After a long day of delayed fights, we arrived excitedly at Athens airport at 3am, although our bags were not so lucky. It wasn’t the best of starts to a month long journey, but we were determined to make the most of our first stop.

We stayed in a hostel right near the Plaka, and it whilst it certainly wasn’t the Ritz, it afforded us a prime location in the heart of the old town. After a few hours sleep and a shower, it was back into our smelly clothes in search of breakfast. Our first stop became our favourite place to eat and drink- Thespis Restaurant, at the Acropolis end of the Plaka’s main drag. Thespis proved the exception to the rule of overpriced, touristy restaurants in the Plaka, and definitely made the best frappes (ice coffee) we tasted in Greece.

We meandered around narrow lanes flanked with white washed homes, up to the Acropolis, following the few signs we spotted along the way. The views on the way up were breathtaking, and of course, got better at every turn.

After marvelling at the Parthenon, and taking in the spectacular view of Athens sprawling outwards in a sea of white, we made our way to the Roman Agora, and took in the Museum, before our feet were screaming and frappe’s were beckoning… We took a break in Monastiraki and joined the throngs of young Athenians in an afternoon caffeine fix.

After our bags arrived later that evening, we celebrated firstly by changing into clean clothes, then with a sensational meal at Thespis. We dined on fava, dolmades, calamari, and of course greek salad with a massive slice of feta performing a balancing act on the top. The home made wine was flowing, as was the conversation, which resulted in us making friends with the neighbouring table, then setting off into the night together in search of that elusive post dinner drink…

After hearing so many mixed reports, we found Athens to be a pleasant surprise- the food, the wine, the coffee… And the pastries! I didn’t expect such an array of sweet and savoury- great for the budget but unfortunately not so great for the waistline.

The following balmy evening we strolled all the way around the base of the Acropolis, devouring barbecued corn cobs smothered in salt, and ruining our appetites. Never! Later we dined on a roof top terrace under the aura of a floodlit Acropolis and wondered what all those people who didn’t like Athens were talking about…