Winter or summer the Acropolis of Athens looks pretty much the same, except in the winter there is grass and you can stay up there for much longer because it is not hot. Winter is a great time for sightseeing in Athens and everything is open, though some sites close around 2:30 and also on Mondays.

The giant christmas tree in Syntagma Square is not a pine tree. In fact it is not a tree at all. But that's OK because any tree in Greece this big should be left where it is. Athens gets all decked out for Christmas with lights and displays of Saint Nicholas in his boat.This photo was taken as the snow began to fall in the great blizzard of 2002.

The archaeological sites which are dusty and dry in the summer are lush and green in the winter. Here the Athens Metro tracks go past the ancient agora and the Stoa of Attalos.

Mimes on Ermou Street put on non-stop performances for shoppers. Ermou is the main shopping street for Athens and is closed to all vehicle traffic. There are musicians on every corner, most of them quite good. Over the holidays the stores and the street are full of people and in January the sales begin.

I know it is winter and you know it is winter, but try telling these flowers at the outdoor flower market on Aeolis street that it is winter.

Santa and his reindeer wait for children to pose with for photos as the snow falls in Syntagma square. There are more Santas per capita in central Athens then anywhere in the world.

On a sunny winter day there is nowhere with a better view then the cafe on the top of Mount Lycavettus. You don't have to walk all the way to the top either because there is a train from Kolonaki.

During the holidays the Evzones wear their winter blues and still stand in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier in Syntagma, rain, shine or snow.

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