Poros, Greece

Location: Poros, Greece
Date: September 2015

The only times we could book a ferry was 8 am to the island and also for the return leg. There are several ferries that run from the Athens to the islands. The public ferries to Poros cost €12 however they were only running from 1:30pm and returning at 6am and take about 2 or 3 hours to get to Poros. We decided to go on the privately owned ferries that was a Catamaran, they took 1.5 hours to get to Poros and have better times for leaving. This cost €25 per person each way.

We woke up at 6am to catch the ferry and got a taxi to the harbour. The cost of the taxi was about €6. When we got on the boat we realised why the ferries were so busy, apparently there was a wedding happening on the island and also due to the elections schools were off on the Friday and the Monday we were there.

We got onto the Catamaran and all of us fell asleep, as we were all so exhausted from the night before (see Athens blog post http://theglobeltrotter.blogspot.com/2015/10/athens-greece.html). An hour and a half later we arrived in Poros.

We took a taxi (€7) to the Panorama Apartments http://www.poros.biz/ that we rented our for 2 nights. It was for a four bedroom self service apartment, the total cost for the apartment was €96 which we split between the three of us. It was on top of a hill over looking the sea.  There was everything we needed for two days there, it was also very clean and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Highly recommend staying here.  We managed to check in early, so we dropped our stuff off at the hotel and made our way down the hill to the Panorama Cafe for breakfast, this is where we would end up have breakfast both mornings. It is not affiliated with the apartment however, as a guest of the apartment you do get 10% off your bill.  Sticking to my gluten free meals, I opted for the greek yoghurt, fruit and honey. The yoghurt was deliciously thick and the balance of fruit and honey made it just the right sweetness. The first morning I had a cold chocolate (basically hot chocolate only cold!) and the second morning I had fresh orange juice . Leila loved El Frappe (iced coffee)  and had one almost everywhere we went!  as well as a vegetarian breakfast, which was basically toast and jam.  Stef had a pastry with cheese and ham. Altogether both mornings our bill came to roughly about €20.

After breakfast we crossed the road to the beach, which offered free deck chairs and umbrellas. We went for a dip in the water. I had brought my goggles looking forward to what I might find. I found that there was fish with a black spot (Saddled Bream) on their tail and other fish with orange  and some with yellow markings. One fish had a zebra type pattern and at one point started attacking me and my friend. It was quite funny though.  I also saw a small plaice and swimming next to them were a couple of fish smaller fish. The water was very clear and easy to see to the bottom. The sea was also very calm. We spent our day sunbathing and swimming, which was very relaxing.

Lunch time and Stef and I got hungry, Leila stayed on the beach while we went in search of food. Across the street from the beach next to the Panorama Cafe was the Panorama Restaurant. Everywhere you sit down to eat, they will always serve bread and dip on the table.  I had the vegetable risotto and Stef had grilled chicken and rice, all tasted great. We got Leila some aubergine chips with mint dip. The total charge came to about €18. Back to the beach for a quick dip and a bit more sunbathing, then we headed back to the apartment. All that heat and sun made us very sleepy so we all took a nap before getting ready for out night out in the main town. 

Another short taxi ride later (€5) we were in the town. We walked down the street by the water, on the waters edge were several expensive yachts and one of them emitted a blue light into the water which attracted hundreds of tiny fish. As we walked further along the street we  came across some souvenir stores. They had you usual tourist items; fridge magnets, shot glasses, T shirts etc. There was also items that were only from Greece such as olive oil soap with all different fragrances. We took this opportunity to buy our various gifts and then we made our way up to The Platanos Taverna restaurant. 

We wanted to get off the main street so we headed up a small staircase and made our way through the tiny walk way streets, that gave us more a traditional feel. It was amazing to think that just one street up  and we were away from all the hustle and bustle of the street below. We past lots of stray cats and  even saw a gecko.  Climbing up closer towards the Clock Tower (which sat at the top of the hill and was one of the main features in the town.) 

