Seriously? You waited almost half a century to visit Athens?

I’m ashamed to say it’s true. As a self proclaimed travel addict and history buff, it should have been top of my list. The best excuse I can come up with is that I spent over a decade on the other side of the world, with other wonders on my doorstep.

But when I finally did get around to visiting the cradle of civilisation, for my 49th birthday, I played a blinder! Athens in February is amazing – lots of blue skies and sunshine, hardly any of those pesky tourists (I’m a ‘traveller’ I’ll have you know).

Only in my dreams did I see myself walking straight through the gates of the Acropolis, not one other person in the queue. But it happened. Every ancient site was sunny and peaceful, we just strolled around and soaked up the atmosphere. Not even a single complaint from Tony, who can sometimes get a bit temple-phobic. I suspect it’s actually the people he objects to…

When I revisit places I went to in my 20s, I’m sometimes disappointed, the hordes make it impossible to appreciate the vistas, to imagine how it used to be. Rome and Prague spring to mind. In Athens, we had the Temple of Zeus to ourselves. The Keremeikos burial site was deserted. It was a really special experience, like going back in time.

The local wine in Athens is quaffable, that’s about as much as I can say. Paying a couple of quid for a carafe, that’s probably all I deserved. But the food comes fast, fresh, and jam packed with flavour. Feta baked in foil with tomatoes, herbs and olive oil is one I’ll be adding to my repertoire. Fried saganaki, crumbled feta – cheese was a big part of our trip it’s fair to say.

We did scratch our heads a bit over the service though. Don’t expect to finish your starter before the main arrives. Do expect to feel very full, very quickly. We worked out it was better to just order one course and then ask for more if we weren’t totally stuffed. Even in a local curry house, everything came pretty much at once.

Other highlights: The winding streets and steep staircases of Anafiotica on the Northern slopes of the Acropolis, empty during the day but filled with tables and buzzing in the evenings. Filippou Taverna on the way up Lykavittos Hill, a real old-style neighbourhood restaurant – full of pensioners when we visited, all quizzing the chefs on what was good that day. Answer, everything!

Finally, walking the coast between the port of Piraeus and the football stadium at Neo Faliro gives a totally different perspective on the city. Comfy shoes are a must but it’s worth the effort for some cracking views, bars and restaurants.

One word of warning to soft hearted animal lovers like me. There are a lot of stray cats and dogs around Athens. Cats, in particular, are everywhere – curling around ancient columns and sunning themselves amongst the ruins.

They all looked quite happy and healthy to me, and we saw locals out feeding them. In fact, many homes and even shops had bowls and blankets outside the front door, proof that they care for their furry neighbours. But one old doggie waiting for food outside a restaurant made me feel very sad. My old Golden Retriever is so well looked after in comparison.