the world's smartest travel social network
The Three Faces of Patmos
When our boat sailed into Patmos, we used the harbour at Grykos, rather than the main harbour at Skala. We shared the jetty with the Old Fisherman. The crew of our boat said that he was almost always there, patiently sitting in his little red boat, mending his nets. When he was out fishing, you know he’ll be back, when you see his three friends waiting for him.
Two cats and a seagull would sit on the nets waiting for him, for he always had a fish for them, no matter how meagre his catch. It’s a sharp contrast to the island’s main port of Skala, where the ferries and cruise-ships call, and where the tourists usually hang out.
But, there are still as many fishing boats as pleasure boats in Skala’s harbour, so the tourist impact isn’t too great. However, that small amount is slowly starting to creep down to Grykos, where the shell of a half-completed hotel stood, condemned and abandoned. It failed an inspection, I was told; they tried to save money by using beach sand, and didn’t get all the salt out of it. I wonder what happened to it. Was it eventually completed, demolished or just left to decay?
Patmos’ third face attracts pilgrims as well as tourists. It was to Patmos that St. John retired, after the death of the Virgin Mary, who had been given into his care by Jesus. Here, he wrote the Book of Revelations, and you can see the cave where the saint is said to have written this work.
High on top of the hill, surrounded by the charming old white-painted town of Hora stands the Monastery of St. John. It’s marvellously photogenic, even if you aren’t interested in matters religious. I wanted to photograph a priest with a magnificent black beard, who sat quietly reading in the shade. I asked his permission, and thought it had been refused. So, I didn’t take the picture, and only later remembered that, when a Greek says something that sounds like ‘nay’ … it means ‘yes’!
We had climbed the hill from Grykos in an assortment of hire cars and mopeds … the crew knew the best place to hire these. We had been advised to get up here early, before the bulk of the tourists arrived. And, it’s not a good idea to wear shorts if you’re going to visit the monastery; those sarong things that they hand out to cover your legs if you do look damn’ ridiculous on some people! However, I understand that things have changed a little since my friend Margaret visited in the early 1960s. Several people told her that her skirt was too short, and inappropriate for a holy place … in Skala!
Another reason for arriving early is that there’s not too much of a crush in Jimmy’s Balcony Restaurant, noted for its superb views if the harbour … we were lucky enough to be able to watch the arrival of one of Star Clippers’ sailing cruisers.
It’s also noted for its excellent omelettes, which are almost worth hiking up the hill for!
Comment
-
Comment by Nicholas Kontis on September 30, 2012 at 9:24pm -
Keith,
Glad to see your love of Greece.
I was born in Santorini, but came to the U.S. I have though sailed quite a bit in Greece. Patmos is a wonderful island. Excellent posting.
-
Comment by Hal Peat on September 27, 2012 at 11:02am -
Keith: you lucky man! I too was in contact with a charter yacht operator back in 2003 who offered me a ride from Paros back to Piraeus in exchange for reviewing his sailing experience. I think he was doing sails in both the Aegean and the Adriatic, unfortunately our schedules just didn't make it possible in the end. In fact I relied on that same website you mention in my actual ferry voyage back to the mainland. I hope you garnered more interesting episodes around the Med to tell about in future blogs from your sailing expedition. Sailing is certainly the way to go on any magical body of water, isn't it.
-
Comment by Keith Kellett on September 27, 2012 at 1:36am -
Hal: I couldn't really say about the ferries with any authority, because we were on a charter yacht. At a guess, though, I'd say it's most probably an overnight trip, calling at at least one other island en route. It's some time since I rode a Greek island ferry, but I found http://www.gtp.gr an invaluable source of information.
-
Comment by Allan Lynch on September 26, 2012 at 9:49pm -
Curiously, I have a friend in England who has a place on Patmos. Traditionally he goes for May and June and September and October.
-
Comment by Hal Peat on September 26, 2012 at 6:43pm
-
Keith - nice that you chose Patmos exactly for that reason, because it's off the usual beat yet can still be reached. I visited both Paros and Mykonos on my last Greek islands expedition, departing from Porto Rafti (I think it was) instead of Piraeus, and a fast ferry ride nowadays but still a few stops before my destinations. Is Patmos by ferry also a multiple stop ferry ride? In any event - an interesting narrative experience you came away with on an island with its own unique legend.
-
Comment by Keith Kellett on September 26, 2012 at 5:15pm
-
Hi, Hal!
Thanks for your kind comments. No problem with women visitors here, provided they're dressed fairly modestly ... see the photo of Jill in the courtyard. Patmos is a little off the usual beat, because it doesn't have an airport, but visitors do come, usually by cruise ship or by ferry from Piraeus.
Best,
Keith
-
Comment by Hal Peat on September 26, 2012 at 4:00pm
-
I've never been to Patmos but always somewhat intrigued by its history, and your contemporary description was a lighter touch. I also liked your photos of the harbor and the courtyard. Isn't the monastery still entirely off-limits to women visitors? Sounds as though that may have changed...
© 2013 Created by EnLinea Media.
You need to be a member of Tripatini to add comments!
Join Tripatini