Patmos: The Spiritual Island

Patmos is absolutely breathtaking. So much so that the video is much too long and probably a bit boring. The interesting bit of Patmos is that it is the site of the cave where St. John the Theologian wrote Revelations, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just up the hill is a beautiful 11th c. operating monastery where we enjoyed seeing the opulent restored church and the little wooden doors leading into the homes of monks. Fun fact: Our Greek friend Eleni used to spend summers in Patmos where her parents, artists, helped restore the church!

Our anchorage was a secluded spot outside of town. Upon our arrival, our good friends on SV Curious were already there and we decided we needed a chill beach day together before they moved on and we started exploring. As always, all plans are put on hold and the world stops turning so we can hang out with friends!

From the boat we had a magnificent view of a tiny island that is home to mountain goats and a single little white church - it looked exactly like what one dreams of the Greek islands. Of course we couldn’t leave without exploring it one day and taking many long videos of mountain goats standing still.

The late spring weather was perfect for a final hike up a steep hill to the vantage point over the bay to yet another church; we rewarded ourselves with a picnic lunch on the beach. Russ is never one to pass up comfort so when he found a plastic chair, he carried it with him to lunch (where he very generously let his wife sit in it.)

The main town of Patmos is quietly touristy, far enough off the beaten path that it’s never crowded, but large enough to support shops and restaurants. As we settled into the island-hopping life, we made sure to pray to all the Gods in all the churches for fair winds and following seas.