​Our first point of action was to rent a car. There are many places to do this, and we found a little rental shop across from where the ferry docked. There were 4 of us in total and this meant that for 2 full days the price came to 15 euros each.
Once rented we drove to our hotel. Out hotel ‘Evi Evan hotel’ was situated in the smaller working village of Galissas with just a 5-minute walk to the beach, it also had a few restaurants and shops. I could not recommend this hotel more, family run with amazing service! We were their first guests of the season and I am so glad we picked it. If you ever find yourself in Syros look up this hotel and you won’t be disappointed.
One of the restaurants in Galissas was ‘Alex’s Grill’ so obviously we had to try the food. Again, we were not disappointed. The food was so tasty and reasonably priced while also looking out at one of the chapels situated on the cliff side.
The next stop was the old medieval settlement near the port. This had lovely little streets with shops and cafes along them and a monastery in the middle. Although, if you’re not careful you will find yourself lost in these Greek streets for hours. I would recommend going here for early evening, after 6pm, as many things aren’t open due to it being far too hot.

Poros is one of the closer islands to Athens but still offers Sandy beaches with a beautiful landscape while not requiring a 5-hour ferry ride. When we arrived on the island after a 2 hour ferry (there is an option for a one hour ferry that costs a little bit more but is still reasonably priced) we found that there were no cars to rent on the island but they do have scooters, quad bikes and push bikes. We got two scooters priced at 25 euro a day; although more expensive that hiring a car on the islands they allow you to get around without the restrictions of a car. 

Once we rented the scooters and checked in to the hotel we headed off to the beach. The first beach/ bay we went to was called “Love Bay”, this is one of the most famous on the island and when googling the island it will certainly pop up! But rightly so as it offered a beautiful quiet bay with warm water and trees surrounding the outside of it. This should be on your list of places to swim and relax as the sounds of the waves and the view of the chapel from the sand will whisk you away to a state of relaxation that will make you feel a million miles away from the bustling mainland. After this we drove around the windy roads on the island coming across other bays such as the Russian dockyard/ Russian bay which still housed the ruin of the Russian lookout over the sea. Here there is also a little cafe where you’re able to get some snacks and cold drinks. We also checked out the temple of Poseidon on the island - however, this was less impressive that the beaches as they had failed to truly build the temple and thus there just laid stones and bricks one level high. Although, the view of the sea and mountains from here was beautiful & it is free to get in as well. 
The main town is the one at the port, this is where we stayed and had dinner most evenings. There is also a clocktower within this town which again offers an amazing view, especially for the sunset which sets over the port. There are also small shops here, cafes and ice cream shops. ​

Poros although small offers beautiful beaches for a relaxing holiday without the stress of attempting to see every historical site . With also being a flourishing island in terms of trees and plants you can hike around some paths and when open, you are able to get a boat over to the mainland (which is visible from the island) with your scooter and travel to the burnt village/ volcano. However, the volcano is not as you make think and only provides the rocks of a volcano that was once there. 
 

So on your next trip to Greece, add Poros to your island hopping list. 

 Day 1; 
Paros is a bit closer than that of Sifnos, but only by an hour. So, we arrived in Paros at 11:25am and walked to our hotel. We stayed in hotel Livadia which was right along the seafront/ beach and only a 10-minute walk away from the port where the ferry drops you off. It was lovely and clean and provided a perfect location as it was in the port which had a large town & everything we could need. 
After we had checked in, we went to eat in one of the seafront restaurants for lunch! This was a lovely meal and set us up for the day. By the time we had finished we needed to rent two cars again as there were 10 of us. Although most of the car rental shops were open due to it being the middle of the day, and most shops closing due to it being too hot in the mid-day heat,  we managed to find a rental shop where we picked up two fiat pandas for €10 each for the weekend.
We then went on to explore. Heading to Naoussa town we found the ruin of a castle which had been mostly destroyed by the sea but still had the structure of one of the viewing points with window holes that were now just above sea level. This is a Venetian castle classed as a fortress which was used as a watch town for pirates and enemy attacks as it is in the perfect position to protect the port while being able to survey the sea.
I would highly recommend this town on a trip to Paros as it also had a beach and many restaurants and little shops to look around and enjoy. It offered the small white and blue streets that are so classically Greek where you can take a stroll and pictures.
That afternoon we went to the beach however, it was windy so we couldn’t swim, unfortunately. 
By this time, we were feeling pretty tired already due to the 5am wake up call for the ferry. We decided to head back to the hotel and shower & get changed ready for dinner in a small town called 'Lefkes' in the centre of the island. 
We ate at a restaurant called 'Klarinos' in the central bit of the town and although it was recommended it really wasn’t that great and there looked like there were better places to eat within the town. ​

​Paros is a beautiful island and one that is quite big also having a ferry service to the close island of Antiparos so I would even recommend going for a longer time than 2 days so you have the extra time to relax on the beaches but also to see the historical and hiking side of the island.
 

