Greece

Travelling from Athens to the Greek paradise island of Santorini takes only 30 minutes by plane. Leaving the hustle and bustle of Athens behind, you are essentially landing in a green oasis where the Aegean Sea surrounds you and whitewashed houses and churches with their blue domes welcome you. Santorini truly is a magnificent place.

We chose to stay at a lovely apartment complex called Anemomilos in the upper class town of Oia. By visiting in the low season we got to see a quieter side to the town with locals renovating and fixing up their dwellings in time for the peak season everywhere we looked. We also experienced a high level of gusty winds and power outages, as well as lightning and thunder. Tourists still flocked to the island in droves and the charm of the city was diminished the moment a group of loud, camera toting tourists descended on the otherwise peaceful village. Overall, exploring Santorini was an absolute dream come true.

Currently I’m sitting inside my hotel room in Santorini, Greece, watching 90km/h winds sweep across this enchanting island. I’m not likely to be braving the elements so decided to showcase a few photo postcards from my previous holiday spot – Athens.

Athens was charming and historic at the same time as funky, edgy and full of character. Its people were very welcoming, as is the case all around Greece. Its streets were filled with family-owned tavernas and irresistible corner restaurants. We stayed at Hotel Phaedra, located just below the mighty Acropolis hill which is where the ancient Parthenon stands. The hotel had everything we could ever have needed for our stay, including a sublime rooftop terrace with 360 degree views of the entire city. I recommend staying in this hotel as it’s very central, yet quiet and budget-friendly.

It was super simple to explore the city on foot as everything was within close proximity from each other. From Plaka a 10-minute walk would get you to Syntagma Square where the presidential guards or efzones could be seen. At the same time you’re also close to the peaceful village of Anafiotika as well as many ancient sights, the national gardens and of course the main attraction – the Acropolis and its ruins.

I didn’t fall in love with Athens the way I did with Barcelona, Paris or Venice but the city had all the right components for an enjoyable holiday including a nice mild climate, delicious food, friendly locals and just the right balance of historical sights and modern-day marvels.