Samos for Every Speed: From Windsurfing Thrills to Poolside Chills
I’ve come to realise that when it comes to holidays, I am very much a slow down and stay awhile kind of person.
Give me a poolside lounger, a good book, sunshine on my balcony and a quiet stretch of beach to wander along, and I’m very happy indeed. In fact, during my week in Samos this summer, I read two whole books – which probably tells you quite a lot about my idea of a successful holiday!
The funny thing is, I seem to be surrounded by people who are almost the complete opposite!
Last year, I came to Samos with my full-of-energy husband, and this year I returned with three friends. And while I love them all dearly, our ideas of what makes the perfect holiday are a bit different! I’m quite happy to spend a morning reading in the sunshine, whereas two of the friends I travelled with seem to have a limitless supply of energy and an almost irresistible urge to see, do and explore everything.
Thankfully, Samos is a place where both can have exactly the holiday they want!
One week, very different speeds
My two adventurous friends seemed to spend most of the week either on the water, in the water or cycling somewhere!
They threw themselves into the watersports, headed out for sea swims and spent plenty of time snorkelling. I’m fairly convinced they spent more time under the water than on it! They loved getting out on the bikes and cycling around the island, and one morning they even got up early for a sunrise run to the little white chapel and back!
And the best thing was that they could do all of that without the rest of us having to keep up.
They could head off for an adventure while I happily settled down with my book. We could all meet up again later, swap stories about our mornings and then do it all over again the next day.
I did eventually let my more adventurous side win and had a go at the watersports myself – and I absolutely loved it! There’s something rather special about being out on the water in Samos, surrounded by those incredible blues, with the mountains rising up behind you.
But, if I’m honest, most of my week was spent doing exactly what I had hoped it would be: hanging by the pool, walking along the beach, sitting in the sunshine and soaking up those last precious days of summer.
And I didn’t feel like I was missing out.
A little adventure of my own
I did manage to find my own balance between adventure and relaxation too.
One day, I hopped on a bike and cycled to Psilli Ammos. It was a lovely way to see a little more of the island at my own pace, with the reward of arriving at one of those beautiful beaches that makes you stop and think, yes, this is the Samos I know and love!
On my second day, I met a lovely family who were another great example of this.
They were three generations travelling together, and even within their family, everyone enjoyed Samos differently. Some were out sailing each day, others preferred a slower pace and spent plenty of time relaxing by the pool with their little one, while another family member was often out exploring the island.
Then, each evening, they would all come back together for dinner and to enjoy the Richmond entertainment on offer.
I loved that. They weren’t trying to make every moment of their holiday look the same – they were simply enjoying Samos in their own ways, before coming back together at the end of the day.
Together, without having to do everything together
I think this is one of the things I love most about a Richmond holiday: there’s a freedom to spend your day at your own pace.
Perhaps one person wants to be up early for a run, another wants to spend the morning windsurfing, and someone else would quite like a lie-in followed by a coffee and a book. Perhaps you want to join a bike ride one day but spend the next afternoon doing absolutely nothing.
There’s no pressure to make every moment of the holiday a group activity.
For me, that made travelling with friends particularly lovely. We could have time apart without anyone feeling as though they were missing out, and then come back together when we wanted to.
And, of course, there was plenty that brought us all together!
Coming together in the evenings
After a day spent doing our own thing, we’d come together for ministry in the evening before heading off to enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening together.
We made new friends during the week too, which is one of those lovely things that seems to happen naturally at Richmond. One evening, a group of us went out for drinks together, and throughout the week there was plenty of laughter, conversation and catching up.
We loved taking part in the Richmond quiz, had an evening of wine tasting and, naturally, there was some dancing involved too!
Some of my favourite memories came from those evenings – sitting together, hearing about what everyone had been up to during the day, laughing about our adventures and simply enjoying being together.
A Holiday that lets you be yourself
I think holidays can sometimes feel as though we have to choose between adventure and relaxation. You’re either the person getting up at 7 am to go cycling, or you’re the person who wants to stay by the pool with a book.
But why should you have to choose?
Samos showed me that you really can have both.
Perhaps you’re planning to be first in line at the watersports centre and spend the morning flying across the water, or maybe you’re more interested in a leisurely breakfast followed by a peaceful morning by the pool. Whether an afternoon windsurf or a gentle walk is more your speed, you can come together in the evening to share stories about what you’ve been up to, whether that’s with those you came with or with the new friends you make while in Samos.
For me, that balance was the perfect way to finish the summer. I got my sunshine, my sea swims, my beach walks, my cycle to Psilli Ammos and, most importantly, my books. My friends got their cycling, watersports, snorkelling, sunrise runs and adventures.
And together, we got the laughter, the friendships, the evenings, the dancing, the quiz, the wine tasting and all those little moments in between.
Perhaps that’s what makes a Richmond holiday so special. It isn’t about everyone having the same kind of holiday.
It’s about having the freedom to have your holiday – while still being part of something together.
So whether your idea of the perfect morning is an early-morning run to a Greek chapel or finding the perfect spot by the pool, Samos has plenty of room for you!