I can count on one hand those places in the world where the history is so vivid, I can close my eyes and hear the victorious cheers of the masses, the clomping of the horses' feet on the cobblestone, and the echoing sounds of an emperor's speech. Athens is such a place. This city of 7,000 years, where European civilization was born, still breathes memories of the 5th century BC when Perikles persuaded the Athenians to embark on a grand program of new cultural and political construction.

Abram and I landed at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (try saying that five times really fast!) on a Lufthansa A321 from Munich at 3PM. Within two hours, we were standing on an out-cropping of stone, watching the sun set behind the Acropolis and over the ancient Agora. The former, perhaps best recognized by its Parthenon building, is perched on a hill high above the city. It was built in 447 BC as home to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of Athens. These days, it is in a bit of ruin, having been bombarded with cannon fire by the Italians in 1687. Thanks, guys.

We sat for 45 minutes and admired the view of Athens and its hills, both remarking how ideally romantic it would be to have our wives/girlfriends here. Indeed, the Greeks took no pause into turning the dusk into an early midnight fever. On our way to dinner, we saw couples lining the streets... enjoying one another's company. I've added Athens to the list of future honeymoon destinations.

Like many things, it's better at night. As we sat watching history unfold, all the lights flickered on, and the whole Acropolis was soon blazened in yellow spotlights. Perhaps if it had been that pretty, General Morosini would not have demolished it.