Refill

From the waters of Zakynthos, a letter about cousins, family holidays and how confidence is quietly rebuilt through play, patience and having somewhere safe to swim towards.

Dear Leo,

It’s nine o’clock in Zakynthos. Day one of our holiday, complete.

Today was one of those sun-soaked days that seemed to contain far more than the hours should allow. We started with an early swim at the villa, had breakfast, then made our way down to the beach. From there, we climbed into kayaks and paddled across the bay to a little beach bar for lunch. You and your cousins played on paddleboards, jumping into the water, clambering back on and repeated again and again. 

Lunch was at Nobelos, which I’d recommend to anyone visiting this part of the island. Fresh fish, long tables, a beautiful view and no real reason to rush anywhere afterwards.