As we got closer to The Taverna we could hear traditional greek music playing. When we arrived there were 3 musicians and one of them has a traditional instrument that looks like a guitar called the Bazuki. We sat down and ordered various dishes,  Greek salad, Hot beetroot with a strong garlic dip, Stef and I shared a seafood risotto and Leila had baked aubergine. Leila had a beer that was  500 ml and cost €3, amazingly cheap, the total cost of the meal was . They were all delicious and whilst we were eating various customers at the restaurant got up to dance to the music. When we finished we were all full and decided that we need to go for a walk to work off the food and visit a Gelato place that we had passed on the waterside for dessert.

As we walked further along the water side we passed lots of stray cats, we came across one of the stray cats staring at the water like he was on the hunt. When we looked over the side we could see shoals of tiny little fish. It was the cutest site. We passed  bars and restaurants along the way. All of them had seating inside and out. We settled down outside of that that was playing various 90's music a waitress came to take our order and we ordered some cocktails. They cost about €8 each, however they were quite weak and did not taste great. Leila's tasted like sun tan lotion!! The hours flew by as we caught up and by the time we knew it, it was around 3 am. We decided to head back and catch some sleep.  The taxi rank was nearby and as soon as we crawled into bed, lights went out till 10am!

We wanted to make the most of the sunshine so we made our way to the Cafe for breakfast. After eating we hailed a taxi to take us to a quiet cove called Love Bay. It was about a 10 min drive away and cost about €7. You could purchase sun beds and umbrellas for €2.50 each. There were also 2 hammocks that were extremely comfortable to lay in. The atmosphere was very relaxed there was only about 10 of us on the beach and love songs played the whole day. The water was not as still as its the side of the island where the boats come in so the waves ripple towards the cove, however the water was still nice, my goggles broke so I was unable to see what was around us. Leila and I hired a kayak which €5 for half an hour. I made Leila do all the work while I lounged in the back! may I add she did a very good job :).

After our jaunt in the kayak, combined with heat and the sun I ended up in the hammock having a snooze for about 15 mins. Afterwards we decided to get a snack and walked down the street taking in the view about 10 mins later we reached a corner store, purchased some snacks and sat outside to eat. We made friend whilst we were eating and he was very disappointed to see us leave in the taxi. However he turned around and went to the next group of people he came across, clearly not that sad. We headed back to the apartment to got ready for dinner and headed back down to the Panorama Restaurant for our final dinner. 

Sunrise from our balcony

The mood was somber as it was our last night but the food made up for it. For starters we had a cheesy filo pastry and courgette chips with mint dip. For mains Stef and I both has a souvlaki, however I had vegetables instead of the wrap and Leila had stuffed peppers with feta. The cheese in Greece is amazing, very difficult if you are vegan though! Leila and I shared 250ml of wine that costs €2.50. The total cost of the meal was about €37. After dinner, we headed back to the apartment to sleep. We had to be up at 6am again to catch the ferry. 



We got a taxi back down to the harbour. When we got there we could see the dark clouds in the distance. Glad we got the early taxi because there would have been a chance we would have been stranded on the island, though none of us really wanted to leave, we had a plane to catch and still had to see a bit more of Athens before then. We boarded the ferry and again fell fast asleep. 

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Athens, Greece

Location: Athens, Greece
Travel: Sept 2015

In May my friend Leila and I had decided to go and visit our friend Stef who lives in Athens. We wanted to go when it would still be hot and sunny but we wanted to avoid the peak times during school holidays and try to keep the trip as economical as possible.

Checking flights we discovered that Ryan Air had single flights from London Stanstead to Athens for £40 per person. However the return was going to be more expensive, so we shopped around for single flights from Athens back to London Heathrow and settled on British Airways Flights that were £100 (€135) per person. We booked flights leaving on the 17th September and returning on the 21st September .

