Island hopping summary

Almost one month travelling alone in Greece and in seven different islands! I'm so glad I did it! For a long time I had wanted to go to Greece to do some island hopping and seeing new places! Now that I was studying again and had purchased the international student card I thought it's also gonna be cheaper.. It only was but because of my old greek student card.. Only a few ferry companies accept the international card! I was a bit nervous if im gonna be lonely or have nothing to do but oh my! I was almost busy the whole time meeting new people etc..! Also just before I left from Finland the phone companies changed their roaming things and I had free internet the whole time, that also helped me a lot!

All in all I spent a little over 1000€ for the whole trip without the flights! I think travelling alone for one month it's okey amount of money.. I could have done it a lot cheaper but I was on a holiday after all! Traveling with someone of course saves you money cause now I had to pay all the hotels alone and not share it with anyone.. Also the sunbeds I always had to pay alone, those small things add up.

Here are some new greek words I learned:

• Aroga
• Kolokitokeftedes
• Stokos
• Pi hi for example
• Malakismeni
• Mpegleri

Κωραλι πετροκόραλο και πετροκοραλάκι

Ο παππας ο παχυς έφαγε παχυά φακη γιατι παππα παχη έφαγες παχυα φακη 

Μια πάπια μα ποια πάπια μια πάπια με παπία

Άσπρη πέτρα ξέξασπρη κι απ τον ήλιο ξεξασπρότερη

My trip definitely made me miss Greece even more now! To the next time my other home! <3

Last days in Athens..

The boat trip from Koufonissia to Athens went quite fast even tho it took almost five hours. I didn't have anyone checking my ticket so I ended up saving in boat tickets all in all almost 120€ during my travels on the islands. For a single traveller that's quite a lot. Or to anyone for that matter.

At Pireus I headed straight to metro and to Dafni's place in my old neighborhood in Pangkrati. Me, Dafni and her boyfriend listened to his music and drank wine that Dafni's dad had made until like 2 o'clock.

The next morning we took it easy and I left to wander in Athens and catch up with Athina. Can't actually really even remember what we did during the afternoon! Normal Athens stuff! <3 At night me, Dafni and Constanine walked to this bar called five spots or something and met Athina also there! Nice evening!

On a Tuesday morning me and Dafni were supposed to leave to pick up our friend Giannis (from Larissa) from the bus station. It ended up being just me picking him up and on the way to Attiki metro station I also helped out this 20-year-old girl from Hong Kong who was travelling alone for the first time and lied to his parents that she would be in Taiwan not in Europe.. It was really nice to see Giannis after four years and we went to Egaleo to the Sheep place to eat gyros! Athina came there later on and then we headed to Athina's place to hang out and after to center and I went to Dafni's to shower. We met later on on the small rocks of Akropolis in front of the cinema for beers. Then headed to Irish Pub, to bar called the Clumsies and the last one was Barrett or something like that at Kolokotroni. I walked home to Dafni's and Giannis kai Athina took a taxi to Egaleo. It took my around 25 minutes to walk from Monastiraki to Pangkrati. Love it so much as a city of millions of people can we so quiet and calm during the night! Empty streets. I was at home around 3 am.

The next day was my last day of my trip! So we had promised to get up early not to waste any of it. My alarm rang already at 9 am and I packed my stuff and went to shower. Dafni surprised me with coming with me to the tattoo studio with Viktoria, Athina and Giannis! He hang out there for a while and then left for a coffee and later to the Sheep to eat.

At the supermarket I bought Frappe and Ouzo to bring home and then me and Giannis continued our way to wander in the center. Went to Six Dogs for coffee and then in Psirri to play some tavli! Which I ended up winning 5-1!! :P

After we met Athina and she had broken up with his bf. :/ Went to pick up some lights for her work and then to ger place for showers and play Buzz in greek! 3rd place in the game! ;) Not last and didn't really understand a thing.. After we went to Egaleo again to eat and then said Ta leme.. :'(

Headed to Dafni's to get my stuff and then left for the bus stop in front of Hilton. Paid 6€ for the ticket and actually got a little nervous if I would even make it to the baggage drop.. The flight left at 2 am and baggage drop closed at 1.15.. I was at the desk 1.07! :P I then basically walked through the security straight to the boarding and into the plane.I arrived to cold Helsinki at 5.30 am and took a taxi home.. :( 

Hello Koufonissia!

The next morning, I woke up at 10am and left towards to boat at 10.30 while Athina still stayed for a while cause her boat to Athens was only at 15.30. My boat was 20 minutes late but only took around an hour to get to Koufonissia. On the boat the guy how checked my ticket didn’t believe my student card and forced me to pay the rest of the ticket (12€). Annoying.

I arrived at the port at 12.30 and there where many people with the signs saying they were full or the ones who weren’t asked from 50-80€.. Eventually I found one for 30€ in Foinikas beach and I think the place was called the same. :D I went to eat at their restaurant but it was such a chaos in there and this weird self-service so I got pissed up and walked away.. 

There were paths by the water to walk next to the beach so I decided to go wander. Already around the corner there was another place called Fanos where I stayed to eat. After that was Italida Beach and then I just continued walking and walking across different beaches. None of the beaches had sunbeds (I understood they were not allowed since they wanted to keep the island unique). I had read that the furthest away beach was called Pori. All of a sudden, I was already there and so surprised! Nice views but tiny island! I had walked the whole way without even noticing. On the way, back I stopped at this Piscine Caves place with a natural swimming pool. There were a lot of Italian people on the island as well as Greeks.

