We have really enjoyed our time in Greece. When we arrived, back in September our plan was to stay for one month then move on. However, after our initial month visiting Karyos mum and staying by the sea in Nea Peramos we decided to move south to the capital city and to spend some time in Athens. Eventually, we ended up staying in a total of four more Airbnbs! October in Kypseli, November In Mets then almost three weeks in Ampelokipoi. – plus one more short stay in Ampelokipoi to end our time in Greece.
We had decided to follow the mild weather and make Barcelona our next stop. Our flight and required Covid test were booked and we were getting prepared to leave Greece on the 18th of December. Unfortunately, those plans were scuppered when we received notification that our flight to Barcelona had been cancelled with no alternative flights available!
Vueling Airlines
The flights had been with a budget Spanish airline – ‘Vueling Airlines’ and we have to give credit where it is due. On getting notification of the cancellation we contacted them for a refund. Initially, they tried to get us to accept a credit note of the price we paid plus an extra 10%. We declined this offer as we were not likely to fly with this company again so said we preferred a cash refund. To our amazement, the process was really easy. With just a few simple questions on the phone, their representative organised it for us and the cash was back in our accounts within a week. Very impressive, especially for a budget airline. The whole experience means that we are happy to recommend this airline to anyone and will definitely be using them ourselves again in the future should the opportunity arise.
The next few days were a bit hectic. With the extra complication of now needing a negative covid result within 48 hours of travel to just about anywhere it is quite a juggling act to get the test, flight and accommodation booked all in sync with each other. We decided to get the test results first, to be sure it was negative. Then the flight, to be sure it was actually going ahead. Then finally the accommodation, as there was lots of availability so we deduced that a last-minute booking would be no problem.
Where next?
After some discussion and checking of flight restrictions and availability, we chose Rome, Italy as our next destination. Neither of us has been before and there was a Ryan Air flight leaving on Sunday 20th December. This was ideal as from 21st December entry restrictions to Italy were stricter demanding a 14-day quarantine. By going on the 20th we managed to miss the extra strict requirement and just needed to get a negative Covid test and fill in a passenger locater form meaning the whole process was much simpler.
However, we actually had a more pressing issue to take care of first. We had to find another Airbnb in Ampelokipoi as our current booking had ended and new guests were due to arrive the day we left meaning our stay could not be extended. Karyo did a quick search and managed to find us a place just around the corner. It was important not to go too far as we did not want the hassle of a big move just for a couple of days plus the metro station that goes straight to the airport was really close making it important for us to stay in the same area.
Our new accommodation
The new apartment we found was on the ground floor. This particular one was unusual in that it did not have a living area so probably would not be a good option for a longer stay. For a few days, however, was ideal. It had two large bedrooms’ both with a really comfortable double bed. A large shower room, a full size, fully equipped kitchen and a wide hall that had a table and chairs. The apartment was spotlessly clean, in a great location and at the grand total of just £70 for a two-night stay was an absolute bargain.
Should you be looking for a clean, comfortable budget apartment for a short stay in Athens you really can not go far wrong with this one.
www.Airbnb.co.uk/rooms/32671959
The Covid test
This was to be our first Covid test and we were both a little nervous of the whole procedure. We managed to book ourselves in at a private clinic for 4 pm on Friday 18th. Italy was only asking for an antigen, rapid test so getting the results within the hour really helped in the timing of booking flights and accommodation.
On arrival, we were directed to a temporary tent on the side of the building where all covid testing was being done. I went first, the doctor asked me to tilt my head backwards so that it touched the wall behind me. This was a ploy so that I was not able to move my head backwards when he inserted the swab into my nose. It worked! – He quickly pushed the swab into my nostril, a couple of twists and out again. I would say it was uncomfortable but not painful and nowhere near as bad as I had expected, the whole thing was over in a minute.
Karyo went next and then we had to hang around for 20 minutes for the result. Thankfully, both came back negative which meant we could now book our flights for the following day. Once this was done all that was left was to book our accommodation for a month in Rome and we were all set to go!
Goodbye Athens – Hello Rome!
