Gallivanting in Greece
**Warning: LONG and rambling picture-filled post ahead. Approach with caution**
tldr: Basically spent 12 AWESOME days in Greece with 5 friends as part of our first (and sadly, last) trip together before we graduate and go our separate paths. While I can't possibly squeeze in every single piece of memory into a single post, I do think it'll be nice to have something to look back on 20, or even 50 years from now....especially when dementia starts to set in. To make it slightly more informative for others, it's also a summary of how to experience Greece for under £850!
(Also, major thanks to my friends and their imba cameras for nice pictures! The spread here is a result of our combined efforts ^^)
~~
Overview and Preparations...
To be honest, we didn't have much time to prepare and didn't do much preparations....no thanks to exams that ended 1 day before the trip. That's pretty understandable, after all, who wants to go on a grad-trip and realise they can't graduate? What we DID do is to settle the accommodation and flight booking beforehand, change money and get travel guidebooks. The rest...was all decided on the spot.
One important thing to note while packing is the WEATHER. While Greece is a much cheaper destination during the off-peak winter season, it is also colder than most people realise. This is especially true on the islands and we ended up wearing our winter coats for a significant amount of time. Thinking of swimming in the Aegean sea in winter? DON'T EVEN DREAM ABOUT IT....unless you're used to swimming in frigid waters of under 10 degrees Celsius. Of course, the weather there is still generally better than the usual Scottish rains and winds I'm used to.
Day 1: Of planes and ports - Total accumulative expenditure £142.29 + €19
About 36h after finishing my last exam, I found myself on the 4am bus to Edinburgh airport (£14.88 return) for the 7am Easyjet flight to Athens (£114.38 return). Totally surreal, but nonetheless an exciting experience. With me, were 4 other bleary-eyed yearmates who shall thereby be known as Ja, Ju, R and S for the rest of the post. Like me, they had just passed one of the last few hurdles of uni life...but were obviously too tired in the wee hours of the morning to celebrate it properly.
First impression of Athens? Unexpectedly, it has the vibe of Malaysia (especially KL) with more European-looking people and ancient ruins. It just felt strangely familiar...and not in a bad way either! Oh..and there were lotsa orange trees full of ripe fruit tempting me to pluck them for free. *cheapskate nature showing through*
ANYWAYS, fast-forwarding the boring bits, we reached Athens airport around midday and took a direct bus (€5) to our hotel in Piraeus (£13.03/pax). Piraeus is where the boats to the islands depart from and has a couple of sea-related attractions in the area. Unfortunately, most museums/attractions were closed by the time we reached and had a late lunch (€10)...so we just walked to the Little Marina...
 |
| Little Marina |
...and back to the main eating belt for dinner and drinks (€4). Did I mention the awesome chocolates and frozen yogurt we tried along the way? =D Overeating and early morning wake-ups were definitely the main hallmarks of this trip, as we soon found out.
Day 2: Windy Naxos - Total accumulative expenditure £167.91 + €105.85
Finally, we embarked on the first part of our journey: the Greek island exploration. Like all other tourists, we were eager to visit the postcard perfect Santorini, but decided to stop by at Naxos in the middle to breakup the 9h boat ride (€53.80).
 |
| Naxos!! |
And...luckily we did. The 6h ferry ride to Naxos was enough to knock most of us out, even though I personally found the boat pretty comfortable and stable. And I had the most amazing Frappeccino to accompany breakfast on the boat (€6.60). =9
Unfortunately for us, most of the 'touristy things' on the island were closed for winter. But being the ONLY tourists around had its perks. Like staying in an amazing villa (£25.62/pax), enjoying the hospitality of the locals and having good and cheap food by the sea!!!
 |
| Lunch meat tummy^^ (€7/pax) |
 |
| Seafood dinner also meet tummy^^ (€11.80/pax) |
 |
| Gazing at the Portara (Gate to Apollo's temple) in the distance |
Of course, our resident 'sommeliers' (Ja and S) were more than eager to try the local beverages....though the heavy burden of finishing the most potent yellow Citron fell onto the shoulders of our 'white knight' (Ju).
Day 3: Magical experiences - Total accumulative expenditure £195.05 + €194.85
With one whole morning left in Naxos, we had to find something 'touristy' to do before taking the boat to Santorini. Having other all options eliminated, we happily settled for a 2h pony trek (€45) to the beach.
