a supermarket with fresh fruit and vegetables. In the tavern next door, the food then comes directly to the table (catch-)fresh or deliciously prepared.

The horse-drawn carriages waiting at the harbour and the run-down ensemble of stately buildings are vintage reminders of that period in the island’s long history when Aegina was the capital of Greece for a few months in 1828, following its liberation from the Ottoman Empire after the successful War of Independence.

Some institutions of our modern 21st-century society seem no less run-down. But it was exactly this authentic mix that made my stay on Aegina so endearing. After a golden sunset, we took the evening ferry back to Piraeus and, after many shared experiences with our friends, celebrated our farewell to Athens at the Odori Bar. Today was a foretaste of the next destination of our journey in autumnal Greece: the Cycladic island of Santorini.