Athens 2016:

The Acropolis of Athens - full of history

Smart readers of this blog will have already realised that Athens is neither small nor an island. Nevertheless it deserves a place here because of its pivotal role as a key departure point for ferry and cruise ships to the many islands of Greece.

As a lover of small un-touristy islands I resisted the City of Athens for a long time -thinking that it would all be too un island like for me to enjoy. Strange really because I enjoyed living and working in London for many years and have had regular great trips to Paris in my time so it's not as if I dislike cities in general. Against that background I realised last year that there really was no reason to ignore the Capital of Greece any longer. I also factored in that, as a gateway to so many islands, I might be able to combine a city break with an island day trip.

So in May 2016 I found myself booking a last minute hotel/flight package to Athens. Last minute as in booked on Sunday and travelled on Tuesday! I'd be lying if I said I hadn't previously done some extensive research on this trip. Possible hotels, transport to and from the airport, ferry schedules to various islands had all been looked at. What I settled on was the Faros1 hotel conveniently situated by Piraeus port but, equally, not too far from central Athens.

I'd decided that the X96 express bus was going to be the best solution for getting to and from the airport as

Adamantios Korais - non stop nautical action at Piraeus

this goes right to the heart of Piraeus (other buses are available for different destinations in Athens). You'll find the ticket kiosk for the bus handily situated outside the doors of the arrivals area. Should this be closed for any reason you can always pay when boarding the bus. At the time of writing the fare is currently a modest six euros (each way). After boarding the bus don't forget to validate your ticket by inserting it into one of the little machines you'll find throughout the long, two sectioned bus. Travel time to Piraeus will vary depending on traffic but expect between 60 -90 minutes. My big concern was that, unfamiliar with Athens, I wouldn't have a clue when it was my stop to get off. However, on boarding I soon saw that the bus has screens displaying a graphic of its current location and the name of the next stops (in both Greek and English) so this wasn't the problem I thought it might be.

The hotel proved to be barely a five minute walk to the harbour front and I spent a happy few days watching and photographing all the comings and goings of numerous vessels. All the various shipping lines have offices along the harbour front with timetables and fares detailed so this is a good place to book an island trip. My hotel actually had an in house travel agency which I used to book a trip to Agistri island (a post on that will follow later) but you could just pitch up to the harbour front if you wanted.

Panagia Tinou - listing badly at Piraeus

One of the more interesting boats to photograph in the harbour was the ferry boat Panagia Tinou. This wasn't going anywhere, however, as having taken on water it was listing badly to one side. At one point the list had been more pronounced and my picture shows the "after" result of stabilising things. Some internet research threw up the interesting information that I knew this ferry from the past. In a previous life it had been the Folkestone to Boulogne ferry Hengist which famously became beached near Folkestone during the Great Storm of 1987 in the UK. Photographs and film of the unlucky vessel featured heavily in the British media at the time. Now here it was, 29 years later, again not doing so well.

Of course, no first visit to Athens would be complete without seeing the legendary Acropolis. I must admit that initially I had my doubts about this -mainly because of many people insisting that I just had to go while in Athens. I was concerned that it would be overrun with tourists and perhaps be something of an anti climax in reality. Common sense prevailed however and I did go. From Piraeus it was just a 30 minute or so ride on the metro to get there. Yes, there were plenty of tourists but not so many as to spoil the experience and the sense of history I felt in this spectacular hill top location standing high over the city was unmissable. It truly deserves its place as one of the top tourist attractions in the World.

So my first (but certainly not my last) visit to Athens was a mix of ancient history, fascinating busy port, cheese pies, and a trip out to the islands. Of course, my main holidays will continue to be to small tranquil islands but vibrant Athens is certainly a great city break and one that I can really recommend. Regards, David.

Skiathos (Northern Sporades):

The old harbour at Skiathos town

Not an island I have stayed on but for anyone heading for Skopelos or Alonissos there is a good chance that you will coming via Skiathos due to the presence of a commercial airport. The alternative route, of course, is taking a ferry from the mainland.

I transited through Skiathos in September 2012 and June 2013 - both times on route to Alonissos. The first thing you'll notice about Skiathos is the airport runway. Or, rather, the lack of it. One of the shortest commercial runways in Europe -with sea at either end- you're in for a quick landing. Expect vigorous braking, wing flaps fully down and jet engines roaring in reverse thrust (or combinations of these) before rapidly reaching the turning circle at the end of the runway. I must admit I loved it but can see that for nervous flyers it won't compare favourably to the sedate trundle when landing at Gatwick. Likewise, expect take offs to be fast and steep. Larger planes take off with limited amounts of fuel on board to keep the weight down and then make the short trip to the mainland (in my case Volos) to be fully fuelled.

Monarch Holidays jet descending into Skiathos

The chances are you'll have some time in Skiathos before your ferry departure and will have the chance to explore a bit. The harbour was where I started, getting photographs of the moored boats. The main front harbour is where the ferries dock and there are also a large number of private boats. Round to the left (looking from the sea) is the Old harbour where you will find fishing and excursion boats. This was the location for one of the early scenes in the 2008 film Mamma Mia!.

Agios Nikolaos clock tower on Skiathos

One of the local landmarks is the church of Agios Nikolaos and its stone clocktower. This stands high up above Skiathos Town and can be seen from the harbour front. Just work your way up a series of narrow steps and alleys until you get there  (there are some signposts here and there to help). What you get from Agios Nikolaos is a panoramic view over the town and harbour and it is well worth the few minutes it takes to get up there.

Aviation enthusiasts can stay on the harbour front and watch/photograph the planes coming in to land. In fact, Skiathos is a bit of a magnet for plane spotters due to the public road right at the end of the runway where planes pass low overhead. You can also expect to be waved at when taxiing before take off!

Certainly, from my limited time on Skiathos (and only in Skiathos Town)  it certainly feels bigger and busier than the other Sporades islands with a plethora of tavernas and shops and even an open air cinema showing, inevitably, Mamma Mia! Regards, David.