(Or more truthfully, 4 of us happily agreed to horseback-riding...while R was dragged "out of the villa, onto the horse and along the course" against whatever willpower R had. Sorry!! XD)
After a lavish breakfast, we set out on horseback for the cold, empty beach. Of course, there are the initial fears of falling off the horse, as well as learning to adapt to the horse's whims of eating EVERYTHING along the way....but, I must admit to thoroughly enjoying this first horse-riding experience! At least my horsey was reasonably well-behaved enough for me to control it for most of the course, except when it wanted to roll around in the sand near the beach.
 |
| On horseback... |
I guess that put a full-stop to our Naxian experience...since we got on a 2.5h boat ride to Santorini! Although I've heard so much about it from TV, nothing beats actually BEING on the island to appreciate why so many tourists visit it. Its whitewashed villages are perched precariously along the edge of the cliff looking out towards the caldera, while the different layers etched into its rocks tell the story of an island ravaged by repeated volcanic eruptions.
 |
| Santorini!!! |
We stayed in Oia and were lucky enough to get a cave house (
£27.14/pax for 2nights) overlooking the caldera. Just step out of the main door into the 'front yard' and our eyes were in for a treat ^^
 |
| View from our DOORSTEP |
Too bad the cloudy skies didn't cooperate, so we couldn't enjoy one of the best sunsets in the world in its full glory. TT.TT It was also freezing on that island since it was exposed to the strong sea winds. *brrrrr* On the upside,
we Ju found a new friend in the form of a nice doggy that led us home at night ^^
 |
| D1 of sunset-watching: FAILZ |
Day 4: Around Santorini - Total accumulative expenditure £195.05 + €258.75
Having no transport of our own, we joined a round-the-island guided bus tour (€38) that brought us to...
 |
| The ruins of prehistoric Akrotiri... |
 |
| Perissa (black) beach - named after its black sand... |
 |
| The traditional Megalochori village... |
 |
| The highest peak on the island (monastery of Profitis Ilias)... |
 |
| And ended the day by sampling wines produced locally. |
Overall, the tour is a great idea for people who want to explore the main attractions of the island but don't intend to rent a car (which would be a much cheaper option)....plus there is minimal walking involved. My main bugbear is the initial time-wasting when the bus goes round to (almost) EVERY SINGLE HOTEL to pick up guests.
The last item on our 'itinerary for the day' was to attempt to catch the sunset...again. Thankfully, the skies were much clearer today and we got much better pictures! ^^ To elaborate more about watching sunsets in Santorini, Oia is the place to be. The best sunset-viewing spots would be at the Byzantine castle ruins or anywhere at the western end of the town, which you can get to by following the horde of tourists going there to take pictures. Given the crowds, one may have to camp out at their chosen spot hours before sunset during summer time, but this was generally not a problem for us in winter. =D
 |
| D2 of sunset-watching: Success!! |
Hungry from sightseeing, camwhoring and souvenir-buying, we went for dinner (€10) at one of the few dining options opened in Oia at that time of the year. There's nothing much to say about the food in Santorini other than it is average and overpriced...as with all other tourist traps. But we came for the scenery not the food, so bring your ramyun/instant noodle along!!
Day 5: Bumpy boats..and farewell sunsets - Total accumulative expenditure £277.45 + €307.05
Checked-out of the hotel early in the morning, made our way to the town of Fira and down what felt like 1000s of steps (or you can pay for a €5 cable car or donkey ride) to the old port for 3h of walking and enduring freezing sea winds a boat tour (€20) to the volcanic islands (Nea Kameni) and 'hot springs' in the middle of the caldera. Let's just say that the invigorating exercise and fresh air helped to burn off calories gained from pigging out in Naxos. And I'm sure we would have shaved off even more weight had we chosen to swim in the winter Aegean sea to get to the 15 degrees Celsius 'hot spring'.
 |
| On the bleak volcanic island, looking out to Santorini |
No surprise that we caved into getting bowls of hot soupy noodles from a random Chinese restaurant in Fira. Fira itself is quite pretty and much busier, but Oia is still the place to be for the best pictures. Since it was our last day in Santorini, we were adamant on squeezing in last 'picture perfect moments' and were duly rewarded with the BEST sunset of the 3 days. Unfortunately, we had a plane to catch and couldn't see the full sunset, but it was good enough! ^^
 |
| D3 of sunset-watching: DAEBAK^^ |
 |
| Goodbye pretty sunsets! |
1 gyros (€2.80), a 1h flight (£58) later and 1 metro ride (€20 for 3) later, we were back in Athens (£24.40/pax), ready to explore mainland Greece!