 
We soon arrived at our house up the small local streets by Appollinia. 
After we had dropped our stuff at the apartment, we went for some lunch in one of the only restaurants open at this time of day.
The food was good and suppressed our hunger. After we were all fed, we headed to see one of the many churches on the top of a mountain by a small fishing village, Cheronissos.
Even from this height you are able to see just how clear the water is with it glistening up at you. Around this church were many goats all protecting their young and it seemed as though they were also protecting the church. 
After looking at the church we continued down into the fishing village and beach. This was so peaceful and gorgeous with no one else around due to there not being tourists and the hotels not opening yet. However, the size and the lack of tavernas there suggest that during the peak of the season this place may still stand in a peaceful tranquillity. It was definitely a little slice of paradise. 
 ​

 That evening for the sunset we headed to the town of Kastro which had an ancient wall and the most beautiful stone streets leading through the houses. This little village was one of the most beautiful places and also had a small chapel on the rocks by the water. 
These views were amazing. 
After the sunset we decided to get some food and drinks from the supermarket and head back to our house for the evening. ​

Today we woke up to beautiful sunshine so we defined the best plan of action would be to head to the beach! 

We found a beautiful sandy beach with a few cafes along the sand. We had some lunch and coffee in Yalos cafe which was the best meal we had so far. While also looking out at the extended stretch of sea that was a beautiful turquoise. 
For a few hours we decided to relax on this beach & swim. Considering the weather wasn’t that hot the water was warm allowing for us to have a proper swim in the beautiful waters. 
This beach also had a little chapel on the rocks looking over the beach and the sea. It was clear that this island loved their churches and monasteries.  
This little town and beach was popular with the locals but also had a lot of hotels and apartments to rent. In the height of summer, I can imagine this would be a busy part of the island, but it deserves the recognition for its beauty. ​

 
After the beach we wanted to head somewhere to get some food and decided the best place would be back to the area where we ate the first evening. 
Finding a grill restaurant, we managed to get some Greek food. 
That evening was spent chasing the sunset around the island. 
We had planned to walk up to a church to watch the sunset over the sea, however we underestimated the height of it and decided we would not make it in time. Instead of this we parked up and walked along a dirt track to the edge of the island and managed to catch the most amazing sunset as it set over the sea.  ​

 
On Sunday we had our ferry booked for 2:40pm so the morning was spent looking around the port town. 
These offered beautiful ceramic shops and pottery while also hosting a bunch of lovely restaurants. As Sifnos is famous for its ceramic and pottery so we decided that we should definitely get a few gifts and just appreciate their artwork.
 ​

Our time on Sifnos was one to remember as we were able to experience the traditional Greek island life without the invasion of extensive tourism. It is truly a special island and I would recommend it to everyone. ​

​Pretty much every person we greet quickly learns that we are not local and are in fact English. On learning this, you see panic and confusion cross their faces. They imminently ask: “where are you from”, we confirm that we are English. You can again see them wanting to get the recommended two meters away and hand sanitise as soon as it wouldn’t be insulting. I have now learnt to say to people we meet as soon as possible that we have been here since September and are no more a threat than any other Greek. At this, they automatically ease and try and cover up their natural fear embedded by all the headlines of the thousands dying in Britain due to Covid-19.
 
We have seen this week that Britain is not included in the first wave of countries being allowed to holiday in Greece this summer. From our experience, it is clear that many Greeks would be terrified to have anyone from Britain flying over anytime soon, and it’s understandable. At writing this, Greece has only had 168 deaths, and the UK has had 36,393.  There is lots of debate to why Greece has been relatively unscathed by the virus in comparison to the UK. Still, one thing is for sure, Greece receives over 30 million tourists each year and only has a population of under 11 million.  The tourists from all over the world would outnumber the Greeks 3/1 and could quickly spread the virus across Greece, overwhelming the Greek health care, especially on the islands that do not have hospitals close by. The arrival of tourists would reboot the economy, but the loss of life could be equally devastating.
 
Greece will have to balance the damage to the economy with the strain on their health service and loss of life. If you are planning a holiday to Greece very soon, I would consider the risk to both yourself and those around you. It is essential to understand that you might be escaping the long months of lockdown you have endured, but to Greece, you will be a genuine threat.

Nafplio or Nafplion was the first capital of Greece through the years 1828- 1833 and provides an island type of life just two hours drive from Athens, so we decided this would be an ideal place to travel to after the easing of lockdown. 

