melisses - andros
Melisses is a home away from home for the curious mind on the wild island of Andros on the Aegean Sea.
Melisses offers a range of beautifully curated courses & retreats. Perfect for anyone looking to inspire their craft or their everyday life.
Melisses came onto my radar when I was exploring the possibility of taking part in a photography course, led by the incredible LUCY LAUCHT.
I have been an avid follower of Lucy for years and a massive appreciator of her amazing photography. When I looked into the details of said course, in May 2024, I immediately fell in love! If the drawer of Lucy was not enough, it was being held at a location and venue that grabbed me like no other.
The accompanying visuals with the beautifully descriptive world on their website made it clear that this was a place that not only offered a stunning place to stay but also looked to inspire on every level.
I spent the months prior to the course getting prepared and organising my travel. I was to fly into Athens, stay the night in Athens and then catch the ferry over the the island of Andros, where we would meet Lucy and be collected by the staff at Andros.
The month of May arrived. My journey began…
My arrival in Athens was a humid one. Settling into the unusual feeling of travelling solo at 39 years old, I had become accustomed to travelling with friends or family & kids. This feeling was foreign but not at all unwelcome!
I had time to fully take in all of my surroundings, to stop and snap photos at any given moment and fully digest all that this journey had to offer.
This really did feel to me like a moment in time, like no other, however I was unaware at the time of just quite how life changing and overwhelmingly inspiring this experience was going to be for me.
My Athenian adventure is for another day and another blog post. I stayed in the beautiful MONA ATHENS with stunning views of the Acropolis and a very much appreciated upgrade. Check them out if you are ever visiting Athens, their rooftop honesty bar was a highlight with wonderful local beers & wines to enjoy while you gazed upon the wonders of the Acropolis perched on the hilltop on the nearby horizon.
The morning of my departure from Athens, I met up with Anne, a fellow photographer headed to Andros. We had never met, it was lovely to meet a friendly face prior to arrival and it turned out that she was from Annecy, only 1 hour from my home town of Samoens in the French Alps!
We made our way, by taxi, to the port of Rafina where our Ferry would take us to the island of Andros.
Once on the Ferry, Anne & I found a few of our fellow photographers. You could spot us from a mile away, all eager faced with a touch of trepidation, unsure of who we would meet and whether we were out of our depth! (we later discussed how unfortunate and disappointing it was that as women we often defer to uncertainty and imposter syndrome when entering into new situations, even ones we know that we are fully equipped for and entirely experienced.)
The calm water of the Aegean Sea as we sailed across to the island of Andros
Once we reached the island, we were whisked off and headed to Melisses. We were all dizzy with excitement at reaching this haven that would be our home for the next 5 days.
We headed around the coast, witnessing the wild and rugged terrain of the island of Andros. An island so unique in its character and appeal. It has little if none of the hustle and bustle and development of it’s neighbouring island, such as Mykonos, it really did feel like coming home.
After a short drive, we arrived at the little patch of coastline that would be called ours, we drove down a rocky track and pulled into a discrete cluster of beautiful stone buildings, nestled into the hillside. We had arrived..
On arrival we met the beautiful Allegra, host and mastermind behind this unique and enchanting retreat.
We sat down to the most spectacular view, looking out over the Aegean and were treated to freshly baked olive oil cake and homemade juices, made by the exceptional Sapho, their endlessly inspiring and talented seasonal chef.
We talked about what was to come, met each other, settled into a slower pace following what was for many an epic journey and took a moment to breath.
Our group was a small one, which was lovely. A real chance to get to know each other and learn from Lucy, in an intimate and inspiring setting. We had arrivals from Manhattan, Texas, Melbourne Australia and Europe. I was feeling endlessly grateful for this experience and opportunity.
Next step was to be shown our rooms. Anne & I were sharing the cottage with another lady called Lorine, from Paris. We were led down a little pathway to a secluded cottage, sitting just below the main house. The views were breathtaking. This would be our own little space for the coming days.
As the days passed, the 3 of us enjoyed so much getting to know each other and for sure friendships were made that will last a lifetime and much laughter and conversation was shared.
We were then introduced to Tom, a sculptor who had made Andros his home and would be teaching us, or attempting to teach us some of the art of Marble sculpting. An idea that filled most of us with intrigue but also a fair bit of trepidation! But we were all up for the challenge.
