Syntagma Square was once called "The Garden of the Muses" and is believed to be where the "Peripatetics", a group of philosophers led by Aristotle, used to wander in the grove of trees that once grew here.
All roads in Athens seem to lead you to Syntagma Square - at least, the public transportation does. It's a place of high contrasts. Luxury hotels line the square, and pedestrian-friendly streets lead away from it and ultimately to the Acropolis and Parthenon itself.
Every hour, there is a ceremonial transfer of power among the traditionally-garbed guards outside the Parliament Building. Only a Greek can make a pleated skirt and fluffy ball-toed shoes look both manly and rather threatening. On Sundays, the ceremony is more complex and offers a particularly good opportunity for photographs.