Paul had a great blog post on marble last spring, and he wrote, "It's a classic, it holds a temperature perfectly, it looks great and 11 million Italian families can't be wrong. Embrace the stains people."
I consider the kitchen countertops I have planned, both marble and wood, to be on a par with my 47yo, not-as-smooth-as-it-used to be face -- life has made its marks on all of them, and without those marks, my life wouldn't have been the same : ). But I fully realize that's not an entirely popular position, and there are many more people who go to great lengths to ensure that kitchen surfaces, and faces, are kept looking as pristine as possible. I'm more the rumpled linen than freshly ironed cotton type! You have to pick the kind of kitchen you're comfortable with...
Becky
Here is a link that might be useful: Let's meet marble blog post
Q
love!
Q