Orange-trees line your way almost wherever you go - but do not even think about picking any of the oranges, because if you do, you will get a nasty surprise. They are for decoration only, not for eating, and these wild naratsias are actually inedible. And there is something else to watch out for, too, the policeman who happily let you drive around to your heart's content yesterday might not seem in quite such a good mood about it today. But, relax, you have not done anything wrong, it is just Athenian traffic policy. Vehicle pollution is always a problem, and to try and reduce it the authorities have come up with a scheme to allow cars with even numbered plates into the centre one day and cars with odd numbered plates the next.
On days when the wind blows the smog away entirely, do not miss the chance to climb up to the top of Philopappos, a small hill just at the foot of the Acropolis. From the top you get a magnificent view of the Parthenon and the caryatids of the Erechtheion. You can also see the marble mines of Pendeli, where marble for building the city has been mined from ancient times right up to the present day. Looking in the other direction the blue of the sky blurs with the blue of the sea which laps against the shores of this, the cradle of European civilization. As you make your way down again do not be surprised if classical Greek remains are not the only type you see. A whole host of peoples and cultures have left their stamp on Athens, the ancient Greeks, Byzantines, Romans, and Turks, and their relics pop up in all sorts of unexpected places. Next to the markets which rather resemble Turkish bazaars, the visitor will see ancient ruins several thousands of years old on one side and crumbling neo-Classical palaces on the other, the kind of building that gave Athens its nickname "Paris of the Mediterranean."
In the shadow of the Acropolis stretches Monastiraki. This, the centre of the old Turkish city, is now much favoured by tourists. Turkish motifs can be seen on a number of the buildings, for example the Dzisdaraki mosque, built in 1759 and restored in 1975. Today it houses the Museum of Traditional Greek Ceramics. On Sundays a huge open-air flea market takes place in Monastiraki, where haggling is not just possible - it is compulsory.
The 400-year occupation of Athens has left its mark not just on the building of Monastiraki but on Greek cuisine as a whole. Great favourites are little starters, mezze, which include tzatziki, octopus with lemon and olives and tomato and bean salad (gigantes), all of which should be washed down with a thimbleful of ouzo. Other popular dishes are souvlaki (small meat kebabs), gyros, spanakopita (spinach in phyllo pastry) and tiropita (tangy curd cheese in filo pastry), which have the advantage of being extremely cheap as well as extremely tasty and in plentiful supply. Desserts as such are not really known, but try a honey and cinnamon pastry, a baklava or katafi. The latter might look a bit like shredded wheat, but it tastes infinitely yummier.
North-east of the Acropolis you will find the Plaka. Wandering in its labyrinthine streets and stairways you find yourself suddenly in a different world. The small, low houses are mostly whitewashed, with the windows and doors picked out in blue, reminiscent of the colours of the Greek flag. Little hidden squares nestle between the houses, full of locals sitting and playing tavli. Long stairways lead up to even more narrow alleyways, and everywhere you go the smell of fresh basil wafts around your head. Every so often a little Byzantine chapel will rear up round a corner, and many of the old buildings contain fragments of finely-carved marble. This part of town gives a good idea of what Athens must have been like before it was declared the capital of an independent Greek state.
When the heat of the Mediterranean sun gets too much, and sightseeing has become a chore rather than a pleasure, take yourself off to Zappeio Park, right in the heart of the city, beside the Parliament. With its exotic plants and flowers and its cool shady benches, this I an oasis of calm and shade for many a weary wanderer, both visitors and locals alike. The park also contains a mini zoo, which always entertains the children. A few minutes away is the marble stadium which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The Athenians are very proud of this, and work is proceeding full speed ahead on the new stadium for the 2004 Olympics.
Culture vultures should not omit a visit to the Goulandris Museum, whose collection spans around five thousand years of Greek art and culture. Its main curiosity is a wonderful group of statues from the Cyclades, several thousand years old. Looking at them you may well ask yourself if this is what provided the inspiration for all the avant-garde art that seemed so "new" and "revolutionary" at the beginning of the twentieth century. The museum also houses a few of the finds that were unearthed when the Athens metro was being constructed. If you do not get a chance to see the museum, you can still see some of the ancient sculptures by taking a simple metro ride to the metro station at Sintagma Square, which is a small exhibition gallery in its own right.
And there's another reason for going to Sintagma Square, too. Namely to sit out in one of its open-air cafés and savour a glass of frothing, iced coffee - frappe, a favourite summer drink in Greece. And if you 've only got time for one more thing, make it the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier in front of the Parliament. As the pom-pommed guards go through their paces you can play games of will-he-won't-he, watching them lean over backwards and doing their high kicks and wondering if they might just lose their balance and topple into their sentry boxes. You can also play the classic Scots' kilt guessing game as well, do they or don't they wear boxer shorts under their short frou-frou skirts?