Page 5 of RENanDREW Travel Blog Posts


Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens September 11th 2022

The eyes are more exact witnesses than the ears… ~ Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the ancient city of Athens, before catching a train northward to Thessaloniki in the mid-afternoon. We woke early and headed down to the intimate breakfast room at Hotel Attalos. As always, I opted for Greek yoghurt with muesli and cranberries, and we hydrated with endless cups of tea and juice. This comfy, compact and welcoming hotel in the heart of Athens was nothing short of exceptional, and we especially loved its breakfast offerings. We had a scheduled walking tour of the Acropolis at 9:30am, and we were looking forward to it. We had been skirting the perimeter of this extraordinary ruin since arriving in Greece a few weeks earlier, but we were yet to enter ... read more
odeon of herodes atticus
temple of athena nike
entering the propylaia gate

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens September 10th 2022

Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance… ~ Epicurus, Greek Philosopher HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the ancient city of Athens. We woke early and headed down to the intimate breakfast room at Hotel Attalos. As always, I opted for a bowl of Greek yoghurt topped with muesli and cranberries, and we hydrated with many cups of tea and juice. We were about to embark on a day of street-based walking and exploring within close proximity of the Acropolis, and we needed sustenance to keep us going until lunch. We headed out in the early morning to explore the Acropolis Museum on the south-eastern side of the Acropolis outcrop, and we were optimistically hoping to get there before the tourist hordes arrived by the busload. As we walked through ... read more
streets of plaka
streets of plaka
acropolis museum

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens September 9th 2022

The unexamined life is not worth living… ~ Socrates, Greek Philosopher HE SAID... Today we were travelling northeast from Kardamyli to Athens. We woke early and headed down to Kardamyli Beach Hotel’s breakfast area, only to find the electric roller doors locked and the lights off. At precisely 8am, following the flick of a switch from the hotel’s grumpy manager, the doors slowly began to open. This hotel was run with military precision, and we had become used to its idiosyncratic ways. We cautiously entered the breakfast area and lined up in an orderly queue to receive our breakfast items. There were no self-serve options here. The grumpy manager stood behind a glassed-in buffet and placed whatever items we asked for onto a plate. Only the very brave asked for multiple items. It was imperative to ... read more
streets of psyrri
streets of psyrri
streets of psyrri

Europe » Greece » Pelopennese » Kardamyli September 8th 2022

You can’t build a wall with just one stone… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the seaside village of Kardamyli. We woke early, and while we had an inkling our accommodation was a little left of field (based on our check-in experience the previous day), it wasn’t until our first breakfast experience that we fully understood just how left of field Kardamyli Beach Hotel really was. First things first. The hotel manager. She was out there. Like really, really out there. I was terrified of her. She was gruff and loud, and she had the outward demeanour of a fiendish tyrant. She could put you in your place for speaking too loudly, or asking the wrong question, or not following the rules of the swimming pool (of which there were many). ... read more
messinian gulf
messinian gulf
walking to the old town

Europe » Greece » Pelopennese » Kalamata September 7th 2022

The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling southwest from Nafplio to Kardamyli (via Kalamata). We woke early and headed down to Hotel Agamemnon’s bright, open and relatively empty breakfast area. I started the day with Greek yoghurt and muesli, fresh bread and jam, and many cups of tea. We were leaving Nafplio, and there was more than a hint of sadness in the air. We climbed the hotel’s wide spiral staircase to our first-floor room and relaxed on our small balcony for one last time, looking out over the picturesque Argolic Gulf. The boats moored below us were bobbing up and down in the breeze. The morning sun was catching the brickwork of Bourtzi, the small island fortress in the middle of ... read more
roads of messinia
ben olive farm and mill
ben olive farm and mill

Europe » Greece » Pelopennese » Nafplion September 6th 2022

He who plunders with a little boat is a pirate; he who plunders with a fleet is a conqueror… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the atmospheric town of Nafplio. We woke early and headed down to Hotel Agamemnon’s bright open breakfast area. We settled at a table with a view of the Argolic Gulf, mesmerised by the picturesque beauty of this quiet coastal city. As always, I started the day with Greek yoghurt and muesli. It’s a breakfast I’ll never tire of. We left the hotel in the mid-morning and drove into the countryside on the outskirts of Nafplio, where fruit trees and grape vines stretched as far as the eye could see. The landscape was parched and arid, with stark mountains lining the horizon. Our first destination was the ... read more
view of bourtzi fortress from our balcony
bougatsa breakfast
treasury of atreus

Europe » Greece » Pelopennese » Nafplion September 5th 2022

Where there is a sea, there are pirates… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling west from Poros to Nafplio– by ferry and minibus. We woke early and prepared for our departure from Poros, the last of four islands on our Saronic Gulf adventure. We were returning to the Greek mainland, which in reality had been visible on the western horizon the whole time we’d been exploring Aegina, Moni, Poros and Hydra. We made our way down to Hotel Pavlou’s outdoor dining area for breakfast, and while the service was a little slow, the staff were trying hard. I settled for Greek yoghurt, fruit, tea and juice. It was a simple breakfast, but enjoyable all the same. Hotel Pavlou was a little too far from Poros Town, and some of the staff were annoying ... read more
water taxi
peloponnese peninsula
elena from bairaktaris apiary and farm

Europe » Greece » Attica » Hydra September 4th 2022

Act quickly, think slowly… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling south from Poros to Hydra– by ferry. We had a somewhat sketchy start to the day, thanks in part to a misunderstanding with the carefree and somewhat clueless managers at Hotel Pavlou (our accommodation on Poros), and to our guide’s overly cautious approach to time-management. The hotel’s kitchen was meant to open at 8am, as we were scheduled to leave for Poros Town at 8:30am to catch the ferry to Hydra. It was always going to be tight, but we love tight schedules – especially when they lead to heightened travel experiences. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed with day packs in tow, we settled at one of the outdoor dining tables at 8am. We were ready to go. Hotel Pavlou wasn’t. The kitchen hadn’t ... read more
ferry to hydra
first look at hydra
streets of hydra town

Europe » Greece » Attica » Poros September 3rd 2022

A pomegranate never tastes like a fig… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling south from Aegina to Poros– by ferry. After exploring the narrow backstreets of Aegina Town (the island’s bustling port area) in the early morning light, we made our way to the Chapel of St Nicholas – a tiny church built right on the dock – which provided much needed shelter from the sun as we waited for our ferry to Poros. Having familiarised ourselves with the size of Greek ferries the previous day, we were ready for this journey. We even boarded as seasoned ferry travellers. Well, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but at least we weren’t as shell-shocked as we’d been at Piraeus the previous morning. We set off from Aegina at 10:30am, stopped briefly at Methana on the ... read more
ferry to poros
poros from ferry
poros from ferry

Europe » Greece » Attica » Aegina September 2nd 2022

What is good to know is difficult to learn… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling southwest from Athens to Aegina– by ferry. On arriving at the breakfast room at Hotel Attalos, we were confronted by a large group of excited teenagers on a school trip to Athens. We’d become accustomed to a reasonably quiet and relaxed start to our Athenian days, but this was the polar opposite. The noise was deafening, but the kids were friendly and affable. Their interactions took us right back to our own school trips, where it mattered so much who you sat next to (and who you didn’t sit next to)! School trip politics is so unforgiving. On braving the chaotic madness at the breakfast buffet (talk about herding cats!), I managed to serve myself a bowl of ... read more
ferry to aegina
ferry to aegina
ferry in aegina




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