Well, Athens is turning out to be interesting. The place has had an economic hand grenade thrown at it and you don't have to go far to see it. Opposite our place is a beautiful colonial style hotel that's been boarded up. it's a testament to the people of Athens that it hasn't been plundered or wrecked. it's just there, no for sale signs, just a statement of what's happened here. The sad bit is that it'll never return to it's former glory. As for us, we decide t...

It was a right bunfight getting onto the Athens bus from Patras.....quite chaotic. Maybe it's because the railways have become unreliable that there were so many waiting to get on board the buses. Me managed to get on though without too much fuss. We were pretty fagged and shagged from the ferry trip...so the bus trip allowed us to nod off and dribble over the poor fellow passenger who was sitting next us. That said though, between the naps there was once again...

After the fun of getting to the ferry last night, we sat on deck with the truckers who made up the majority of the passengers. And a beery leery lot they looked as well. The ferry was a working one and so lots of trucks on board from Eastern Europe either heading home to Albania or taking goods to Greece. It was good to see the lights of Bari move away from us. The wind picked up and everyone headed indoors. There was a seated area where the likes of us traveller...

Despite the boozines of our liquid lunch yesterday, we'd managed to have an early night and so it was an early start. 7.30am.showered, then breakfast. We pack the bags and do the usual lugging of the gear down the stairs. We thank the family for their great hospitality and check out. It's fun lugging the gear down the 200 steps down to the port. We are however for once on time and sort out the tickets for the hydrofoil. It's an uneventful crossing. We were right ...

We arise at 7.30am, it's 24 Deg C. and a gorgeous day. We've arranged with the hotel owners to stay another night and agree that after breakfast we'll get down to doing the research for the next leg. Breakfast as usual is something we'd all have for tea back home. Amongst the treacle tart and gateaux, Grant finds some French toast and Nutella. I opt for coffee and orange juice. After a shower etc, we get the now fully charged tablet and plan the next leg. prepar...