Cheers to frappucino

What is the national drink of Greece? After three weeks here, it8217;s difficult to believe that it8217;s ouzo, the wine this country is s...

What is the national drink of Greece? After three weeks here, it8217;s difficult to believe that it8217;s ouzo, the wine this country is so famous for. The answer would seem to be frappe, the strong, icy coffee concoction that was born here. Frappe is probably Greece8217;s greatest product since the Iliad. It is the drink of choice 8212; whether you8217;re a bus driver on duty, a policewoman on the beat, a journalist asking questions or a politician answering them. It is so popular that Starbucks, the American chain, has been forced to offer a whole range of frappe derivatives, including 8216;frappucino8217;, which it has exported elsewhere.

Cold Turkey for Greeks

For a friendly people, with a great heritage and natural beauty to show off, the Greeks don8217;t quite have a developed tourist industry. True, 18 per cent of the national economy is dependent on tourism. True, Olympic season has meant many, many visitors, with some retail outlets reporting a doubling to quadrupling of sales in August. After all, everybody wants to go home with a bust of Socrates or at least a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. Yet service at the restaurants here is slow to the point of being languid. Greek fast food is an oxymoron. Travel agents are so easygoing, you wonder if they ever plan anything beyond an afternoon siesta. The Mediterranean 8216;take it easy8217; policy is enviable 8212; who wouldn8217;t want such a relaxed existence? Equally, it is exasperating. Now it appears the Turks 8212; and Turkey is a country that Greece loves almost as much India romances Pakistan 8212; have been smarter at devising hospitality packages. For 60 euros, you can fly into Athens from Istanbul, drive to the stadium you want to go to, watch the sport, have dinner and fly back the same night.

Awara, Nargis still rule here

What does the average Greek think of India? Since Alexander the Great has great name recall here, most people seem vaguely familiar with the idea that he went to India. They8217;re not sure what he did there and, certainly, few have heard of his exchange with Porus. Hindi cinema is instantly identified with by an amazing number of people. Indeed, Greek popular music 8212; with its languid rhythms and endless paeans to love, lost love, undying love, sounds so familiar. When Sunil Dutt, union sports minister, arrived here for the Games he was greeted by people who remembered, 8216;Nargis, Nargis 8211; Mother India8217;. Apparently, the film was very popular in Greece. Some of the goodwill may also be a happy if unplanned legacy of the Cold War. Once the Iron Curtain vanished, ethnic Greeks from the former East Bloc came 8216;home8217; to the motherland. This was a boost to Greek sport. The country8217;s weightlifting medals are largely thanks to East European migrants.The immigrants also brought with them memories of the Raj Kapoor-Awara fare they8217;d been used to since the golden age of socialist brotherhood. They obviously wanted to forget the socialism, but not the Hindi movies. Good for India. Why look a Greek gift horse in the mouth?