Time saunters by in the cobbled back streets of Samos, as wedges of sunlight and shade inch across parched wooden tables outside a taverna. In the dim interior, the owner dispenses his house retsina straight from the barrel into carafes, while occasionally his wife - or cousin, or sister, or father - ambles out, unceremoniously plonking octopus in olive oil, dolmades, fried aubergine or spanakopita onto patterned tablecloths. Just as the gnarled gentlemen patrons are settling comfortably into their drawn-out tales, the horn of an approaching ferry sounds from the port, your signal to get going to the next island.
Known as 'the cradle of Western civilization', Greece has thousands of important historical and archaeological sites, intensely rugged landscapes, and over 200 inhabited Mediterranean islands - not to mention a quirky but very generous approach to hospitality.
For all its dilapidated sins, the capital Athens, is worth visiting just for the ancient Acropolis, awesome even in ruins in its lofty position overlooking the vast city-sprawl. Athens is also a quick train ride to Pireas, the main port, where you can book a ferry bound for just about any island that takes your fancy.
So much choice doesn't mean you have to move around. You can - and many do - stay put on Rhodes, Crete or Corfu, soaking up sun, sand, sights and scenery to your heart's content. But if you're prone to itchy feet, island hopping is a Grecian speciality. Sampling the wild nightlife on Mykonos and Ios, spectacular scenery on Santorini and Zakynthos, or the traditional charms of Alonissos or Paros, is as easy as getting your head around the ferry timetables. A note of warning though - read them wrong in some of the more remote stops, and you could find yourself reclining among olive groves for much longer than planned.
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