I had never been to Greece before and did not really know what to expect, a few people had told me that it was not that great, however I didn't want that to cloud my judgement. The big day finally arrived and we were excited to be leaving for Athens. Leaving London it had been cold and when we exited the plane, you could feel the warmth on your face. The flight was 3 1/2 hours and arriving at midnight; our friend Stef was waiting to collect us. We were only spending 1.5 days in Athens so we wanted to make the most of it. The first thing you will notice, if you use the bathroom at the airport, is that you are not allowed to throw your toilet paper into the toilet in Greece, you need to use the bin provided. Their sewer system is so old that this can block the system. 

We had booked ourselves into the Atlantic hotel in the Kallithea area of Greece not too far from the harbour (http://www.atlantic-hotel.gr/).  Staff were generally friendly, the hotel was clean and this was the view from our balcony. There was free wifi, however it was slow and only available downstairs in the dinning/ sitting area. But this was not a problem as we were on holiday and didn't want to use our phones too much.

After checking in to the hotel, we decided to get some food from a place close by. The greeks have a big food culture. So even though by this time it was about 1am we still managed to find a place open to get some food nearby.  We purchased  2 vegetable souvlakis, which contained salad, potatoes and wrap,  and 3 bottles of water. This came to €7, Leila and I thought that this would be each but we were astonished when my friend said in total! Score!  There are a lot of stray dogs and cats around greece and when leaving we came across a stray dog, he looked a bit like a boxer crossed with something else. He had pale blue eyes and was extremely friendly. We waited with Stef at the bus stop and he decided to join us. After Stef left we called it a night and our little buddy followed us back to the hotel. Unfortunately we didn't see him again.

The next morning the temperature was beginning to heat up and was around 30 degrees C. We met with Stef at a place called Gregorias. This I would say is like the greek version of Gregs bakery. They sell pastries and baked goods and they are all over Athens! Here we purchased 2 Spanakotiropitas; pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese. I had a fresh orange juice and Leila had el frappe; iced coffee. Again the total came to €7.20. I try to eat gluten free as I am intolerant to wheat and I thought I would find it difficult avoiding it on my trip, every where you look there is pastry and bread.

Stef had organised our whole trip and we had a busy day ahead of us. We purchased bus tickets from a local vendor. Bus schedules in Athens are on an as and when basis. As the driver is ready (in between cigarette and coffee breaks) and when they eventually decide to show up. If you are in a hurry, bus would not be the way to go. However we had plenty of time and didn't mind the wait. We waited about half an hour for the bus we needed and then made our way to the centre of Athens.

Athens is a city steeped in history. getting off the bus  we walked less than a hundred yards when we came across some old ruins that used to be Roman Baths.

A few meteres away from the Baths was the

original Gates to the Acropolis.  The Acropolis is the hill upon which the Parthenon sits. There was also ruins of an old market place near by. We then made our way to the base of the hill.

Entrance to the Acropolis and Parthenon cost €12 and we decided to take the short route up the hill. I would recommend wearing walking shoes as there are quite a few stairs, also don't forget your water! Because of the heat and the steep climb you will definitely need it. We past ruins of an old theatre. It was amazing to see the old Athens with a backdrop of the new surrounding it. The heat was quite intense and there is not really anywhere to shelter. however on the way up there are olive trees that you can rest under if you need to escape a bit of direct sunlight.   

The Parthenon

At the top we made it to the Parthenon. On the ground leading up to it was marble dispersed around the ground, through time it has become worn away, smooth and slippery. However the colours in the marble came through as a burnt red and black. You could imagine a grand entrance leading up to it.

The Parthenon itself was a work of art you could see that there would have been colour in the stone work and even though there has been wearing away because of weather it has been sanding there for centuries. With its majestic columns, every bit of detail, statues and finishing stones was an amazing sight to behold. The amount of work and time it would take to create such delicate pieces would have been immense.

Temple of Athena

Next to the Parthenon was an old temple to Athena, which had replica statues of 5 women guarding it. The original ones can be found in the Acropolis museum along with other important pieces that have been removed in order to preserve what is left. We made our way down the hill towards the museum, where we passed small stalls with artists painting and displaying their work.

