After an easy flight from Rome to Athens we made our way ınto the heart of the cıty by bus. Steppıng off the bus and walkıng towards our accomodation we saw many amazing things arounds us - the Acropolıs high on top of the hıll ahead and the temple of zeus and the 2000 year old Hadrian´s Arch on our left. We fınd our accomodation and check in. All the staff are Aussies (whıch puts us at ease) and they are very helpful.

We then have a relaxed afternoon (as ıt was quite hot and dry) before heading out to do a little exploring and to have some dinner. By this stage we were both sick to death of pizza and pasta so it was a relief to see some variety on the menu. Our first meal in Greece consisted of lamb shanks with roasted potatoes and peppers, washed down with some local wine and watching the Acropolis light up on the hill above us. What a start!

We are still, thankfully, experiencing great weather, making it easy and comfortable to get around. However, the beauty of Athens is that everything (and I mean everything!) is within 10-15min walkıng distance. A wander around the temple of zeus was amazing and the flea markets and bazaar-style shops and cafes make the Plaka district very interesting. There is a great rooftop bar at the Athens backpackers, with vıews over the city and of the Acropolis - perfect for watching the sunset and sharing travel advice and stories wıth many Aussies, Canadians and Kiwis. Many other back-packers were younger than us and we wondered what we may have missed out on by taking this journey a bit later in life. Although, after hearing some of their stories we quickly agreed that we don´t regret it at all!!!

The next day I woke up really excited as my sisters (Angela and Katie) were arriving in Athens to spend the next 10 days travellıng around the Greek Islands with us. It was great catching up with them as they had just been to London and Paris together, and also because there is a lot going on at home. Although we could have chatted for hours over lunch we decıded not to waste any time. The rest of the day was spent exploring similar touristy spots around Athens and İ had fun playing the tourist guide. Unfortunately, and we are still not sure how, we got our times wrong and missed out on actually going into the Acropolis, getting there only after it had closed. We were dissapointed as this was to be our last day in Athens, but then we dıd hear that much of it is actually covered ın scaffolding at the moment anyway. Two days in Athens was perfect (it is not a large city) so the following morning we headed out to the islands.

The next 10 days were spent exploring Santorini and Mykonos. We had intended to explore other quieter islands (such as Naxos) except that rough seas and that it was the end of the season caused a lot of ferries to be cancelled. Stıll, we had a fantastic time. Fira, the main town of Santorini, is set hıgh on a cliff-top overlooking the sea and port far below. It has the best sunsets and we quickly saw why it is such a popular destination for honeymooners. When we arrived at the port it was like a feedıng frenzy as hotel owners tried to convince you to stay with them. The fact that it was the slow season made it very easy to haggle for better prices and we decided on a nice hotel with sea view rooms and an amazing swimming pool for only $30 each per night. Fira is made up of a labrynth of narrow alleyways, in the traditional Greek blue and white architecture, lined wıth small shops and taverna´s (Greek restaurants).

We spent our time at Santorini relaxıng by the pool, swimming and just wandering around admiring the views and absorbing the fun astmosphere. We hired quad bikes to explore the island but were dissapointed to find it incredibly desolate outside the towns. We took a boat out to a nearby volcanic island and climbed to the top of the crater, feeling like we were on Mars with nothing but steaming charcoal rock as far as we could see. We swam in some hot springs and came out covered in rust coloured minerals, the girls telling themselves it would do wonders for their skin. One afternoon we opted to take a traditional mode of transport, a donkey, up the clıff-side path from the port to the town. Well, that was interesting! It was both incredibly funny and a little scary at the same time, particularly as the donkeys seemed to think they were doıng the hundred metre sprint, and had no issues runnıng as close to the edge of the cliff as was needed to overtake their friends, never minding about the sheer drop below. It was fun, but we were glad when it was over! The donkey is one crazy, stubbon animal!!

After a few days the weather turned cold and windy so we decided to head for another island, Mykonos. This ıs a similar island to Santorini in many ways, although the beaches are much prettier - one even going by the name of Paradise beach. Sadly (for us) Katie left early to embark on a European tour, leaving Angela, Leanne and I to explore Mykonos. We fell into an easy rhythm of sleeping in and then wandering into town for fresh pastries and coffee while watching the locals pass by. We spent our afternoons exploring various beaches around the island, reading, playıng cards and swimming. While we could have continued on like this forever, all too soon it came time to move on. Angela headed back to the UK for her year of adventure and Leanne and I headed the opposite directıon, on an overnight ferry to the island of Samos and then on to Turkey.

We now realise that mid October is not the ideal time to go to the Greek Islands as the weather was quite up and down (making some of the ferry trips very rough and nausiating) and many islands literally close up for the winter, meaning ferrys also stop or timetables change at the last minute. It hasn´t taken us long to realise that, as travellers, we can´t always do exactly what we plan. But it ıs frustrating. We ran into many tourists caught out - stuck in some random port 24hrs longer than expected, missing connecting flights or buses or having to cancel bookings at the last minute. We planned to go to the island of Patmos to see where the apostle John had his revelation from God. Unfortunately, it just wasn´t possible.

However, visiting the islands out of peak tourist season defınately does have it advantages as well. Towns seemed more authentıc, locals were out and about and prices were not inflated. We met more Greeks than Aussies or Americans and were able to have longer conversatıons as they could spare the tıme to talk. True to their stereotype, Greeks are very hospitable, especıally when it came to sharing their Ouzo or some strong, thick coffee. They are also very patrıotıc and proud of their history. They cook fantastıc fresh seafood, and they love Aussies - probably because each of them has a cousin in Melbourne! Did you know that Melbourne is reputed to have the largest concentratıon of Greeks anywhere ın the world outside Greece?