Been twice, and yes Athens can be a bit grungy, but it is also an AMAZING place to visit. It and Istanbul were my two fav European cities.
Meteora is pristine, great for hiking too, but depending on when you're going, can be a bit of a zoo. The two little towns near it, Kalambaka and Kastraki, were full of uber-friendly people when I was there.
As for islands, the Sporades are also cool. Skiros is a bit overdone, but Alonnisos (sp?) is/was 10 yrs ago a bit more off the beaten track.
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