Greece
Ar right, remains of the massive Temple of Olympian Zeus. Those columns are nearly 50ft high.
Monastiraki Square is probably the liveliest and most central of Athens' squares (including Syntagma and Omonia). The building which is most noticeable in the square is the Tsidarakis Mosque, which is now a ceramics museum. The square divides the historic (and touristy) village of Plaka, with the Monastiraki flea market on the other side.
Monastiraki
That stuff is overpriced and for tourist amusement. The real flea market with tons of stuff and crazy low prices is at St Ann's Street (Agias Anne's) near the Eleonas Metro station. The Monastiraki Metro station contains the remnants of the ancient Athenian houses as well as the Eridanos River, which you can see flowing through the ruins, from inside the station and from the square through a viewing opening above. Monastiraki square is busy night and day, with both tourists and Athenians.
MUSIC on Aiolou & Ermou Streets
Here's a map of central Athens, with the Acropolis at the red star. Plaka is the old village, which today is charming, but very busy and touristy. Syntagma (means 'Constitution') is the government area, with the Parliament building, a large square and Metro station. Kolonaki is the upscale neighborhood that rises to the hill of Lycavittos.
Continuing counter-clockwise, the next neighborhood is Exarchia, location of the National Archeological Museum, the Polytechnic Institute, and many street side cafes and taverns with an anarchist/leftist/international vibe. Omonia is one of the main squares of central Athens, with a somewhat sketchy, very urban feel, and an important Metro station underneath.
Next in the counterclockwise direction, but not highlighted, is Metaxourgeio, where I stay when I'm in Athens. It formerly was where you'd find small industries and low income housing, but it's getting rapidly gentrified, and has a strange mix of high- and low-end restaurants and shops.
Then there's Gazi, the former gas works of Athens, and location of Kerameikos Metro. Not sure why it's combined with Psyrri (which today is how Metaxoureio will soon be) formerly filled with small industries, and now lively restaurants, and nightclubs.
Finally the circle closes with Monastiraki, formerly a second-hand flea market area, but now that stuff is for tourists' amusement. (Serous flea market shoppers head to Eleonas Metro station for the St Anne's street enormous indoor and outdoor flea market.)
Omonia Square
& Exarchia
Above are pix of Exarchia. To the right is Wolf's Fight club (in Kypseli) where I trained for a while. That guy in the pix they're holding is Wolf - that's his name and we're friends from where I train in SF. Below is an art show in Pedion Tou Areos park.
Greece
These are from Metaxourgeio neighborhood where I stay. Above is a view of the Parthenon at night when it's brightly lit up and you can see it from all over central Athens. Two above is where I have my coffee, read the paper and look up at the Parthenon.