From Java to the Aegean

The last time I wrote, I was leaving Java in 10 days after a wonderful four months far from home. I was heading back for a short stopover before starting the European leg of the adventure. Those two weeks at home were a whirlwind of leaflet delivery, voter ID duties, catching up with friends (and drinking far too much), and trying to work out exactly what damage I’d done to my knee in Java.

After an MRI, it turns out I’ve worn away the cartilage on the back of my kneecap—something that’s been happening for a long time, so Java wasn’t to blame. The physio does think the sharp pain I get walking downstairs or downhill is a separate injury, though. A steroid injection and a new set of exercises later, I headed off to Greece slightly less mobile than I’d hoped. Dreams of walking the West Highland Way this summer have, for now, been firmly shelved.

Island hopping was the plan for late April and May, with Mark joining me for the first two weeks. After that, there were vague ideas about Albania and possibly Croatia, although I do need to be back in Glasgow by the end of July to volunteer at the Commonwealth Games. My main challenge is not over‑organising and letting the journey unfold as I go.

On 20 April we flew to Athens—although my bag decided to go on its own adventure and stayed behind at Heathrow. On the plus side, Aegean Airlines were impressively efficient. They even texted me to say my bag hadn’t made it while I was still standing at the luggage carousel waiting for it. When I went to register the delivery address, the woman at the desk was genuinely shocked that we only had an address for two nights. She said she’d never dealt with anyone who didn’t have a schedule. Thankfully, by 10.30 the next morning my bag was delivered to the doorstep, and no plans were harmed in the process.

I completely fell in love with Athens—the food, the history, and the fact there’s a monument around almost every corner. I’d absolutely recommend stopping there before heading to the Greek islands. The Acropolis looming over the city is magnificent, and watching a school sports day at the ancient Olympic Stadium was a real highlight. And e-bike tour of the city was fun and included the very strange changing of the guard which was like something out of the ministry of silly walks. My only disappointment was that we were too early in the season to catch a film at one of the city’s 60‑plus outdoor cinemas.

Travelling in shoulder season meant we eventually had to do some ferry planning, particularly to make sure Mark could reach Mykonos in time for his flight home on 7 May. Our first island stop was Milos, reached via a ferry that got into port at 3am. No problem, said the hotel hosts—there would be a key in the door of room seven and we could let ourselves in. Except there was no key, and the door was locked. After several attempts, a young Canadian woman answered the door. It turned out she’d been given the same instructions for room six, but someone was already in there, so she’d taken room seven instead. Everything was eventually sorted, everyone stayed calm and friendly, and we all ended up with a room and some much‑needed sleep.

Over the next two weeks we stayed on Milos, Sifnos and Serifos. Each island had its own character and charm, with delicious food and some lovely beaches. On Sifnos we hired a car for just €15 a day, although it sounded like we were dragging the exhaust along the road every time we used second gear. Serifos, meanwhile, greeted us with temperatures of 14 degrees or lower and winds of up to 75 km/h. To keep ourselves entertained on the windiest day, we held our own Olympics: two games of backgammon, two of Upwords and two of gin rummy. One point per win, with the option to play a joker for double points on one game. No need to go into too much detail—suffice to say I won 5–2!

Our ferry to Paros was cancelled because of the wind, so we had to stay on Serifos for an extra two days. On our final day the weather finally turned, and we spent a glorious afternoon on Psili Ammos beach, including lunch at a little taverna overlooking the sea. It was exactly what you imagine Greek island life should be like.

As its Greece there are of course cats everywhere. On Milos they all seemed very small, on Serifos they looked like they had been crossed with Panthas they were so big. Even Mark has started slipping morsels of food of his plate for the cats.

If the first leg of my gap year was all about adventure, this second part is very much about relaxation. I absolutely love island hopping in Greece—I’m completely relaxed, reading loads, spending time on the beach, and, of course, eating far too much amazing food.

Mark headed home today, so I’m continuing the trip solo for a while. There are more Greek islands to explore, and I’m really looking forward to cat‑sitting in Chalkida towards the end of the month—a chance to live in a non‑touristy Greek town for ten days. With any luck, I’ll make it to Albania in early June.