Monastiraki was the best metro as it would be just 20 minutes and seeing the last stop was Piraeus Port, we were unlikely to get lost. Sea Jet World Champion Stop E. Wow this cat is big! At at 87m long and 24m wide and with a top speed of 50 knots, this Australian made catamaran is the fastest in their fleet and in fact, it did hold a world speed record at some point. There were few seats free, so we were close to the 1280 capacity. The crossing was a bit rough as the Meltemi was blowing a gale and we were pleased we were on the big cat.

Arrival in Parakia was tumultuous. In the semidarkness of the lower deck or catapult, passengers scrambled to claim their luggage accompanied by the acrid smell of diesel, the shudder and shriek of the stern ramp lowering ready to disgorge its heaving cargo. The contents flooded the tiny port and in just minutes the cars were rented, the buses filled, the pick-ups completed and rollers and backpacks had disappeared. All was calm again and it was time for a Mythos.

Hotel Kontes was a two-minute walk from the port, clean comfortable and ideal for our two-night stay. We ran into a couple from the Gold Coast, Chris and Kelly who were halfway through their five-month travel escapade with lots of wonderful stories to share.  We agreed to meet up again to watch Australia v USA the following evening. The two-nil score, including an ‘own-goal’ was a disaster. We were a bit surprised with the lack of interest. There were a few tables of Aussies and one of Americans who were definitely uninterested.

It was a good stay in Parakia and reacquainting ourselves with the old town and eating at a couple of terrific restaurants.

Karentals was a far superior company to deal with and although the Suzuki Swift had a few dings, it was clean, fuelled and ready to go.

We were off to Piso Lavadi and two weeks of doing as little as possible. The first challenge was to find the apartment. I mean this is a small village. The address ‘Main Street’ was no clue at all. How can Google not find it? It was new. I knew that but it really is a small village and when I asked one of the locals for the villa Tzitziki, which I pronounced ‘zatziki’ she looked at me quizacilly, ‘But Tzatziki is a cream! I don’t know this place!” Of course, by the time we had decided we needed help we were in a black spot. Eventually we ignored the verbal directions and engaged the Swift in Greek 4WD – rev the guts out of the engine and ride the clutch in first. We headed up the rocky path and there, we accidentally found our apartment and the delightful Emmanuela who initially explained that we couldn’t park outside the apartment but in the street parallel. ‘Oh, the one that says no entry. The one-way street.’  She smiled broadly and after a moment reconsidering, she acquiesced. It’s Greece. Roads, rules and rentals are pliable.

Just a heads up- Tzitziki, our villa, is Greek for ‘cicada’ and is pronounced ‘zidziki’ with a bit of an initial hard g sound, while the cream ‘tzatziki’ is pronounced ‘zatziki’.

 We conquered the stairs and we were set. Piso Livardi was just perfect.