“Palermo is among the top five international street-food destinations in the world – and the only one in Europe,” says Giorgio, our foodie tour guide, as we venture into a bustling Capo Market in the heart of the city’s historical district. 

According to statistics website The World Counts, there will be one billion tourist arrivals around the world this year. That’s 30 every second. 

“Nicoletta Polo Lanza is restoring author Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's palazzo - by running cooking classes”

Natural beauty, medieval towns and a top party scene: there are so many reasons to visit, says Anastasia Miari"

The rubbish situation on Corfu escalated over the weekend after riot police were deployed to control protests against an illegal landfill site on the south of the Greek island, not far from the party resort of Kavos.

On a Thursday night, galleries overflow with young, well-dressed Athenians who spill out into the street sipping cans of Fix and smoking roll-ups.

With a distinctly different vibe to any other part of town, Exarcheia has retained its old-world Greek charm while welcoming in a new artistic crowd. 

Bathed in spring sunlight, sipping on iced coffee and surrounded by young people playing backgammon, this hardly feels like anarchist central. Yet many Greeks still steer clear of Exarcheia, widely known for its politicised riots and molotov cocktail-throwing far left gangs.

“Everyone, from the pot washer to the chefs and waiters is all on the same salary here,” explains Marko Marmatakis – one of three chefs cooking up haute cuisine for us tonight.

Look beyond that tiny fluorescent strip far south of the island and you’ll find a Corfu that’s unspoiled, relatively tourist-free (even in high season) and rustic in all its white-washed glory.

Corfu might be one of Greece’s best-known islands, but abandoned by its people in the 1960s, Old Perithia is without a doubt this holiday hotspot’s best kept secret.

79 rooms and suites, all designed to represent Greek culture. Our room is airy and spacious. We have a beautiful view across Athens and onto the Acropolis through full-length glass windows and onto our balcony. The windows’ button-operated blinds are a luxurious novelty on a hungover morning.

An air of glamorous insouciance pervades the whole place. Luxury is balanced out with unique quirks - think Stan Smith clad staff. Old-school stained glass windows juxtapose contemporary sculptures composed of matted hay and clay. This is Paris for a young, discerning crowd.

It’s not that the people of Corfu are oblivious to the precipice of economic collapse that they’re currently facing. ‘Crisis’ or ‘Kρίση’ is the word on everyone’s lips. It’s a conversation that is played on repeat, overheard on the beach, in kafeneions and gas stations. Still, the precipice doesn’t appear to be a threat. On an island, there’s a safety net to soften the blow.

Located in East Amsterdam, right next to the up-and-coming De Pijp neighborhood, which is not unlike London’s Shoreditch, with its quirky cafés, teeming bars, and trendy residents, Volkshotel claims to be "a place for everyone."