The trip to Nafplio provide to be a little harder that we had anticipated. On arriving at the bus terminal, we soon found we were at Terminal B when we needed to be at Terminal A. After we had sorted this out and found our way to Terminal A, in which we had to get a Beat (taxi) to as it is about 15 minutes away, we were able to find the correct office to buy our coach tickets. Due to the Covid outbreak they are only working at around 50% capacity meaning the coach we were aiming to get at 2pm was already full so we had to compromise and get the next coach at 6pm meaning we would get to our destination at around 8pm. The two- hour bus journey was the easy part, it stops in a couple places one being the town Argos, which is a 15-minute drive away from Nafplio.
For the bus tickets we paid 10-euro 80 cent each, this was with the student discount on providing out Athens university student card.

On arriving in Nafplio we walked to our Airbnb that we had booked prior to arriving. Hotels do not open until the 15th June 2020 in Greece, but Airbnb have continued to be open throughout the pandemic. Out Airbnb was called ‘Home sweet Home’ it was basic but perfect for two people looking to explore the surrounding area. Located in the old town of Nafplio it had an amazing view from the balcony and allowed us to pinpoint all the surrounding landmarks.

​Although the restaurants were still shut on our arrival, we found a couple restaurants that were open for takeaway, so we were able to get a souvlaki/ gyro. Although we had to eat this on the steps or benches in the streets it didn’t matter to us too much as the views and the heat made it an enjoyable experience. 

​Day 2;
We woke up this morning ready to explore!
Our first stop was the Palamidi fortress, this is hard to miss as it stands tall on the edge of the town. Like the Acropolis you will be able to see it from wherever you are staying within Nafplio. Although it is around a 30 minute walk up and 30 minutes down (depending on how fast you walk) the views are worth every step. If you are under 25 and bring along your passport you will be granted free entrance to this fort however, if not the price is no more than 10 euros and it is open from 8am till 8pm during the summer months, meaning you don't have to walk up in the highest heat of the day. Normally there is the ability to walk around all parts of the fortress however, due to Covid-19 some parts were cut off for us due to there not being as many staff on because of the lack of tourists. This is a must see, the fortress still stands in excellent condition and shows off its Venetian fortification architecture with a total of eight bastions that are contained within the walls. But remember your sun cream as we both ended up with some sunburn from the walk up there!

​Following this we went to a beautiful little beach which can be viewed from the fortress. The beach sits behind the fort and offers parking as well as a beach front restaurant. ‘Paralia Arvanitias’ can be reach by walking from the port along the seafront under a cave and round to the beach or through the car park that is situated in-between the palace and the fortress. It offers beautiful clear waters although when it is windy it proves a bit rough but still very scenic.

After relaxing on the beach and soaking up the sun we decided to head to one of the other attractions that you can see rising above the town. The castle walls and clock tower. This walk isn’t as strenuous as the fortress and still offers views of the town below. Although the castle is no longer there you can still walk along the walls and imagine the whole town once living within them.
That evening we managed to get some food from a takeaway restaurant called “Art Meat”. This food was amazing, and they offered a good range of different dishes.

​Day 3;
Today we spent around 5 hours walking around however, it was one of the most beautiful walks I have ever been on.  This walk is east of Nafplio and leads along the coast to Karathona beach. This is a sandy long stretch of beach but the walk itself even offered rocky beaches down from the path. This walk is incredibly popular with the locals as we came across many people walking along this path to the little coves and the longer beach. Once we came to the beach after around an hour walk we stopped off for a coffee and to reapply sun cream. The beach here was busy but it was also big enough to provide room for everyone. Not only were people swimming and enjoying the sunshine, there were also people windsurfing.  After our pit stop we decided to continue down past Saint Nicholas church and along the cliff side, this was along a provided path around 300 meters towards the Church Agios Nikolaos Krasoktistos. This was a beautiful little chapel on the edge of the cliff with steps leading down to the water. It was truly something out of a Mamma Mia film. It was so well looked after and was the perfect spot for some pictures and to relax. If given the opportunity this should be on your list to see while visiting Nafplio. Not only with a beautiful scenic walk but also with amazing landmarks it is not to be missed.

​After walking there and back we were incredibly hungry so we headed home for a quick shower and then decided to head out and grab some food.
We found this amazing Lebanese street food restaurant called 'Mandaloun' and the food was to die for! With amazing hospitality from the people working there including, offering us a free falafel dipped in hummus to suppress our hungry that bit longer until our food was ready added to the whole experience.
​We ate this on the amphitheatre that had become our little restaurant the last couple of nights and enjoyed our last evening in Nafplio.

​Unlike Athens on a Sunday the shops were buzzing as they await the reopening of restaurants and bars on the 25th May.
You could truly feel the excitement and anticipation in the air which we could relate to a lot.
 

