'Claudia! Claudia!' rallied the cry. It was elicited by a newspaper photographer standing beside me on Via Della Spiga, the best place in Milan to spend a fortune.

The rumour was that supermodel Claudia Schiffer was in the Dolce and Gabbana store, buying a stack of new clothes and fashion accessories.

My interest was suitably piqued, so I conspired to join the paps in waiting outside. When the blonde bombshell did finally emerge, she did so via a craftily concealed side door, causing confusion among the ranks.

Before I knew it, I was swept away by the exhilarating paparazzi scrum that ensued in the direction of a car that was waiting for her. A minute later she was whisked away into the late afternoon traffic.

Given its obsession with fashion, Milan was no place for a scruffy backpacker to loiter, even if the city's gothic cathedral is a major attraction.

I'd entered Italy from Switzerland, and I proceeded to head south to Florence.

I based myself there for three days. Florence deserves two or three days undivided attention, with a leisurely saunter around the awe inspiring Duomo, followed by a stroll along the banks of the slow flowing River Arno.

For art aficionados, the huge Uffizi Gallery should easily consume another day. Florence is ideally situated for exploratory forays into Tuscany, too, hence why I ventured to Pisa, Siena and Arezzo once my eyes and feet had tired of Florence.

Probably the easiest way to get from Italy to Greece without resorting to flying is by ferry from the edgy port town of Brindisi, a little south of Bari on the east coast of Italy.

Unable to afford a cabin on the ferry, I was allocated a Pullman Seat as soon as I boarded. It was the type of seat found on planes, and surprisingly comfortable.

The only other backpacker in attendance was a guy called Gigi, a twenty-something documentary film maker from Genova, on his way to stay in Athens for a few days with a friend he'd met at university.

On the way to the port of Patras in Greece, the ferry made stops at Igoumenitsa and Kefalonia, the latter island famous for its beautiful landscapes, as well as being the setting for Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

We arrived into Patras for noon. The scenery was astounding, with the highlight of the journey presenting itself in the form of the Corinth Canal, a spectacular gorge which we soared over courtesy of a specially constructed railway bridge.

We eventually arrived in Athens just after five, exhausted through having been sat down for approximately twenty hours since bidding adieu to Italy.

I wanted nothing more than to flop into bed. Such is life, I needed to find one first.