I have little idea of where to begin, so I suppose I’ll start at the very beginning (a very good place to start!),

We arrived in Athens late into the evening.

Cheap tickets work this way. You fly early early or Late, but never a time where regular people or buses or trains might run.

But now, finally, “We’re in Greece!” It’s dark and we’ve passed customs, our four-strong group abuzz with excitement. To the streets we march, stuffed backpackers backpacks in tow. The signs are all in Greek and totally incomprehensible and wow, I think, this is nothing short of surreal.

Step onto the bus. Punch the tickets. Look out the window.

Used car dealerships every other business. Ads of Greek singers posing in groups. Billboards written in English-Greek . McDonalds next to feta gyros. Tall grey building upon tall grey building.

Find the metro. Decipher the signs. Try to find the hotel. Try to find the hotel.

After an hour of wandering dark streets with vendors on every corner, bars across every shop window, we find the hotel. Are greeted with, "Welcome to Greece! Do whatever you like! Do you want to push beds all in one room? Okay! Fine! Let me show you where are the clubs..." This is typical Greek hospitality; they take the phrase 'the customer is always right' to a serious extreme.

That same night, we walked to a cafe for our first taste of Grecian food. Gyros, feta, and, could we please share a bottle of wine? It's not on the menu, says accomodating owner, but just you wait, I'll get it for you! No no don't bother, we say, we'll only take water. No please, insists the owner, Hey boy! Go next door and buy some wine for these people!

Needless to say and despite protest, we got the wine...