Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Patmos and the Monastery of the Apocalypse

We arrived in Patmos at 6:30 in the morning and were up early to visit the Monastery of the Apocalypse.
This is a church we passed by driving from the port of Scala to the Monastery.  Most buildings here are white washed to do what they can to prevent the building being heated by the hot sun.



Going up we can still see the water and the boat through the trees.


These stairs are going up to an open air seating area beside the Monastery.


Here is the front of the Monastery.  There is only one monk living here now to watch over the place.  We went inside where no pictures were allowed and down the stairs to the cave, or grotto as they call it, of the Apocalypse.  It is supposed to be where St John wrote the book of Revelations.


When we came up an old man had assembled a table of embroidered linen goods for selling.


We went farther up the mountain to  the little village of Chora where the Monastery of St John can be found.

How big our ship looks in the harbor.


I enjoyed this door.


The monastery was built 900 years ago inside the walls of strong fortification.


A happy little flowering bush.


Archways.


A fresco that has been restored.


And another.


A charming door.


The stone has all been white washed.


Looking down a stairway to the monks kitchen.


A view from an upper window down the hill to the village.


Looking out over the harbor.


Original stone is still showing on this building.


A door with the old Christian cross over it.


The bell tower.


A narrow passage way on the walk down.


Passing through the village on the way back to the boat.


We sure don't stay anywhere very long.

We get back on board by 10 AM in order to head to Mykonos this afternoon.

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