Date of Holiday

September 2006

So having visited Samos now for the 7th time and this time quite late in the season, from the 11th September to the 25th of September ( Good day to travel / look at the date ). The temperature was slightly lower than we have previously being accustomed to in fact slightly more comfortable I would say.
This year we also had our grand daughter with us, which much to our surprise went a lot smoother than originally thought. Of course the Greek mentality towards children is something special and as you can imagine she was spoilt rotten.

Kerveli is the place we always stay at ever since our first visit. As I am sure you have heard before a hire car is of paramount importance at this location, as it is for many locations on the Island of Samos. Kerveli was it’s usual bustling self with tourists coming to bathe in the bay, generally relax and partake in some good food from the two wonderful Taverna’s at the sea front, Taverna Haravgi and the Blue Dolphin. If you like nice evenings with the Taverna atmosphere then this is ideal.

Kokkari  Believe it or not, we visited Kokkari for the very first time this year. In previous years we always seemed to drive straight past on our way to other destinations. My personal opinion was the sea front seemed to be overcrowded with Taverna’s which I did not like that much. All in all a beautiful place to have a look around with it’s quaint back streets and clean appearance. The sea front leaves you with many opportunities for photographs and is very picturesque.

Psilli Ammos ( Near Kerveli ) I personally think this is probably the best beach on the Island and is perfectly suited for small children as the water remains shallow as you wade out a great distance. I think my grand daughter agreed with me. The beach is 100% sand and plenty of sun loungers are available at a cost ( € 2,50 each per day ). Also be aware that parking fee’s are charged at three Euro’s per day. I personally think that the extra costs are worth it. There are snack bars and a restaurant available for either a mid day meal or a snack.

Iraion This small fishing village is situated on the south coast of Samos and lies west of the Island’s main airport. Every time I have visited this village it always seems very quiet indeed maybe an evening visit would reveal its true identity.

The Mountains Due to the time of year and the much clearer atmosphere the site seeing distance was far greater than normal. According to the locals this is normal for the time of year. We ventured once again into the mountains in our Jeep and advice from the local people had once again not let us down. The views at the top of the mountain from Prof Illias were far clearer than the previous two visits we had made there. Just to keep Chris happy "Yes we did get lost at one stage this year" but all was well worth the effort of being shaken like a Maxwell House coffee jar and getting covered in dust.

As always the local population whether it be normal people, shopkeepers, bar staff and people we know form previous visits were as friendly and as hospitable as ever, these are the qualities I think that will always drag me back to what I consider the paradise Island of Samos.

Please see my photo gallery.