Heavy riot police presence and twinkling Christmas lights - it must be Athens again, but rather worryingly Thessaloniki also has had problems today and I am arriving late tomorrow, so not sure that Greece's second and apparently normally calmer city will feel as safe as expected.

Hostel playing down the issue, but rather than staying out I have come back in which is a shame as the Benaki Museum does not shut till midnight tonight and in truth in Plaka it is still just fun,but the sight of people with gas masks on has had a somewhat negative effect.