Patrick Comerford
It’s still less than a month since I was in Crete, celebrating Holy Week and Easter in Rethymnon. But already I’m feeling homesick for Greek food, Greek coffee, Greek wine, Greek music, and the smells, tastes and sights of Greek life.
Newport Pagnell is about 9 km east of Stony Stratford, and we had a number of tasks there yesterday [16 May 2025], including photographs to take of some interesting buildings associated with the architect Edward Swinfen Harris. It was a good suggestion from Charlotte to have dinner afterwards to have dinner in Apollonia, the Greek restaurant on the High Street, almost directly opposite the Dolphin.
The Greater Milton Keynes area has a number of good Greek restaurants, including Eating Greek MK on Church Street in Wolverton, Greek Souvlaki on Brooklands Road, Bletchley, and, of course, Souv Lucky Day which offers authentic Greek street food on Midsummer Place.
It was a balmy late Friday afternoon that felt like early summer, and Apollonia offered us authentic Greek tastes and sounds that met some of that homesickness and yearning late yesterday.
But while many Greek restaurants, both in England and Ireland offer the sights of Greece through large prints and photographs – typically of Santorini, Mykonos and Athens – Apollonia has a different, and humorous approach to the framed decorations on its walls.
Yes, there are prints with recipes for Gyros and traditional Greek tzatziki, and there are sketches of ouzo bottles that are reminders of Rhodes. But if you want to be reminded of the sounds of Greek conversation, there half a dozen or so flash cards, with the pithy dictionary-like of some of the basic words and phrases that any visitor or tourist can quickly pick up on the first few days in Greece.
kali orexi
[ph] [Greek]
a Greek blessing for food lovers everywhere. More than just ‘enjoy you’re meal,’ it’s a call to savour every bite, share laughter at the table, and let the flavours of life fill your soul. Warning: may lead to spontaneous dancing and an extra serving of tzatziki.
kaliméra
[noun] [Greek]
meaning good morning and is happily bestowed upon anyone who is walking past.
Yia Sou
[noun] [Greek]
A warm Greek greeting, wishing health, happiness, and comfort to all who enter. A reminder that every guest is welcome, and every moment is a celebration of life.
Yia Mas
[noun] [Greek]
A toasted friendship, love, and the moments that bring us together. A celebration of health, happiness, and all that is good in life.
Malakas
[noun] [Greek]
A word with versatile meanings. It can denote ‘wanker,’ ‘asshole,’ or ‘jerk,’ but also ‘dude’ or ‘mate,’ depending on context and tone. It can express pleasure, anger, affection, or other emotions.
s'agapo
[verb] [Greek]
a tender and expressive phrase in Greek, translating to ‘I love you.’ It encapsulates profound emotions and conveys deep affection and attachment.
Here there is humour, wit, sincerity, and even the bar-room Greek that sometimes shocks new students approaching Biblical Greek as they realise that even Saint Paul uses the word μαλάκας.
It is a pity, perhaps, that the original Greek words themselves are not part of the framed flash cards: καλή όρεξη, καλημέρα, Γειά Σου, 'Γεια Μας, μαλάκας, σ'αγαπώ.
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