The following days were sprinkled with a touch of creative sculpting and we all took a great deal away from the time that we were given to focus on a creative skill that was not our chosen or primary skill. We were encouraged to just try to enjoy the act of creating and not to strive for ‘perfection’.
We would wake in the morning to the most breath taking view and if you felt like it, take a dip in the ocean, to be found at the end of the little stone led track in the garden.
The little stone track led you through a gate, as if you were headed into a secret garden only accessible by you and you alone. You felt that you had reached the end of the world, the point where there was no further to go, the only thing to do was to leap. Leap into the cool turquoise waters below…and that’s what we did!
Days were spent soaking in all that surrounded us, that inspired us and constantly enjoying the opportunity to photograph in amongst the joy and excitement of your fellow creative. There were no limits on your time spent searching for inspiration, stopping and embracing all the beauty around and taking as many photos that you could possibly want.
It was also really interesting and inspiring to learn from fellow students who were there strictly with the use of film photography. So where as us digital photographers might be snap snapping away, keen to capture every angle and moment of natural light. Lorine for example would take her time to maximise the optimal light and angle as to make the very best of her limited reels. I found it to be so inspiring in the practice of mindful photography and also really being in the moment.
We would photograph when we walked, when we talked, when we ate and almost when we slept!
One of my favourite activities was unsurprisingly working with food & photography.
We spent an afternoon creating and photographing the traditional Greek dish, Dolmades. These fig leaf rolls were packed with flavour, textures and deep colours. Matched with the stunning natural light streaming in through the open patio doors, bouncing off of the Aegean Sea. This was the most wonderful photographic and culinary opportunity. I absolutely loved it.
We sat around the table and ate and talked and took an abundance of photos, all encouraging each other’s varying visions and ideas on table scaping, interesting angles and sharing in the best moments of natural light. It was a really special experience to be amongst a group of women who were all rooting for you and your success and at the same time taking away from the very same situation, all that they wanted and needed to feel inspired and accommodated also.
Andros is an island known for its winds. The winds often disguise the heat of the day as in August it can get hot, like most of Greece. But Andros is an island of almighty character, character and intrigue that is not only seen and enjoyed on those picture postcard sunshine days. You want the texture of the clouds, the depth of colour of the rugged landscape and the authenticity of the Greek villages that are inhabited by locals and not streams of tourists.
On one morning, we headed to the nearby fishing town of Chora, where we aspired to capture the charm and feeling of this beautiful and authentic Greek town, through our lenses.
Amongst the cats lazily strolling the streets were locals chatting over a coffee and hanging their washing to be dried in the prevailing winds. The skies were overcast and the seas were angry. It was a perfect contrast to the previous day of still water and sunny skies.
On our journey home, we were taken to a local ‘taverna’, now this in reality was an old lady’s home and we were to enjoy a home cooked meal in her garden. You don’t get more authentic than this. Allegra knew this lady well, she had become infamous for her dishes as the near by monks had tasted and loved her food.
When we arrived we soon realised that we would in fact be sharing our lunch with atleast 16 cats! We sat in the garden, amongst the olive trees and were treated to the most delicious meal of local Greek specialities. The fish soup was exceptional and the conversation hilarious as we realised that the term ‘vegetarian’ or ‘gluten free’ was met with uncertainty and complete lack of interest! So 2 of our party, who were not at all fussy, were told that chicken is ok for vegetarians not to worry.
We sat back and sipped on Greek wine and local Ouzo.
Our 5 days at Melisses flew by, but at the same time, when I reflect back on it, I feel like a lifetime passed while I was there. So much has been taken away from my time there, in actual fact probably more on reflection and after the fact than when I was there. My time at Melisses has continued to live on, well past my time there.
The friendships made and connections made with this group of like minded women, all looking to further our practice and careers in Photography, learning from the incredibly humble and generous Lucy Laucht.
The attention to details that was focused on by Allegra and her gorgeous team was second to none. You felt that every moment and eventuality had been so fully considered. From the delicious food of Sapho, to the smiling face of Barbara to the authoritative and yet warm presence of Allegra. The beauty of the property is only matched by the beauty and the warmth of those that welcome you in open armed to share their haven with you.
It is a place like no other and I strongly encourage you to try to find your way there in your lifetime, if it is at all possible, put it on your agenda and make sure that when you are there you do nothing other than suck it all up, every perfect little details.