Compared to the ruins, the Acropolis Museum is a shiny brand new building with added air conditioning to escape the heat, if you so wish. It has been designed very well. The entrance has a glass walk way and beneath your feet are the remains of an old well that has been excavated. We paid €5 to go in. I was carrying a back pack and to make sure no pieces go missing from the museum they make you leave your bags at a cloak room where they give you a tag to collect when you finish, this was free.

The museum was not too busy and inside were a lot of pieces. I think it is a good idea to visit the museum after the Parthenon because it makes you appreciate the items more. Again the detail and the colours stood out on the stone designs. We got to see the statues from the temple of athena and the detail was breath taking. The way the stone was carved to make the clothing look like movement and folds in the dresses. Even the the  detail of the hair, everything meticulously done and each one was different.

Inside the museum is a restaurant and cafe which has terrace outside for those who want to soak up some more sun. Because it is more of a tourist destination it is a bit more pricey however this did not put us off. Stef and I had greek yoghurt with fruit and that was about €5 each. Leila had a dessert called Galaktoboureko, which is a sticky sweet pastry with a custard filling and it had an essence of Mastic (sap from a tree that only grows in greece) in the sauce. I had a taste and wanted more! but Leila was having none of it ;). This cost around €6.

There is so much history below you feet that even in the underground, history is all around you, there are excavations of old viaducts and statues. Trip on the underground and a

bus ride later, the rest of the day was spent catching up with Stef and her sister Kat and family. That evening we went to a travel agents and booked our tickets for the ferry to Poros. It was surprisingly busy and the only times we could get were for an 8 am ferry there and back. There are several ferries that run from the Athens to the islands. The public ferries cost €12 however they were only running from 1:30pm and returning at 6am and take about 2 or 3 hours to get to Poros. We decided to go on the privately owned ferries that was a Catamaran, they took 1.5 hours to get to Poros and have better times for leaving. This cost €25 per person each way.

It was an exhausting day, but we decided to make the most of our only night in Athens. In the evening, we went back to our hotel got dressed up and went out for food and a drink. On the corner of the street where we stayed was a restaurant called K Grill. The food was good, but the only down side is that even though smoking inside is banned in Greece, it still happens and there were people smoking on either side of us.  Coming back to the gluten free experience, I decided I was going to try and avoid wheat where possible on the trip. I had a souvlaki without the wrap and cheese stuffed peppers, we also shared a salad between us. Our total bill came to about €20.

After dinner we went for drink at a bar called Momo. It was a nice bar with a garden outside. It was decorated with fairy lights and there was even a swing chair at one of the tables. The cocktails were about €8 each. We had to be up early the next morning to catch the ferry so we decided to call it a night.

(See Poros, Greece -http://theglobeltrotter.blogspot.com/2015/10/poros-greece.html)

Our last day in Athens, we arrived off the ferry at about 9:30am. There were dark clouds rolling in and about 10 mins after arriving the winds picked up. Once you experience a thunderstorm in Athens it makes you appreciate why the ancient greeks thought the gods resided there. Everyone was scrambling to bring things in and lock things down. The wind and rain were so strong that as we walked towards the train station we were almost hit by a chair and a sandwich board! We sheltered in the train station and then got onto a train. As we pulled out of the station we could hear the loud thunder and see the lightning. We were then told that a tree had fallen onto the track and that the train would only be going to a certain station. A couple of stops later we got off the train in Kallithea. The rain was pouring. Stef told me that Athens has a tendency to flood. We waited out the storm for about an hour at another Gregorias.

doughnuts on a stick

We took the train to the new market and wondered around the stores. We also went to the Plaka (square) which is next to another ancient market place and from there headed to the Parliament, where all the protests happen and  the guards that stand outside in their traditional uniforms. A short walk from the square were some bead shops. The colours and the array available was impressive and any jewelry maker would spend hours looking around the store.

This was the last few stops before  sadly we made our way back to the airport. It was an amazing trip and fun catching up with old friends. There is still so much to see and I will definitely be visiting again. 

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