Plaka Under the Acropolis

Oldest neighborhood in Athens. Labyrinth of pedestrian streets beneath the Acropolis — neoclassical houses in faded yellows and pinks, bougainvillea over every wall. Adrianou Street lined with tavernas where the coffee arrives with a glass of water and the waiter expects you to stay two hours because rushing is an insult in Greece.

Anafiotika hidden on the Acropolis slope: whitewashed Cycladic houses built by island craftsmen in the 1840s, looking teleported from Santorini. Walk Plaka at night when the Acropolis is illuminated and the streets empty. The Parthenon glowing against dark sky, framed by rooftops — Athens at its most eternal.