After seeing most places I had read that I had to see I decided to only stay one night even tho I had planned to  stay 2 nights before heading to Athens. Since I was tired from staying up late (or early..) I slept two hours nap. Forced myself up and walked less than 15 minutes to the Chora. Stopped to watch sunset at the place called To Kyma. It was less than 15 minutes inside the village to walk it very slowly from one side to another. On the way back I bought ferry ticket for the next day paying 29.50€ with the student discount (same boat as the previous day and to Athens it was 4 hours and 50 minutes). Also stopped to eat at this one place and ordered Kolokuthokeftetes in Greek :P Then went to Sorokos bar by the sea to try Rakomelo which was apparently very famous in there. Then headed home to sleep.

In the morning I went to pay for my room and then it was just chilling by the beach, beach bar and the rocks. Then headed for the boat at 16.15 towards Athens. 

Hello Naxos!

Next morning by boat left to Naxos at 8.55 and arrived at 9.55. With this slow boat the ticket cost 6.20 but with a student discount it was only 3.10€. It was so windy it felt almost cold! It was “only” 27 degrees compared to the previous weeks over 40..

Athina came to meet me close to the harbor and we walked to our hotel Lagoudera which we paid 30€ a night, so 15€ each. We walked to Ag. Georgios beach and it was SO windy in there! The waves were huge and it was actually a bit scary to be in the water. Then it was food time on the beach taverna and to the hotel to hang around and work a bit. At night, we went to the center to wander around and for glasses of sangria.

On a Wednesday morning we took the only bus on the island to go to the famous Agios Prokopios beach which Athina spotted somewhere was said to be one of the best (top 10) beaches in Europe. We hang around on the beach almost all day and played tavli. Back at the hotel we started talking with two greek guys one of which was a life guard on the beach, Kostadis, and the other one Marios was his “assistant”.. In other words a friend coming to visit him! :D We worked for a bit and then took showers and left out for drinks and to wander in the center. My friend from Finland Isabella and her boyfriend were arriving the same night so we went to the port to surprise them and help them to get to taxi and to their hotel! Then it was time for the greek survivor final and then we met the guys from our hotel. We left to Ocean Club with them for drinks and later we bought beers from the kiosk and went to our hotel lobby to laugh! I loved it who you can have fun with only drinking few beers! All during the night the guys drank like two cocktails and one beer at the hotel and we laughed so so much! We went to bed around 4 am :D

On a Thursday morning, we left for the beach to say hi to the boys working! Then we left to meet Isabella and Samu at Ag. Prokopios beach, we went to eat with them first! Then hang out at the beach like until eight o’clock! I took a quick nap while Athina was working and then went to catch up with the boys at Captains Café. Then we went to a bar Swing and I went to pick up Isabella and Samu for couple of drinks in there also. After Swing we went to this Scandinavian bar Prime for one drink and then to this local place where they tried to teach me how to dance greek style! Loved when I knew songs and I even asked for one song!! (Egw Athina kai esu) Loved it! Then headed back to our hotel and went to bed around 5.30 am..

The next morning we woke up surprisingly early and left at the same time with the boys to the beach.. Hang out there a while with them until it was time to kiss Marios goodbye since he was leaving back to Thessaloniki in the afternoon. L So nice and warm guys! Me and Athina headed to Ag. Plaka beach which was a 4 km long sandy beach with free sunbeds! The bus ticket to there cost us 2€ and we took a bus back around 16.30..

Then quick showers and then we met up with Isabella and Samu for a tour in the castle and at the Portara. Athina was our tour guide and we enjoyed a nice sunset by the Portara! Then we went to eat at this local taverna and we all had to order something in Greek. We ate so much and only paid 45€ from everything! I bought a boat ticket to Koufonissia for the next day at 11.20 am paying 11.50€ with a student discount. Then we all went to 520 roof top bar and after that to Ocean Club where Kostadis and his friend came to hang our for a while before leaving for the Swing. Me and Athina joined them later in there and again had such a great night! Went to sleep around 4 am. 

Paros part 2.

On the way back from Antiparos Zacharias asked if I had any plans that night and I said I’m gonna go to Naoussa center to wander around probably.. He didn’t like that I was going alone and offered to go with the guys for couple of drinks. I rested for couple of hours and took a shower and then he picked me up again. 

First we drove to the old lighthouse to see the sunset. Then we walked in Naoussa and went for drinks in Agosta, very nice chilled place by the water! Naoussa was a lot busier than Paroikia at night and rumours said that Jon Bon Jovi was there also.. After drinks we left to drive around the island and up to the same church to admire the view where we had been at day time. He gave me a ride home around 1.15! What a day!

The next day I surprised myself and went for a breakfast again and to search for the nail polish which I eventually found from this nail salon place! Zacharias had a day off so he picked me up and we left to drive to Farangas beach in the south. Nice sandy beach with couple of restaurants and sunbeds! We didn’t have any shade and we talked in the ocean four like two hours and I’m so surprised I didn’t burn!

He had a pitch stop at his place cause he needed to pick up his credit card and I really liked his place on the mountain! I also got a nice idea to decorate a bathroom for example! After it was late lunch time at Ambelas in a restaurant called Christiana! Local place which had their own fishing boat to guarantee that everything was fresh! We ate crab salad, octopus, greek salad, saganaki and drank some ouzo! Perfect! Everything cost like 30€ and I didn’t get to pay anything. Once again.

Then it was shower time and after like 45 minutes he picked me up and we left to drive to the highest point of the island for sunset! Arrived just on time for the beautiful sunset and I even agreed on some photos! The place was 700 meters above the sea level. Then on the way down he showed their family cottage on the mountains! Then we drove to Piso Livani for drinks on the beach and then it was time to go home. I almost started crying hugging him goodbye! L