Patmos, Greece

November 16, 2011
Today is quite cool and the wind is blowing. Once outside in the tender I wish I had indulged in bringing a hat to keep my head warmer. But I talked myself out of several items trying to be more conservative with the packing. I have a feeling that we will need warmer clothes this year compared to the crossings in 2009 & 2010. The weather is a little more wintry than we have previously experienced.
Patmos is only 13 miles square in size, but has a long rich history. In 1981 the Greek Parliament declared Patmos a “sacred island”, second only to Mount Athos in religious standing. It was here that Saint John was exiled in the days of the Roman Empire. Humble places like Patmos were often used as places of exile for political prisoners, or for those who disturbed “public order”, which usually meant stepping on the toes of someone important.

The earliest inhabitants were the Mycenaeans, nearly 35 centuries ago. They were followed by Dorian and Ionian Greeks, and after the exciting days of Greece’s golden age, it passed easily under the control of Rome. After the decline of Rome, Patmos was abandoned because of raids by Saracen pirates. Then Venetians occupied the island in 1207 as part of their Duchy of Naxos. The Turks followed in 1537 and remained a Turkish possession until 1912, when it was captured by the Italians, and finally joined Greece in 1948.
During the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Domitian, Saint John had been preaching the Gospel at Ephesus, and was exiled to nearby Patmos in the year 95. But Domitian died the following year, and was succeeded by the humane Nerva, who released him; John returned to Ephesus, and died
there sometime during Trajan’s reign. During his 18-month “sabbatical” on Patmos, he composed the dramatic Book of Revelation, a prophetic work that speaks of the final times, and encourages believers to hold fast under persecution.
Today the island is a pilgrimage to Christians seeking the location where Saint John wrote his Book of Revelation.
We alight in what looks and feels like a small village but is actually quite large since it is built into and up the rocky terrain. We have decided that we will not fight all the others today and just walk around visiting the small shops near the port. My first order of business is to acquire a cap for my head. Then we go in search of wine, souvenirs and whatever else catches our fancy. Dominick is infatuated with the loose dogs and cats that wander, lounge and generally seem to own the place. He can’t believe that no one is upset when they are loose.
After a few hours we have had enough and head back to the ship. The wind has been cutting and we are all chilled. We set sail for Santorini in a few hours so time to get a bite of lunch and possibly watch a movie or should we take a nap? Oh my, what hard decisions we shall have to make.