Day 6: Chilling in Nafplio - Total accumulative expenditure £297.45 + €342.70
Following a not-so-minor hiccup to settle in the morning, we took a 2.5h bus ride (€13.10) to Nafplio to recover from the previous day's exercise and the morning's stress. Nafplio is a pretty little seaside town in the Peloponnese region of Greece which bears strong traces of its past under Venetian rule, giving it a distinctive 'Italian' flavour.
 |
| Walking through Nafplio |
We only stayed there for the night (£20/pax) and collectively declared it a 'slack' day to recharge for the rest of our trip. I'm sure the town would have looked amazing from the top of the fortress hill behind it, but who has the energy to climb that? All we did was ate, ate...played catching in the playground to digest our food....and ate somemore. Our 'sommeliers' also got their fix at the end, so everyone was pleasantly filled and pleased by the time we had eaten our way through Nafplio. (Though I still maintain that the sole reason for my feeling uncomfortably warm after dinner was the gas heaters blowing hot air at me)
 |
| Loukoumades (~€5) - Greece's version of doughnuts |
 |
| One of our many courses of dinner (€8 per plate) |
Day 7: In Apostle Paul's footsteps...- Total accumulative expenditure £404.25 + €390.70
Just past the halfway mark of our trip,we were joined by our other friend (D) at Corinth, a 1.5h bus ride away from Nafplio (€6.50). Corinth (aka Korinthos) is located on the isthmus, a narrow strip of land separating the Peloponnese region from the Attica region (where Athens is part of). In its heyday 2000 years ago, the city of Corinth was a busy trading place serving as a meeting point for merchants transporting their wares between Europe to the North and the Middle East to the South. However, all that is left of this once bustling metropolis are the ruins at Ancient Corinth, a couple of miles away from the sleepy seaside town that is modern-day Corinth.
 |
| What's left of the busy marketplace (Agora) of Ancient Corinth |
(For the intrepid traveler, the most confusing part is GETTING to Ancient Corinth. If one does not intend to pay exorbitant taxi fares, a 15min public bus ride from a random nondescript bus stop in the central of modern-day Corinth is the way to go. The problem lies in actually making your way to that bus stop because none of the public transport options from other regions in Greece stop at that small local stop. Most public buses stop at Isthmus bus station, which is near NOTHING other than the Isthmus Canal. From there, taking a taxi into town is your only option. There are a few public ''long distance' buses from Athens that stop at Korinthos bus station, which is within 10min walking distance of said bus stop. The last option would be to take a train into the spanking new Korinthos train station, 30-45min walk away from that bus stop)
Anyway, walking among the fallen columns and stones of ancient Corinth was an incredible experience for bible history enthusiasts like me. To just imagine the grandeur of this town when Apostle Paul was preaching in it....all reduced into this mess of rocks before me by a devastating earthquake. The other thing that struck me was just HOW MANY temples to a whole hosts of ancient gods there were, and that's not counting the famous temple of Aphrodite on the Acrocorinth (ie the hill) behind Ancient Corinth. Also saw an American bible tour group and listened in on their sermon at the place where Paul had to defend himself in Acts 18.
 |
| Temple of Apollo (aka 1 of many temples) |
 |
| The Bema, where Paul spoke |
Having explored the whole site for free (thanks to our student cards^^), we had lunch and returned to Athens, our base camp for the next 5 days (
£106.80/pax). On the dinner menu was a 'surf and turf' combination (
€14/pax in total) in the touristy Plaka area below the Acropolis. =9
 |
| Surf - octopus, calamari, grilled and fried fish... |
 |
| Turf - pork chops, beef patties, skewers.... |
Day 8: Conquering the Acropolis - Total accumulative expenditure £404.25 + €417.30
We finally had a full day in Athens and our
first second stop was the iconic Acropolis! (
First stop was the changing of guards at Syntagma Square, but we missed the 1st half and it was pretty lackluster anyway.) Contrary to popular belief, the Acropolis does not refer solely to the building at the top (that's the Parthenon), but the ENTIRE area of structures. It's basically like a small city fortress in itself, consisting of places of worship, courts, theatres, shops...people in those days could just live there without venturing out to the rest of Athens. As with all other attractions, EU students enjoy free entry to the Acropolis.
