15 | November | 2019 | retireediary

This trip is on our bucket list.

We flew to Athens with a layover at Doha. The overall flying time was over 12 hours with an additional four hours at the airport of Doha. We were able to get some sleep on both legs of the flights, so we didn’t look too worn out when we arrived at Athens.

Athens is great, there were plenty of things to do.

Visiting the Acropolis is high up on our list. So were the other vistas and museums.

The main purpose of this post is to give a short introduction of the seven islands we visited.

We embarked our ship, the Le Bougainville, at the busy port of Pireaus.

By next morning, the ship berthed at Patmos. Likewise, every morning, we arrived at a new island and started a new day. If berthing spaces are available, we will directly berth alongside. More often than not, we have tenders which transferred us to shore and back to ship after our land excursion.

Patmos – appears to be a religious island, where St. John once lived. It was here, on Patmos, where exiled by the Roman emperor Domitian in A.D. 95, that John conjured up the Four Horsemen and the Beast with Seven Heads.

Folegrandros – is known for the magical charm of its white-washed Hora with its old Castle that has been occupied since Medieval times and of course

Amorgos – the island is renowned for its trails and walking paths, its raki-loving spirit (a grape-based liquor), and its aromatic herbs.

Syros – very beautiful, especially looking from the ship, day and night. Boasting the beautiful Cycladic landscape, minus the crowds, Syros Greece is a top choice for those who want to chill out and relax

Delos – is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. Not really inhabited, with all the ruins covering virtually the whole island. The stone lions on the island are more widely known.

Mykonos – this island seems too crowded and commercial for me. It is the party animal of the Cycladic islands.

Hydra- beautiful, especially on the shore front where we were greeted by mules. One of the greatest parts of this stunning little paradise is that there are no cars allowed on the island, aside from garbage trucks and ambulances. The main method of transportation here is mules and donkeys.