Greece

Greece was unexpectedly beautiful and quiet. We had never visited before and like Albania, weren't sure what to expect. Maybe more development and high-rise resorts along the coast like Spain?

The reality was quite different. The far north, near the Albania border, was green and unspoilt, with little sandy coves and a few houses among the trees. Further south it got hotter, but it was still beautiful with a lot of natural areas. The ride into Athens was very busy and not at all pretty, but at least we were able to cut out much of the journey by hopping on a ferry.

The infrastructure was back to EU standards and road use was not happy-go-lucky as it had been in the Balkans. When we wanted to pass through the Preveza tunnel where bicycles weren't allowed, the control centre gave us a shuttle service by van.

Some of the towns could have been more interesting - Corinth was a particularly dull place (we stayed in new Corinth not the historic Corinth) but overall the roads were excellent, the drivers were very courteous and the refreshment stops close together.

Athens was an absolute joy, what a lovely city, and the island of Chios was a great place to relax for a few days. Well done Greece, we'll be back!