Last year on our cruise with TCSE we spent a port day in Athens, and we weren't too sold on it truth be told. So when Chris and Michi invited us to meet up with them in Greece as part of their grand Euro-tour we knew we didn't want to spend an entire week in the city.

Besides, everyone's primary reason for wanting to go to Greece was BEACHES, which are few and far between in land-locked Athens. So after meeting up with Chris and Michi in the capital, we hopped a ferry and skipped off to the Cyclades Islands!

Ha-ha. Skipped. We actually RAN our butts off to the islands because we all forgot to set our clocks an hour ahead and woke up with JUST enough time to run like crazy people (with the baby stroller flying and the baby's cheeks jiggling like Jell-O) through the streets of Piraeus. But by some incredible blessing from on high we made it, catching the ferry as it was practically leaving the port!

Casa Hoeger/Hill

At the risk of sounding horribly cheesey, despite our absolutely crazy day with all the things that seemed to go wrong, it was actually a really good day! I don't remember feeling upset or frustrated once. It was all one grand adventure.

And besides, picking spines out of my husband's foot as we sat on our private balony with great friends and a cute baby while listening to the ocean waves was definitely not a bad way to end our first day in Greece :)

The Nitty Gritty Stuff, in case anybody wants to know:

• Getting from Athens to Naxos was 100 times easier than we expected. We were picturing a big complicated mess trying to find the port and the right ferry, but the green metro line takes you directly to the Naxos ferry port from downtown Athens. It couldn't have been simpler! You can buy your tickets right there in front of the ferry and just get right on. Definitely get there early though if you want the best cheap seats. By the time we got to the port all of the economy tickets were sold out so we had to pay an extra 10 euro for the “airplane seats.” They weren't a bad option and were actually a comfortable way to spend the 5-hour trip, but if you get there early enough you can score some great economy deck seats and save 10 euro, while getting to enjoy the view.
• The Marine Dream was a fantastic hotel just south of Plaka and only cost $30 usd per night! For a private room with a balcony and sea view it really doesn't get much better! It was clean and airy and so secluded that the stars at night were incredible! However, while the seclusion and privacy was awesome, it was a 30 minute walk to the closest restaurant or market and further to the main parts of town. With a baby in the hot sun that was unfortunate at times. If it were only Chris and I, we probably would have opted to rent a scooter to get around the island.
• I highly advocate travelling to Greece in September. It was the off-season, so everything was cheaper and there were NO crowds! Plus, the weather was hot and sunny, without being so hot you wanted to die.

Lastly, for want of recording this memory and not being able to find anywhere else to place it, I'm writing it down here:

Within an hour of stepping off the plane in Athens, Chris gave accurate directions to another tourist who couldn't figure out the metro system. He is a man of many talents :)