Christine and I spent a great deal of time deciding where to get married and to honeymoon. We settled on Samos as it struck us as an island unspoilt by tourism. We chose Mouzakis Blue Villa due to the five star ratings and universally positive reviews from people who had stayed there. We ended up delighted on both counts. The Blue Villa: the villa is beautifully located, with panoramic views of the sea, the bay of Agia Pareskevi, with its array of small fishing boats and pretty church, hills and mountains. Each morning saw a devastatingly beautiful sunrise over the Northern Aegean, subtle differences in hue and ambience each day. The environment is serene, with a plethora of birds and other wildlife. The villa itself is spacious, well equipped and spotlessly clean. There are front and rear verandas, with a choice of evening or morning shade/ sunlight and well maintained gardens. These elements go hand-in-hand with a lovely private pool, which is cleaned and maintained on a daily basis. Bedding and towels are changed and the villa cleaned twice-weekly (the maid will even launder clothes, on request). There is a Taverna in the nearby bay, serving excellent Greek cuisine; if you send them a WhatsApp message they will even deliver at no extra charge…beautiful Greek food delivered to the viranda! Perfect! In all ways, quality of accommodation, amenities and location, the Blue Villa represents exceptional value for money. Samos: Samos is a beautiful and unspoilt. Many islands/ mainland resort areas in Greece have changed significantly as a result of tourism. Samos transports you back at least twenty years; ultimately relaxed, with social life focused on small family tavernas and ‘village life’. Though the tavernas do have some set menus, the focus is on local cuisine, fresh local produce and ‘dishes of the day’. The quality of food and wine was universally excellent. Due to the remote location of the Blue Villa, a car is a prerequisite for exploring the island, though we were happy to spend a large proportion of our time relaxing on our choice of veranda, looking out to sea, sipping a glass of wine, savouring the food delivered from the local taverna and enjoying an occasional dip in the pool. The hosts: I have now visited Greece on nearly twenty occasions and am accustomed to Greek hospitality. The generosity, warmness and kindness of the Mouzakis family, however, takes Greek hospitality to even higher levels. It was after booking the villa, initially for our honeymoon, that my wife and I made the final decision to get married in Samos. The process of getting all of the paperwork completed was, to put it mildly, lengthy and arduous! Demi was our initial point of contact when booking the Blue Villa and she supported us throughout. Demi’s sister, Mary, even went to the Town Hall in Samos to clear up a few administrative issues for us, prior to our visit. Mrs Mouzakis and Mary agreed to be our witnesses and were clearly extremely happy to be of support. They provided Christine with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for the wedding ceremony. A wedding cake, sparkling wine and sweets were awaiting our return to the villa! Kindness and hospitality of the highest order… Other acts of generosity included Mr Mouzaki’s delivering a gift of a large bag of sweet Spring oranges from his own garden. The villa was equipped with an electric juicer, so we were able to enjoy fresh orange juice each morning, for the whole of the holiday. We returned to England after two weeks in Samos; married, relaxed and able to fully appreciate and enjoy our wedding reception in our hometown of Whitstable. Thank you to the Mouzakis family; you have helped Christine and I to form the most amazing memories of our wedding, our time at the Blue Villa and our honeymoon on the beautiful island of Samos!
Mark H. 05/2017