A bit of the Greek islands in the heart of historic Athens
(Artdaily.org)

`The Acropolis? It`s that way.` Residents of historic Anafiotika are used to giving directions to tourists, lost in the narrow, winding alleyways of this unique but little-known hillside neighbourhood in the heart of Athens. Looking as if it`s lifted straight out of the Greek islands, Anafiotika`s tiny white-washed houses with brightly-painted shutters and doors were designed to resemble their builders` own Aegean Sea homes. The tranquil neighbourhood was constructed on the northeastern side of the hill leading up to the ancient Acropolis, and its 100-odd, tile-roofed houses -- known as the Anafiotika -- are as old as the modern Greek capital itself. `The Anafiotika have real historical value,` says architect Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos, a resident of the nearby historic Plaka district. `Working-class architecture with Cycladic elements -- it`s like a journey back in time,` he said. When the Bavarian prince, Otto, became Greece`s king in 183