Pietro and Fabrizio Caróla at Da Barba Dimas.

This summer the island acquired a couple of splendid new attractions. Not only Jazzmin’s jazz club but also a real asset for the palate in the form of authentic Italian cuisine. Da Barba Dimas is owned and run by a team who hail from Naples, father and son, Fabrizio and Pietro Caróla.

A great alternative dining experience and reasonably priced for us village folk when we do escape to the megalopolis of Hydra Town, ‘Little Italy’ in a very short time has earned a reputation for scrumptious food and splendid hospitality. They also stock wines from their hometown region.

We wish them a long and prosperous stay on the Rock.

Anybody get it?

Not quite as outlandish as the artistic ‘happening’ that involved a grilled shark and a glass coffin of two summers ago, this astounding “sculpture” on the Kamini coast road gets our vote as a close second for the most incomprehensible art form to grace our island recently.

Titled ‘Space In-between,” the pair of golden wrapped ‘walls’ was part of an event for the Eleventh Plateau—a performance only understood by those familiar with new-age-type convictions.

We did not enquire as to the cost of the event because as anyone in the ‘know’ will tell you, one cannot put a value on art, which is in the eye of the beholder. Still, we prefer the natural sunset beauty unhindered by a golden barricade—at no cost, though that is neither here nor there.

And the Runner-up is...

It was a sprint to the finish, and despite predictions that it could not be done, Jazzmin’s opened on Saturday night in style–albeit with the paint barely dry. Attended by almost all the usual suspects and then some, it was an evening of generously poured complementary wine and beer, delicious snacks by Tobias, and some down-to-earth live jazz performed by Karolos Voutsinas and a Cuban/jazz band. The event incorporated added colour in the form of Alexis Averbuck’s most recent artwork, which will be exhibited through August and into September.

A genuine Jazz club, the first of its kind on Hydra, Jazzmin’s provides a change of venue and pace and is a much-needed asset to the island. For those who remember, this place was last open was in the early 1990s as Disco Kavos, with throbbing house music into the wee hours. Who says things change for the worst? 

The Kamini Comet management, staff, associates, underlings, and their dogs wish Sergei, Karolos, and the rest of the team all the best. We’ll be rooting for you!

What with all the negative news floating about; strikes, riots, economical woes of depressing proportions— not to mention the world news… we thought we would weigh in with problems of our own. Tight parking in the village has added to the squeeze!!

You think you have parking problems

Reduced rubbish collection, fewer municipal cleaning staff, an under manned post office… all part of the governmental austerity measures, which are not going down well.

"I distinctly heard one of them say it was a ducking mess!!!"