​Our final day:
With our coach not leaving till 5pm we still had a bit of time to enjoy the atmosphere of Nafplio with its restaurants opening their doors to customers once again. For our first restaurant experience we headed to one of the cafes along the seafront with a view of the castle that lives on its own island within the port. It seemed that everyone had the same idea as the Cafes overflowed with life as customers sipped on their first coffee after the hardship of the two months of lockdown.
The remainder of the day we spent on the beach or looking around the little streets that are lined with small shops and cafés.


This town although not far from Athens holds an atmosphere mostly only found on the islands. For a relaxing couple of days without the long ferry rides, Nafplion is the perfect place.

Things in Athens and Greece as a whole continue to normalise daily. As of Monday, 18th May the Acropolis and all outside archaeological sites are open for visitors! On Monday we ventured up the slopes to the Acropolis entrance for only the second time since we moved here in September. We were pleased to find out that entrance was free for everyone that day. Although for us being under 25 it is always free, a normal adult ticket would set you back around 20 euros, so this was a lovely touch to almost give the public a gift for all their efforts during this pandemic. And one thing that hadn’t changed through the Corona virus was the beautiful view that can be seen from the top of the most famous place in Greece.

​Now that the Acropolis and other sites are opened as well as being able to travel outside of your region now to places on mainland and the opening of Crete things are feeling a lot happier and lighter, there is no longer a lingering cloud of mass fear hanging over the city although, there is still obviously a need for social distancing measures at these places. With the weather also heating up the private beaches were opened early to give people more options of where to cool off and as of Monday 25th restaurants and the Islands are opening up, a week earlier than expected which gives us and extra week to enjoy all the Greek things we love and will miss when we return to England in a months time.

Yesterday we headed to the coast to make the most of the amazing weather we are having at the moment. We still have to wear the protective gear on the public transport which can become pretty stuffy over time as the trip from our house to the beach is around a hour. 

After spending most the day at the day at the beach we decided to wait until sunset before heading off home and we are very glad we did as it was absolutely stunning. It was taken at Voula. You can get the bus, tram, metro and taxi so it is very accessible from the centre of Athens. 

​After the lifting of lockdown in Greece on the 4th May many more things are beginning to open including public beaches where you’re allowed to swim. The beaches were first shut due to the inability for the public to stay away from them on a hot day with this resulting in overcrowding, obviously going against the social distancing rule.

​But they are now open and ready for the weather to reach the 30 degrees and higher. So, with a group of friends who were still In Athens we set off for the beach in the area called Vouliagmeni. This area in itself is beautiful and is well known for a lake that is there, although the lake is private (meaning you must pay a fee to go in) and therefore, is still closed. However, the cove to which we found was mesmerising. This particular beach is called; ‘limanakia’ and along the road leading up to it there are multiple other coves and beaches that have similar picturesque views. With crystal clear water surrounded by marble looking eroded rocks, we found ourselves the perfect spot to spend our day. To reach this spot you must climb down and across the rocky and grassy area around. Although this sounds daunting, no one in our group fell over or were hurt and the view at the bottom was truly worth it.

When we got near to where we were going to sit down, we soon became aware of multiple men and women who were missing something. Yup, it turned out the thing they were missing was any sort of clothing or swimming costume.
We had found ourselves at a nudist cove. Don’t let this put you off though, it was worth it and the main group of naked individuals didn’t venture over to our side of the water and after a while it felt normal and we relaxed on the rocks, dipping into the sea for a swim. 

This first adventure after the lifting of lockdown was exactly what was needed and a beautiful way to start off the summer season.

As of today, May 4th 2020, lockdown in Athens is loosening and the rules regarding permits have been put to one side. However, the virus is still prominent worldwide and although we are allowed outside without the government’s permission the rules of social distancing are still in place. With the added ‘must do' of wearing a mask at all enclosed places such as the metro and hairdressers.

Today as we walked outside ready to enjoy our first day of freedom, waiting for the crowds of people all rejoicing about having lived through the worst stages of the Covid-19 pandemic we noticed little change. Although, more people lined the streets and more venders were open ready to see their electrical and sport equipment (as these are the first wave of shops allowed to open) Athens was very clearly still being cautious. Rightfully so. This caution is one of the main reasons we have been able to feel so safe here during one of the scariest times of our lives.

​The change that was visible, however, was that of relaxation. People were more inclined to sit in small groups on the walls along the cobbled streets leading down to Thiseio, without having to stick to the route that they had written down on their permits.

​With masks at the ready we decided to visit the Kappa shop where we were able to get some good deals on T-shirts and shoes. It felt oddly strange to be buying something other than the essentials of groceries.

Although it will take a while for things to go back to any sort of normality, even with proper retail stores not opening till next week and then archeologically sites, such as the Acropolis, the week after, there is definitely hope and excitement in the air as we get closer to becoming the bustling capital city Athens was before this virus.