Patmos (Pop 3,047) is 259km or 7hrs by fast ferry from Athens and a whopping 4hrs from my last island of Syros - the journey was 2315 to 0315 in a cabin. The island is 11km long by 3km wide with highest point at only 270m.
Patmos is famous for “the end of the world” = The Apocalypse. Saint John The Theologian (also known as St John of Patmos) wrote the Book of Revelations in a cave on Patmos around AD95 after he was exiled from Ephesus. St John was the youngest disciple of Jesus Christ and the only one who stood by the cross of Christ and took the Holy Virgin Mary into his home at the request of Christ. St John also wrote one of the four Books of the New Testament. St John wrote Revelations under a vision from Christ. He returned to Ephesus where it is believed his body was assumed to Heaven when he died at age 100. This is believed because his body has never been found.
I think Patmos may be my favourite island so far – only one to go = Kalymnos. Why? It is a compact version of all the other islands – small, OK roads, many beautiful beaches for its size – half with banana chairs and drinks and half isolated. True Greek villages. True Greek Tavernas. Easy going. Calm. You could spend ages here.
Patmos is so close to Turkey that when I arrived here I got an SMS welcome from Vodafone Turkey instead of Vodafone Greece on the other islands !!!
The Cave in which St John wrote Revelations is only 1.9km and 20min walk from Skala, the main port town of the island. Another 2km up is a monastery dedicated to St John with exceptional views of Skala and indeed, most of the island.
I swam at Livani Yeranou Beach in the north along a coastline that faces south – there are several beaches here – all to die for !!!
Enjoy the island of Patmos before the end of the world – how ironic that St John should write about the destruction of the world from such a beautiful place…
No comments:
Post a Comment