Athens for The Thrill Seekers: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

The ticket lets you onto the track of the 1896 Olympic stadium; run a lap of the marble horseshoe and climb to the top row for the view.

The zigzag pine path to the chapel on the summit, twenty minutes at a push, for the sunset over the whole basin and the sea.

Skewers by the dozen at a corner souvlaki bar at the foot of the hill, with the Kolonaki crowd standing outside; the recovery meal, cheap and fast.

The cable car up the city's highest mountain, then the fir-forest trail to the Bafi refuge and the ridge; deer on the path and snow until April.

Rocky coves below the coast road past Vouliagmeni, where Athenians jump from the ledges and swim out to the buoys; bus from Glyfada.

The black sheep: a Pangrati meze house with pork knuckle, grilled mushrooms and tsipouro by the carafe; the plates keep coming until you stop.

The KTEL bus down the coast to the cape, and Poseidon's temple on the cliff with Byron's name cut into a column; two hours each way.

Down the path from the temple to the cove for a swim with the columns above you; the water is deep ten metres out and the cold is brief.

A neighbourhood restaurant in Keramikos with Greek plates and a wine list that rewards asking, the dinner a day of effort has earned, and a short walk home.

Up the Pikionis paths to the Philopappos monument and across to the Pnyx before the gates open, with the Parthenon lit pink across the hollow.

The first ticket of the day, up the marble steps to the Parthenon with the sun behind Hymettus and the coach parties still at breakfast.

A souvlaki counter on the square run by cooks who used to run restaurants, lamb in a pita eaten standing; the airport metro is at Monastiraki.