Flagrant uses of marble

I suppose we have grown complacent in New England that grey granite is so common it is used for the curbs of the streets, rather than concrete or asphalt as in other parts of the country.  Well, in Athens, white marble is so common it is used for curbs. They paint it yellow at the intersections.  In the high rent districts, they use marble for the pedestrian walkways--outside!--the sidewalks and even the parking lines.  In the public parks, they make decorative designs in the paths.  It's hard to argue with the use, but I just kept staring at the lips for the dirt steps that they made in the trails to get to the Temple of the Muses, planks 3' x 3" x 8", times 100+, trying to calculate what that would cost in the US.  More than my countertop.  It made for much more attractive steps than what would have been done in the US solely with 2"x4"s or railroad ties.