Greece > Back to the mainland

At eight o’clock we wake up just as everyone else is going to sleep. We have to get up to be on time at the port. We pack our things, shower, and have breakfast. At ten minutes to half past nine, we arrive at the port, where many backpackers are already waiting. Two ferries arrive at the same time. Our boat docks first. Quickly, everyone is loaded on board (as usual, like cattle). Only Sandra and Monique don’t come, even though they were walking just behind us. As the boarding ramps and other equipment are being removed, they come running—apparently, they had been called back to pay a port fee. Ron and I had simply walked past that man. Once Monique and Sandra board, they are cheered on by five crew members.

Greece - Saying goodbye to the Greek islands

Behind them, the ship closes and departs. On board, we first sleep for a few hours. Afterwards, we do some reading. Luckily, the wind is much calmer than on the way over. At a quarter past five, the ship arrives at the port of Piraeus. Immediately, we are swarmed by taxi drivers. We take the metro/train to Athens. We get off at the now-familiar Omonia Square. We call home in the Netherlands. At the same restaurant where we ate last time, we enjoy a hearty meal. Afterwards, we have a dessert. The dessert is hardly edible—only Monique likes it and quickly finishes four cups of yogurt. After eating, we head to the station for the next leg of our journey. On the way, we buy the latest edition of De Telegraaf. At half past eight, we arrive at the station. The platform is very crowded. Our train is supposed to leave at ten o’clock, but it turns out that this is only a sleeper train. So we must take either the 21:00 or the 24:00 train. The 21:00 train is long, and there is enough space when we board. Unfortunately, many seats are reserved. Nevertheless, we manage to secure four seats in the now crowded train, spread across two carriages. After one o’clock in the morning, four seats together become available. We quickly move. Around six o’clock, the train arrives at Thessaloniki station.