If you continue from Monistiraki square down Athinas street towards Omonia, you will find yourself at the Athens Market.
Morning is the time to be here.
It's a mob scene but lots of fun and a reminder that the true wonders of Athens may not be in the dead past but in the very alive present. Some of the butchers come from generations of butchers who have had stalls in the market for a century. The Fish market is my favorite part. The ground is kind of wet and fishy. Wander around and look at all the fish, some fresh, some frozen, and listen to the voices of the merchants as they call out their prices.