Saturday-John: Spyros collects us in his Jaguar and takes us along the South-Eastern coastal road towards Sounio. We don't go all the way to the cape, however we stop frequently to see some spectacular coastline dotted with islands aplenty. At one point, we stop for coffee on the beach at a yacht club watching young children in wetsuits receiving instruction in sailboarding. Later we stop at another port and see Greek fisherman endeavouring to sell their fresh ...

Friday Loretta: Today we have decided to visit Lycattus Hill and the church of St Georgios which sits atop of this high point in Athens overlooking the city. After getting off the metro at Evangelismos, we walk the steep streets to the base of the hill and after finding that we would have a twenty minute wait for the funicular and being told by the ticket seller that we look fit enough to walk, we decide not to wait and instead take on the task of walking the...

THE day : John- despite yielding to the advice of people who cannot hope to understand what it is like to be in our shoes and taking the recommended 3 islands in a day cruise ( in lieu of a multiple day island cruise), today ends up being the most exhilarating day of our trip to date. Despite being on a ship with around 250 intrusive, photo-obsessed people from different parts of Asia, the islands we visit completely override that annoying element. As we dock ...

Loretta: Today we have taken on Nikos' (travel agent) advice and decide to explore the back of Piraeus opening our eyes to the beauty of this area. It is around 15 degrees today and with the sun on our faces, we soon need to take off our coats. We walk the steep streets of Piraeus and notice an elderly man feeding raw meat to the local cats, who warmly greet him. We reach Kastella, a hilltop area that provides a fantastic vantage point for the crystal clear water...

John: After a lousy transfer and night at Malpensa from Bologna, we get the 11.30 am 2hr 10 min flight to Athens, Greece. Teo and Spyros meet us at the arrivals lounge at the airport, take us to our hotel in Piraeus, and then for a drink and light meal at a waterside cafe, offering suggestions for our week in Greece. What lovely relatives we have around the world!! The weather is wet and miserable on the day of our arrival, but not for long. After Teo and Spyr...