My favorite place in the entire city is the top of Phillappapus hill at nighttime. The hilltop is the same height as the Acropolis, so offers an unparalleled view of the Parthenon and it is one of the most amazing sights in the world. The Greeks no longer bother to go up it, and the tourists only know to go there for the sunset, so my favorite time is after the sun has set, when the hill becomes completely devoid of people, and I am sitting alone on top of the world. On my last night in the city, I climbed the ancient, steep stone steps to the top to watch the sunset and the city after dark. Athens is a noisy city, but up there it all fades away. It takes me to another place, a calm place. Occasional sounds drift up - a dog barking, a truck rumbling by, the whizz of a motorcycle, music and clapping from a carnival, church bells chiming the hour, but from up there it's all muted, just background hum. I still seem to be the only person who knows about this spot, and I was alone as soon as it got dark. I spent three hours on that hill, alone with my thoughts, and I could have stayed much longer. It brought not only a mental calm but a true physical calm as well.
The monument to the saint Philappapus.
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