We started off at the bottom with the temple and theatre of Dionysus, the greek God of wine and festivity. And continued on to the theatre/odeon of Herodes Atticus that is still used today for various performances.
 |
| Theatre of Dionysus |
 |
| Theatre of Herodes Atticus |
Climbing up to the summit, we walked through an impressive gateway (the Propylaea) to reach the famous Parthenon. Once housing an impressive statue of the greek goddess Athena, it was damaged during the Turkish/Ottoman empire invasion and whatever remaining important structures are displayed in the Acropolis museum. Unfortunately, it is STILL shrouded by cranes and scaffolding after n years of 'repair-work'. Beside the Parthenon resides the Erechtheion, the 'main' temple of Athena which also has 1 side reserved for the greek god Poseidon. The most famous part of this temple would be the the Caryatid's porch on its North side (ie the columns that look like female statues), mostly due to the British museum refusing to return the column that Lord Elgin stole and brought back to the UK.
 |
| The Parthenon |
 |
| The Erechtheion |
After visiting the Acropolis, we also passed by Hadian's library, the Roman Agora and the rock (Areopagus) where Apostle Paul is said to have given his speech in Athens (Acts 17). Of course, all this walking tired out our poor boys D and Ju (who both fell asleep during lunch), so we all went back for a siesta before venturing out for dinner and drinks in the evening.
For people who have undergone NS, those 2 sure need lots of rest...must be their age catching up with them. JKJK
Day 9: Delphi, not Delhi. - Total accumulative expenditure £404.25 + €463.00
For our last day trip outside Athens, we took a 3h bus ride (
€30.20 return) to one of the most important religious sites in Ancient Greece, Delphi. It was thought to be the 'centre of the world' in greek mythology (hence there is a rock there that is suppose to be the 'navel/belly-button' of the world), as well as where the greek god Apollo gave advice/prophesies through an oracle there. Located deep in the mountains of Central Greece, it must have been highly inaccessible for pilgrims....yet they came, bearing their offerings and sacrifices to the gods. Today, the structures and artifacts at Delphi are conserved as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
Upon reaching Delphi, we first went to the museum where all the statues, precious metal, pottery and other offerings excavated at the site were kept. To be honest, my first thoughts were "woahhh...that's alot of statues", followed immediately by "poor slaves and horses/donkeys that had to carry those up". Heh.
Afterwards, we visited the actual archaeological site, following the "sacred path" pilgrims trod in the past to reach the temples. After passing by the treasuries (where offerings are stored) and several other temples/structures, we came to the temple of Apollo. Further up the slope, there is also a theatre and a stadium (which was closed when we visited). Instead of just stopping at the main site, do check out the sanctuary of Athena Pronoia about 15min down the road. The juxtaposition of the columns against the background scenery truly showcase the beauty (and insanity) of the ancient Greeks in choosing to build temples in the middle of the mountains.
 |
| Temple of Apollo |
 |
| Sanctuary of Athena Pronoia |
Of course, everyone was tired out by the long journey
and probably the crazy amount of walking Ja and I had made them do over the past few days, but more than that was the heavy weights on our minds as it was D-day for us (aka the day exam results were released. *dun dun dun* ). We adjourned to a nice pancake cafe in the slightly posh Kolonaki area...and used their wifi nervously. Thankfully, there were collective sighs of relief as we congratulated each other. =D Unfortunately, we were all too physically and mentally exhausted to celebrate properly, so that was left for another day.
Day 10: Early birthday surprise! - Total accumulative expenditure £404.25 + €516.80
Today's main motive was to finish seeing the remaining attractions in Athens, but our side mission was to distract Ju enough so we can spring an early birthday celebration on him. Muahahaha.
We started the day bright and early at the Ancient Agora (or marketplace), wandering around the ruins of temples and other buildings. The most well-preserved Greek structure, the temple of Hephaestus is also located at the top of the hill there. My theory as to why this temple survived while the rest in the Agora did not was because it was used by people who would contribute to the upkeep of this building...and I guess that its usage as a church in from 7th century AD till the 1800s might support that theory?
