We had a wonderful sojourn in Aegina, famous for its bustling harbour, ancient temple of Apollo and to-die-for pistachio nuts. The old, sleepy ferry took only an hour or so and afforded us the luxury of sitting on deck and watching marine life unfold – boats, birds and rippling waves. When the wind got up a bit, Rykersaurus and I retreated inside, leaving Jason to fend for himself on the deck. (I am certain he thoroughly enjoyed the solitude).

Upon arrival, we walked along the waterfront, amazed at the sheer number of boats crammed into the harbour. Being close to Athens, Aegina is the ‘Rottnest’ for Athenians (a Western Australian reference!) and hence the number of Greek tourists far surpasses any other nationality here, especially on the weekends. This makes it feel like more of an authentic experience, until of course, the ‘Greeks’ open their mouths and unleash their strong, Aussie twangs!

We took a short bus ride to the tiny fishing village of Perdika one morning, where we re-caffeinated in a raised taverna overlooking the water and then walked to see the famed camera obscura, which unfortunately was closed. This is a cylindrical building, which has strategically placed holes to allow the light in, providing a 360 degree panoramic view. We enjoyed the walk anyway, spotting some old stone bunkers, a tiny whitewashed church and a dead fish on the way. You can guess which find was Rykersaurus’ favourite, can’t you?

We visited the archaeological museum another morning and strolled through the ancient ruins, hot sun beating down on our backs. Again, Rykersaurus revelled in it, not in the least bit perturbed about the weather. That said, he was the one who announced that it was time for a ‘coffee break’ when we had circumnavigated the ancient site.

Generally in the afternoons, we would retire to our lodgings to rest and avoid the afternoon heat.  The hotel was lovely – actually more  Balinese style than Greek with its warm timbers, high pitched roof and natural textures.  The Asian theme continued to the breakfast area, which was a tranquil courtyard, replete with water features and the occasional feline visitor to keep the Rykersaurus happy.

Next stop: Dubai. Forecast: 44 degrees.