Up at the crack of dawn for the flight to Athens at 8:30am. Which meant a 6am pick up, was better than mums original plan of spending a six hour ferry ride up to Athens on the day before (which would have been her birthday!) absolutely not! I think we proved it was better to stay in Santorini one extra night and get up early than spend her special day on a bloody ferry.

The flight was about 45 minutes long, very bumpy and windy getting down on the ground. We got a little stung with transfers as we had to go in two cars because of the only three per taxi rule in Athens. Obviously more strict here than the islands then already!

Bespoke hotel was nice, rated true to its name and was very edgy, huge room compared to the others. Two rain showers in one which was different lol. Noticed that there must be a huge LGBQT community in Greece, they're everywhere coupled up.

It was boiling here with highs of 47, most probably a cause for that was from the wildfires about 20km outside of the city.

We rested for an hour or so already tired and knowing the heat will kill us off slowly, I was more climatized but Ross was for sure not haha, he didn't know what to do with himself and was sweating buckets!

Lots of homeless here, actually taken back by how many there were it was like Athens was over run with them, a walking slum.

We just about got through lunch sat outside under a fan and Brolley. So long as you sit still and drink cold beer I'm sure your going to feel fine :)

We bought the city sight seeing bus tour hop on hop off ticket because it was way too hot to attempt to walk the entire of Athens, even the hot air blowing in our face on the roof was like being in an oven, just like summer in Dubai! I hadn't quite escaped it.

Went to the Acropolis Museum that housed all the ornaments, art and pots and pans. Underneath the museum was a community they found, it had underwater sewerage and pipes, even back 5000 years ago. Was unbelievable just can't get it into my head that they did all of this actual people… What did they looks like, dress like, talk like? Do for hobbies?

By the time we got out of there it was almost time to get the last stop for the bus, we could see ash falling from the sky and the black smoke in the distance, was a little scary.

We decided not to go back to the hotel but to just go straight for a drink and food otherwise we wouldn't come back out we would have been too tired. We went to the Blue Parrot in the Keramokis area that has a few edgy hip places to eat and drink. Was very nice atmosphere and a decent playlist!

In the middle of the night I woke up because I could see Ross opening the door and them talking I got scared there was someone trying to get into the room, then I realised we could all smell smoke and it was quite full in the air and catching our breath. Ross went outside to check it wasn't in the building and then we figured it was the wildfires, it smelt so bad outside. Worried as hell we managed to go back to sleep, mum and dad slept with the blankets over their head because could stick the smell. It was very scary! The room stunk so much in the morning when we woke and there was Ash all over the floor and furniture.

It stunk in the city, the air and sky was orange mixed with Grey.

We tried to get breakfast before we went up to the Acropolis but turns out they were shutting all outdoor museums 12-5pm because of the heat so we didn't have time to go for breakfast beforehand.

So google maps took us on a walk to the other side of the mountain to the acropolis, we went half way up to it and then back down before getting to the ticket stalls. It was boiling and the queue was huge, Ross managed to get data to buy tickets online so we could jump the queue which worked well. The amphitheatres, churches, monuments and sculptures were awesome. We climbed to the top to the acropolis monument and the Athena monuments Athena god of victory actually Nike named they brand after.

We went for brunch afterwards, then onto the bus to the parliament building and walked through the gardens which were shaded and very nice break from the heat and sun. There were police and army military everywhere, we soon found out that we were around the embassy and palace area of the city, no homeless around here! Then we went to the Olympic stadium, it was closed but good to see where it all began and where the torch is lit now still.

Walk through the town to get Ross a PCR test and then to catch the bus back to the hotel before going out for our last super. Same area just different bar tonight. There's always that numbness and quietness in the air because we know what's coming.

It's been a great ten days though! And well needed for all of us!

xoxo