Naxos.

Awoke to a brutal alarm at the crack of dawn this morning, hopped on the metro and rode it all the way out to Pireaus, the port. Arriving while it was still pitch black out, we jumped aboard, had a catch up power nap and ran to the back of the boat. Moving out of Athens, the sun was rising on the hilltops in the distance, illuminating the city and casting a fiery glow across dozens of haphazard rooftops.

We travelled past islands, hanging off the side railings to get an incredible view, Paros flew past and we were disembarking (or disembarkation, the Greeks like to say. Learnt a new word.)

We were haggled for accommodation the moment we set our feet on the ground in Naxos and we went with our first haggler, a middle aged Greek lady with a friendly demeanour and a interesting choice of footwear. We managed to barter down the price a bit, and are now staying in a beautiful location, near the centre and the beach, with our own room, kitchen and bathroom for 10 euro each. Benefits of off-peak season.

I can't help feeling a little guilty for not helping to bolster up their economy.

We climbed a hill to eat a delicious lunch in front of another amazing view. If only I could show all those miserable Londoners, trudging through the work day under a bleak sky, where I was. We walked along the beach, dipping our toes into surprisingly cold waters.

We headed to 'town' after getting wonderfully lost amidst the enchanting alleyways, all encased by the iconic white buildings, and failing spectacularly at finding the castle. Instead being followed by the large number of cats that roam the island as if its their own. All the scooter hire places were closed (it was 3pm!) so we followed our feet to the Temple of Apollo at the head of another hill, casting a backwards glance to the array of white topped homes lined out behind us and the seemingly endless ocean ahead of us.

The wind picked up to give a much needed cool burst to our sunburnt limbs. Strolls through the centre involve strange Greek shouting and restaurant owners calling us in, competing against everyone else selling the same thing, lacking the abundance of tourists a couple of months will soon bring.

Off for some dinner, the sun still high in the sky and the streets quiet and quaint.

Everywhere is beautiful.