Patmos: Hot But Chill And Revelation

Yesterday I arrived in Patmos, another Aegean sea island. This one is special. According to Christianity, John of Patmos had a vision and wrote the Book of Revelation of the New Testament here. There is a large monastery a top a hill as a result, which I will write about in a later post.

Aside from its theological roots, Patmos is simple, hot chill. Hot because of the intensity of the Aegean sun, but chill because it is just about impossible not to unwind here. Put down your electronics, they just don’t matter, most anything can wait.

I am staying at the Petra, a small boutique hotel, owned by the woman whose name it bears. (https://www.petrahotel-patmos.com/). The Petra is built on the lower part of a hillside overlooking other Aegean islands and a small harbor flowing to and from the Aegean Sea. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Petra herself along with her staff. Apparently, Petra just started to learn English last year, but her English is good enough to get things going. My suite is a jewel – simple but elegant in a Greek way. The hot tub in the small attached court yard is a nice touch, but I have not yet used it. Instead, when I arrived I headed right for the sun deck and pool for an afternoon of chill and some local fare.

Toward the end of the day, I took a short taxi ride up the hill to some scenic overlooks and to have dinner at the Pantheon, recommended by a waiter at Estia, a Greek restaurant that I frequent in Philadelphia. The most spectacular view is this one:

The Pantheon was all that it was said to be. Seated outside at a simple wooden, rectangular table, I could hear the local dialect of others seated around me. I can always assume that if locals eat at a restaurant, it must be a good one. And it was: