Luckily our flight is at midday so after breakfast we head straight off to the metro station at Monistiraki.  I don't like hanging around on the last day and like to just get home as fast as possible.

We take the blue line which we thought would take us directly to the airport.  However, passengers for the airport are instructed to leave the train at Doukisses Plakentias station where we wait for another airport train.  

The Athens metro is immaculate, well priced and very efficient.  The journey back to the airport is very enjoyable and we take in the last views of the landscape before arriving at the airport.

Final thoughts.

This has been an amazing trip and has absolutely rekindled my love for the Cycladic islands.  Highlight island of the trip was definitely Folegandros - rugged, wild and stunningly beautiful.  I know I'll go back again another time.  It was great to revisit Antiparos - I love this little island and am always tempted to linger longer.

It was brilliant to visit Athens again after so long.  When I was last there about 20 years ago my overwhelming impression of the city was that it looked like Beirut.  Now it is a city ravaged by grafitti, very tired around the edges but still an amazing city to visit.

The Attalos Hotel was brilliant and will definitely stay there again - staff were friendly and helpful and the location was just perfect - of course the view from the roof terrace was the icing on the cake!

Island hopping in Greece becomes addictive.  I've lost count of the number of Greek islands I have actually visited - nearly 40 at the latest estimate.  We are already planning our next trip - we were very taken with the look of the Western Cycladic islands that we sailed past on the way back to Athens - Serifos, Kythnos.  But that's next year.  Roll on retirement!

The Acropolis opens at 8.00am.  Despite being a regular visitor to Greece it is nearly 20 years since I have been to Athens.  What I do remember is the massive queues to get into the Acropolis and the difficulty in getting photographs without hoards of tourists in the background.  No matter how exhausted we are we aim to be at the Acropolis ticket office by 7.30am!

We set off through Monastiraki, past Tsisdarakis Mosque and the Library of Hadrian.

Tsisdarakis Mosque (Greek: Τζαμί Τσισδαράκη) is an 18th-century Ottoman mosque, now functioning as a museum, in central Athens, Greece. The mosque is standing in front of the Monastiraki station.

Tsisdarakis was governor of Athens in the middle of the eighteenth century, who constructed this mosque in 1759, according to an inscription on the mosque. He brought to this mosque some columns from the Temple of Olympian Zeus. But as he did this without due permission of the Sultan, he was heavily fined and chased out from his position. The minaret of the mosque was destroyed after the outbreak of the Greek Revolution 1821.

After independence, the mosque was used by the army in various ways, including as a prison and barracks. In 1915 it was partly rebuilt and was used as "Museum of Greek Handwork", while in 1923 as "National Museum of Decorative Arts". From 1959 on it became the Museum of Greek Traditional Art. In 1973 the main functions of the Museum of Greek Folk Art moved to 17 Kydanthinaion Str., with the mosque remaining as an annex to it. The V. Kyriazopoulos pottery collection of ceramics remains in the mosque to this day. In 1981 the building was damaged by an earthquake and was repaired.

As we climb up through picturesque Plaka and reach the ancient Agora, I begin to have flashbacks!  The last time I was in Athens I had just returned from my first island hopping trip.  I had gone with a boyfriend of only 6 months and by then I had realised that he was a bit of a nightmare. We had visited Andros, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Antiparos. Things had become tense during the last few days of the holiday and this charming man left me on Antiparos and scooted back to Athens.  Having never island hopped before, I'd allowed him to take charge of the itinerary, the money - everything!  Granted, I was a bit naive then!

Anyway, the plan was to leave for Athens that evening on an overnight ferry leaving a whole day in Athens.  The flight back to Manchester left in the early hours of the following day.  I had enough money to see me through so took the night ferry which arrived in Piraeus at the crack of dawn.  I walked towards the city with a heavy rucksack on my back.  I had no idea on how to get to the centre of Athens and didn't get much joy from the locals.  It was a bit of a culture shock after receiving such kind hospitality from the island folk.  I managed to get directions to the metro and worked out how to buy a ticket to Syntagma Square.  I needed to find somewhere to leave my rucksack so that I could take the trip up to the Acropolis - how could I ever come to Athens and not visit here?

I remember having a conversation with a young German man in French - the only common language we could find - and mine being GCE level French didn't help.  Once we understood each other he directed me to a small hotel that would look after luggage for a few dracma.

I headed up to the the Acropolis.  It was very busy but I was just delighted that I hadn't wasted a day in Athens feeling sorry for myself.  By the time I'd finished visiting the site it was getting very hot.  I was exhausted as it had been over 24 hours since I'd had any sleep.  As I walked back down past the Agora, I seized the opportunity to have a rest in the shade.  I remember finding some shade under a large rock and before I knew it my eyes had closed and I began to nod off.  It had only been a few minutes when I was rudely awakened by a man sitting next to me rubbing my leg saying "hello pretty lady".  I was horrified!  I think I said some swear words to him, grabbed my small bag and legged it back down to Plaka as fast as my weary legs would carry me!

No sooner had I arrived back to the hotel to retrieve my rucksack, I was now being heckled by another man on a motorbike.  I'd just about had enough by then and decided that I would be safer at the airport - even though I had about 12 hours before my flight left.  At least I could get some sleep on the airport floor without being harassed!

This sounds like a completely hideous holiday with a completely hideous man - however, it was this trip that gave me the island hopping bug so at least for this, I am forever grateful!

This could be the very rock that I sheltered under!

Back to today, we arrive at the Acropolis ticket office to see that a party of around 20 people are already there - that's not too bad!  We waited for about 10 minutes for the ticket office to open and hot footed it up towards the Acropolis entrance as soon as we had our tickets in our hot little hands!

As we begin to admire the views of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus from above, a parade of soldiers march past us.  I think this is part of a daily ritual where they march out of the Acropolis at opening time and back in again once the Acropolis closes.

Once we'd climbed through the main entrance of the Acropolis we begin to explore the three main temples - the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena and the Erechteion.

The Parthenon

The Erechteion

The Temple of Athena

The views from the Acropolis are stunning!  Here you can see the Temple of Zeus, Filipappas Hill (known as the Hill of Muses) and Areopagus (Mars Hill)

By the time we leave the Acropolis is swarming with hoards of tourists so I'm glad that we got there early!

We only one whole day in Athens so we need to get around this large city the best way we can.  We decide to catch the Hop on Hop off bus at the Acropolis.  We don't have to wait too long but whilst waiting we engage in conversation with the bus sales lady.  She asks us where we are from and tells us that she used to work in a hospital in Leeds.  "Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a doctor or anything, but I loved living and working in Leeds - the people are so friendly".

The next stop on our itinerary is the changing of the guard (Evzoni) in front of the Tomb of the Unnamed Soldier at the parliament building in Syntagma Square.  

http://www.greeka.com/attica/athens/athens-history/athens-changing-guards.htm

Close inspection!

I'm a little bit squeamish about photographs like this but I got caught up in the moment!  Be prepared to fight for your place in the queue and remember - queuing means nothing outside of the UK!

It is now nearly midday and getting very hot so we decide to hop back onto the bus and just take in the sights of the city.  During the journey we get off to find a photography/camera shop to get the photos from one of my memory cards saved to CD to make space for more photo's.

We jump off the bus to pay a quick visit to the Temple of Zeus

Back on the bus we go past Panathinaikos Stadium where the first modern Olympic games was hosted in 1896.  Built entirely out of marble, the stadium was originally built in 566bc and rebuilt in marble in 329 bc.  

When we reach Syntagma Square again we decide to go into the metro station to look at the archaeological collection.  

http://www.athensattica.gr/en/you-are-here/what-to-see/ancient-sites/item/5430-syntagma-metro-station-archaeological-collection

We decide to have a short visit to the Flea Market at Monastiraki - no beauty pageants on this evening but still vibrant and bustling nonetheless.

On the way back to the hotel we go into the fish market on Attica Street.

What an exhausting day.  We shower and return to the roof terrace for cocktails before heading out to Plaka to do a bit more exploring and to have our last meal in Athens.  The Attalos Hotel is definitely what you'd call basic accommodation but it is clean and more than anything convenient.

First stop is Athens Cathedral which is undergoing refurbishment.

On the way out of the cathedral our attention is caught by the sound of a church service taking place in a tiny little church called the Church of Theotokos Gorgoepikoos and Ayios Eleytherios.  After the service Peter is greeted by the priest who asks him where he is from.  They briefly discuss the situation in Egypt and the priest gives his blessing for peace in Egypt.

http://wikimapia.org/6686719/Church-of-Theotokos-Gorgoepikoos-St-Eleftherios

We stroll up through Plaka.  The evening is warm and balmy.  We are absolutely spoiled for choice for places to eat but we settle on a little taverna with a roof terrace that overlooks Athens but is also nestled underneath the Acropolis.

This is a lovely end to an amazing trip!

The Speedrunner 3 is a high speed catamaran - the downside being that a small outside deck is only available to those in the first class salon.  However, it is very spacious and comfortable in economy  and I have a window seat and there is access to a small cafe for tea and pastries.

Despite being confined to a fixed seat, the journey is enjoyable, not too packed and plenty of opportunity for people watching - mainly Greek families returning to Athens from the islands.

Through the salt stained windows we take in the last remaining views of the islands and then eventually the mainland.  As we approach Piraeus, in the distance sitting on the shoreline we make out the distinctive outline of the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

Jutting out of the city skyline is Lycabettus Hill, nearly 1000 feet high limestone rock and the highest hill in Athens.  Legend has it that Lycabettus was once inhabited by wolves - hence the name meaning mountain of wolves.

We sail past huge cruise liners and eventually into Piraeus port.  Our old friend Blue Star Paros is moored at the quayside awaiting her next trip out to the islands.

Once we have disembarked, we make our way over to the Metro station which is 5 minute’s walk from the port.

This is the view of the port where we boarded and disembarked at Gate E7 (Departures for the Eastern Cyclades).  

Turn left out of the port and keep walking until you reach the link bridge that takes you over the main road right down to the entrance of the metro station on your left.

 View of the port from the link bridge - Blue Staros Poros in port.  You can see how close the metro is to the port.

This morning we will catch the first bus from Pollonia to Adamas where we will catch the Speedrunner 3 to Athens.

The packing is done and we take five minutes to have a cup of tea on the balcony.  If you want peace and tranquility than I really recommend Pollonia and I definitely recommend Pergola as a place to stay.

Today we are going to visit Kimolos - the tiny island just a short boat ride away from Milos.  We're going to catch the 10.30am ferry but get there a little earlier to eat some breakfast and to walk around the little harbour.

At the port Peter engages in conversation with an elderly Greek lady.  She speaks to him in Greek and he speaks to her in English.  She lives on Kimolos and is going home - that's as much as I can make out though Peter seems to be having a much more detailed conversation with her with the use of lots of gesticulation.

Along the pier wall, fishermen are weighing in their morning catch.

We are fascinated as we watch one of the fishermen debone a monkfish which involves smashing their jawbones with a wooden mallet and cutting the flesh away with a knife.  These are truly ugly fish!

The small car ferry the Pagania Faneromeni arrives and as soon as the cars, bikes and pedestrians disembark we board, pay for our tickets and go up to the deck.  The cost of the ticket is 1.90 euros each, one way.

From the ferry we can see the church on the port of Pollonia and as we sail further out of the harbour we see the Seajet 2 appearing from around the corner from Adamas.  It sails slowly past the huge sharks fin rock jutting out of the water.

We catch an early bus to Pollonia, eager to find a room for a couple of nights so that we can spend a bit of time relaxing before going to Athens.  I'm not overly concerned that we haven't been able to find rooms via the agents at the port - I will sleep on the beach in Pollonia if necessary!

We had seen a travel agency from the taverna where we ate the other day. We try here first but they hummed and haahed and then said they only knew of rooms two kilometres from here.  I had noticed another travel agency as we arrived on the bus called Travel Me To Milos where the young lady there was more than helpful.  We told her our budget of thirty euros a night and she made several phone calls until she found somewhere suitable.  She told us there was a place called Pergola about 5 minutes away. 

http://www.travelmetomilos.com/ 

She tells us that the owners of the rooms have a cafe and shop next door and they are expecting us.  We walk up a narrow street leading away from the beach until we find Pergola.  A young man comes out of the shop to greet  us - within seconds there is an instant recognition between the man and Peter as fellow Egyptians - like long lost brothers!

The man is called Sami and he tells Peter that he has been living on Milos for a few years.  He works for the family who own the rooms, cafe and shop and he lives as one of their family - by that I read that he works every hour God sends.

Sami shows us a couple of rooms to choose from and they are all very nice, each with a blue pergola covered in fuschia pink bougainvillea.  We choose one that has a view of a field to the left and to the front, a tiny chink of the view of the sea.  Even if we had not met Sami at this point, there are clues in the room that an Egyptian works here with the typical towel art you'd find in many hotels or cruise boats in Egypt.  The room is really lovely, bright and modern with a small balcony.

http://www.milos-pergola.gr/index%20en.html

One of the main reasons we're here in Pollonia is for the lovely little beach - so we head down there as soon as we can.  Just beautiful!

What a lovely peaceful day it is, just a few families on the beach - so tranquil.

By mid afternoon we are hungry.  We decide to try another restaurant on the beach and choose Αρμενάκι (which I think translates to Armenaki).  The meal is absolutely delicious - I have pork stuffed with apricots and prunes and Peter has octopus cooked in sweet wine and honey.  This is first class food!  The wine is so cheap - half litre jug of white wine is the same price as a glass - it would be silly not to!  

Back to the room to shower and change.  We sit on the balcony and admire the view.

The sun begins to set on Pollonia.  The fishing boats are moored up by the harbour, fishermen prepare their nets for the following morning. Now this is what I missed in Adamas - the sunset!

We end the evening in a small cafe bar called Rifaki right on the beach. Frappe with ice cream and Chocolatini with Baileys!

We had only booked three nights at Giannis.  The room was already been allocated to someone else for tomorrow - we can move to a side room without a kitchen but I think this is the excuse we are looking for to move on from Adamas.  We had planned to go on to Serifos or Sifnos but I think both Peter and I could do with a couple of days where we don't have to get on a bus and we can just stroll to the beach and swim, or walk to a taverna to eat.  Pollonia we're on our way!

As I mentioned before, the big benefit of being based in Adamas is that you can reach the key parts of the island easily by bus.  This is particularly useful today as we are going to visit the lunar like landscape of Sarakiniko!

 The bus only goes to Sarakiniko twice a day - 11.00am and 13.00pm.  It's still too early for the 11.00am bus so we decide to explore the streets around and above Adamas.