For over 4 days 40 degree-plus temperatures (asburdly high for June) have caused discomfort and increased health and fire danger throughout Greece, mainland and islands.

Thankfully this heatwave is over.

So if island-hopping is something you always dreamed of….a few days on one Greek island, several on another and then – after a week or some weeks hopping on and off ferries, a chance to review notes and pics, videos and sound files and compare island characterisics, rythms and style…..the updated information here will inspire and help you > http://www.cretetravel.com/To_and_from_Crete/Ferries_Crete_Santorini.htm (see the bottom of the page ! )

Fly into Athens, jump on the train, arrive within 1 hour at the port (Piraeus)

From around 0600 (6AM) in the morning until about 2200 (10PM) every day the New train service runs in one direct route.

There are two trains each hour.

The evreyday low price is 6 Euros each way.

Makes flying in to Athens and tracking along to the port, to sail to your favourite – or soon to be disocvered – Greek island, easy as pie !

Good beaches are a treat – of course when you visit Greece you really must see the country, the inner core of that island, the old stone houses of Ipiros, the turrets of Mani, the drama of a the Kafenios in on a Saturday morning in Drama, the food at an inn near Venerato in Crete.

But sometimes when replenishing Vitamin D, lolling in the splash of waves, bathing in the glint of angulalrly reflected sunlight on the waves, reclining on a sun-lunger, the beach is just the right thing.

428 beaches in Greece have been annointed with that good-clean-pleasant beach endorsement, a blue flag.

For a map of Blue Flag beaches in Greece see http://blueflag.dimachosting.net/blueflag/2007/Greece