Anyway, our next stop was the temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's arch. Although only 15 columns remain standing today, it does not take much imagination to visualise how imposing the temple of Olympian Zeus must have looked before it was destroyed. We then made a quick detour to Panathenaic stadium where the 1st modern Olympic games were held, before grabbing some lunch.
 |
| Temple of Olympian Zeus |
 |
| Panathenaic stadium |
After lunch, we explored the National Archaeological Museum which was filled with artifacts from all over the country. This was heaven for history enthusiasts like me, but hell for tired people who find museums a bore. Hence, this hilarious picture was born when I tried to capture the Artemision Bronze statue (probably of Zeus) in its full glory...
 |
| *SIGH* (faces have been mosaic-ed for confidentiality purposes) |
Once we were kicked out of the museum at closing time, it was time to put our secret mission into action! Ja and R used souvenir-buying as an excuse to get the birthday cake, while I dragged the rest of them (including Ju) from Omonia square, pass Athens Central Market (which is really like a wet market), down to Monastiraki Square where we had a frozen yogurt break. We then followed S shopping for the last hour (to kill time) along the high street stores on Ermou street. Luckily, Ju STILL hadn't suspected anything yet. Dinner was at an Italian restaurant in Kolonaki area...where we surprised him with an awfully delicious chocolate cake! =9
Mission: Birthday surprise = SUCCESS! ^^
Day 11: Independence Day! - Total accumulative expenditure £404.25 + €560.25
 |
| The Caryatid statues |
Our Greece trip happened to coincide with their Independence Day...which meant that many of the attractions and shops were closed for this public holiday. -.-||| One of the few attractions still opened was the Acropolis museum...so we went there. It was interesting for me to follow the history of the Acropolis starting from prehistoric times to the Roman times, but it was VERY CROWDED. Still, worth paying a visit to see the panels that would have decorated the Parthenon, as well as the original Caryatid statues from the Erechtheion.
 |
| Lego miniature of the Acropolis! |
The rest of the day was pretty relaxing since everyone was pretty much "sick of seeing ancient columns" and the attractions were closed. We ended our last full day in Greece with a very good meal and wine (
€22) at a restaurant located in the Gazi area, which was featured in the Michelin guide.
Day 12: Saying goodbye...- Total accumulative expenditure £404.25 + €562.75
After almost 2 weeks exploring Greece, we grudgingly bid farewell to it and returned to 'normal life'. As our flight was in the early afternoon, there was nothing else we could do that day except to pack our luggage, check-out and make our way to the airport for our flight back to the UK. *sobs*
Final thoughts and tips
Greece is an amazing country that cannot be fully explored in 12 days, but we have to make do with the time we have. I'll definitely go there again in a heartbeat if given the chance to. On hindsight, going in April or early May would be better (in terms of the weather), but at least we didn't have to fight off crowds at the touristy places.
The other good thing about travelling in late winter/early spring time would be the cheaper hotel rates and fli
ght fares. At the end of 12 days, I spent a grand total of
£404.25 + £407.15 (ie €562.75) = £811.40. And that is inclusive of return air tickets and accommodation. Even my return flight from UK back home in summer costs more than that!
Other than being a 'cheap-ish' destination full of culture and beautiful scenery, Greece is also a country with many idiosyncrasies. The most memorable one is that toilet paper MUST NOT be flushed down the toilet bowl. None of us knew why (maybe their sewage system isn't up to speed or something), but almost every toilet would have a BIG sign reminding us about this. Greece is also less dangerous than I had expected, but it does pay to be extra vigilant in crowded areas and avoid bringing too much valuables out. This is especially relevant in Athens; the islands and smaller towns feel much safer and Greeks are generally a friendly bunch!
Lastly, I'll just end with a few travel tips picked up during my trip...
1. Always show your student card to enjoy free entry to ALL attractions!
2. Many attractions close at 3pm during winter so check the opening times
3. Wear comfortable shoes while sightseeing- there's always lots of walking involved
4. Don't flush toilet paper down the bowl
5. Be ultra aware at Monastiraki metro station, especially when it's crowded (my friend almost got pick-pocketed there)
6. There are 3 major bus stations in Athens, all going to different destinations. Find out which one your bus departs from. (E.g. Buses to Delphi leave from Liossion, those to the Peloponnese depart from Kifissos)
7. Water is NOT free at restaurants. The bread basket may not be free either so confirm prices with the waiter!
8. Bread is served with olive oil (though you can usually annoy the waiter and ask for butter)
9. Sharing platters give good value for money - Lots of meat/seafood!
10. Greeks normally have an afternoon siesta (ie close shop in the afternoon), but shops and restaurants will generally stay open till late
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 1:56 PM |
◄ Older posts
Newer posts ►
Back to the top
0 Comments