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A is for Acropolis.

Or High City. The Delphic Oracle declared it should be the province of the gods. Stands like a lonely sentinel over Athens and is a haunting reminder that this city is a birthplace of Western civilisation. Once a city of temples, only four monuments survive. These have stood the ravages of time. But the recent phenomenon of acid rain, caused by industrial pollution and traffic fumes, is dissolving the white Pentelic marble. See it before it disappears.

B is for Basketball.

Panathinaikos are Athens' top club and were European champions in 1996, 2000 and 2002. But soccer remains the most popular sport in Greece and its recent success at the European Cup - Greece's only World Cup appearance was in 1994 in the United States - will renew interest in a sport which in recent years had lost ground to basketball. If the feet fail, try your hands. A Greek philosopher might have said that.

C is for Cor blimey, it is Costly. And not cheap.

Ever since the adoption of the Euro in 2002, prices have rocketed. The government says inflation is four per cent. The man on the street knows otherwise when prices have risen by nearly 50 per cent. A Big Mac costs 2.30 euros (HK$21.50). Please bring back the drachma.

D is for Dance.

Dancing is an important part of Greek social life. Think dance in the Greek context and you think of Zorba's dance or Sirtaki, a stylised dance for two or three persons who link arms on shoulders. They probably find they need this support after they have downed all that ouzo. D is also for democracy, a concept born in ancient Athens.

E is for Earthquake Zone.

Greece lies in one of the most seismically active regions in the world. In the past 40 years, 20,000 quakes have been registered, fortunately most minor. The last big one to strike Athens was on September 7, 1999, leaving 139 dead and 100,000 homeless. So when the earth moves for you, it could be more than just a flirtatious glance from that Greek goddess.

F is for Feta cheese.

The national cheese made from sheep's milk which has less fat. Greeks can smile in 2007, for only feta produced in Greece can be called feta - a decree of the European Commission. Say cheese, pa-ra-ka-lo (please).

G is for Gay.

Athens has a thriving gay scene. Well, that's what the guide book says. The Granazi Bar in Makrigianni has long been a popular rendezvous. This area is a noted gay haven. Lesbians, however, have to travel to the island of Lesbos, birthplace of the Lesbian poetess Sappho. To each his (or her) own, says that philosopher again.

H is for Homer.

Not Homer Simpson but rather the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He lived in Athens a few millennia ago. His namesake lived in Springfield, in the US of A, a few TV series ago. One gave us works of art. The other was a work of art.

I is for Island hopping.

Athens must be the start and finish to your journey across the Greek isles. Depending on your purse and time, this journey can take anything from days to months or even years, for Greece has 1,400 islands and more coastline than any other country in Europe. Harry Belafonte must have been thinking of these isles when he sang Island In The Sun.

J is for Jockey of Artemision and his horse.

A bronze statue (above) hauled out of the sea off Cape Artemision in 1928 and now housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The jockey looks worried. The stakes must have been high for this poor chap who lived in the 2nd century BC. Win or die. Perhaps Hong Kong jockeys should have a look and draw inspiration from this ancient rider.

K is for Kolonaki.

Close to the central business district in Athens, this is a trendy, chic area. The favoured haunt of Athenian tai tais. Its up-market cafes and restaurants make it a place to be seen in. If Allan Zeman were a Greek, this would be the place where he would have set up shop.

L is for Language.

The Greek language is probably the oldest European tongue, going back 4,000 years. It was the lingua franca of the ancient world, spread by Alexander the Great through the Middle East and as far as India. Today, however, only about 11 million Greeks at home and about five million abroad speak it. Time conquers all civilisations - Greek, Roman, British, American (?).

M is for Marathon.

No prizes for guessing how far this small town is from Athens. The plain surrounding this town is the ancient site of one of the most celebrated battles in world history. After the Greeks had given the Persians a sound hiding, Pheidippides ran back to Athens with the joyous news of the victory. He reached Athens, shouted 'we won' and promptly died, says the legend. Today, he would have been tested for drugs.

N is for Nike.

No, not that corporate giant, but a tribute to the goddess of victory. All athletes in Athens will say a silent prayer to her. My shoe size is eight.

O is for Ouzo.

No Greek worth his salt will forsake a shot of ouzo before a meal. It is made from distilled grapes and flavoured with aniseed. O is also for olive oil. And every meal has plenty of it. The Greeks are the world's largest consumers of olive oil, and yes, ouzo, too. Life is one big O (circle). And Oh, O is for Olympics, too.

P is for Parthenon.

Translated, it means virgin's apartment. The Doric temple built on the highest part of the Acropolis, was dedicated to the worship of Athena. In the old days, virgins were aplenty. A rare commodity these days, they say.

Q is for Quiet.

Another rare commodity in Athens these days. The streets have been ringing with the noise of jackhammers, which should make Hong Kongers feel right at home. It was one big construction site a few weeks ago as organisers tried to get everything in order for the opening ceremony on August 13. Quiet pleeeeeease.

R is for Rome.

Athens edged out Rome to host these Olympics. Those Romans must be laughing themselves silly by the Tiber as they watch their ancient rivals try to get their house in order.

S is for the Seas of the Saronic Gulf.

It is here that Hong Kong's Lee Lai-shan will be going for gold in the windsurfing event. Let's hope the conditions are calm, for if the winds are high, San San can kiss goodbye to her hopes of repeating her 1996 Olympic gold effort.

T is for Traffic.

There are five million people in Athens. They have four million cars. The result is traffic congestion on streets, most of which have not changed much since the days when Pericles (461 BC) was the leader of this town.

U is for Union.

The European Union, currently enlarged to 25 countries. Greece was one of the original 12 members. The people have paid a steep price (see C for Costly) but there have been benefits, especially when travelling with borders broken down.

V is for Vote.

The Greeks voted in a new democratic administration headed by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in March. After eight years of socialist government, the voters felt a change was needed. The new government revealed the Olympics had gone over budget by one billion euros - oh, those terrible socialists.

W is for Why?

This is a question that can be raised with impunity in this birthplace of philosophy. Aristotle, Plato and Socrates among others, sat and wondered Why? in Athens. We ponder too, especially after a few shots of ouzo.

X is for Xanthe.

That Greek goddess we spoke of earlier. If my wife is reading this, she is just a figment of my imagination. Actually, we could not find any X-related (or is it X-rated) words relevant to Athens.

Y is for Yabba-dabba-doo.

This is what Greek mathematician Archimedes actually shouted after he stepped into a bathtub full of water. But historians got it wrong. They said he shouted 'Eureka'. You don't want to know what his wife said as she mopped the water off the floor.

Z is for Zeus.

The god of gods (above) lived on Mount Olympus. A randy old devil, according to Greek mythology. He married his sister Hera and even his mum was not spared.



A-Z XXVIII