With apologies to Seventies Glam Rock gods Slade but I’ve pinched one of your biggest hits to promote the Greek island of Kos. Why? Kos I love you!
OKU by you!
And us, because OKU Hotels have put their own individual footprint on Kos which soft-launched last year.
While it is, of course the sister of OKU Ibiza, opening on April 30 and which we have featured before on this site.
So let’s give some philia for our Greek friends.
And I ‘m being careful here to make sure I get the right expression as the Greeks have a range of words for love.
All Greek to me
I’d er, love, to say that I remember them all from my school Classical Greek but, in truth, I only recall the word eros… funny that.
I guess I’ll always be that sniggering schoolboy.
But I’ll always love Greece and this life is an odyssey for me after all. To get around as many Greek islands as I can.
Kythera you weren’t the last.
The other Greek words for love are ‘philia’ meaning friendship and which Aristotle popularised, and the Americans were big into, particularly those in Philadelphia (brotherly love).
Before they started falling out.
What’s in a word?
‘Agape’ is more a word denoting charity and God’s love for us and ours for him, while ‘storge’ is the love of parents for their children.
‘Philautia’ (behave!) is self-love while ‘xenia’ is hospitality though unfortunately it has been attached to an opposite Greek word ‘phobia’ or fear to denote a fear of foreigners.
And that has no place on this site, or among Bandininis and Bandanettes.
It’s the meetings with other peoples and learning about their cultures which we’re all missing so much just now.
So let’s hear if for the Japanese who are bringing their own Zen to us in Europe (and Buddha knows we need just now) with their OKU hotels.
The OKU Kos opens on April 5 with 100 spacious rooms including suites with private and semi-private pools and a handful of private two-bedroom villas.
There’s a spa, hammer, sauna and fitness studio with daily complimentary yoga classes at the beach pavilion or yoga terrace.
Adults only
An adult-only resort with a main pool and direct access to a private beach I’d say this is ‘storge’ because the kids will love having their parents away.
With the faint hope of ‘eros’ for the adults.
And having honeymooned in another Greek island, Corfu, then I can vouch for these Greek islands. Happy times before the ‘paidia’ or children came along!
