Patmos- Grotto of the Apocalypse

 September 30, 2023

Island of Patmos

While we are having lunch aboard ship, Celestyal Olympia takes us to the Island of Patmos.  This is a smaller Greek Island so the ship cannot dock there.  Tender boats must be employed to travel from ship to shore.  We had a local guide named Nicolas.  He gave an impressive exposition of the history of St John the Evangelist and how  cSt John came to Patmos exiled from Ephesus by Roman Emperor Domition (81 AD).  He lived high on the rocky hillsides in a cave.  It was there he had a vision of the Second Coming of Christ which he dictated to a disciple named  Prokhoros. This is known as the Book of the Apocalypse in the Bible.

Tender Boats used to transfer to shore

Grotto of St John

Patmos port city Skala

Monastery of the Apocalypse

Now our bus took us higher on the island.  We were headed to the Monastery of St John the Devine.  This is a Greek Orthodox monastery that has had a monk community in existence since 1100AD. 
                                                      
The Monastery has many medieval icons.  Among the multiple donations of the pious from across the Orthodox world, especially Russia, a filigreed cross of incredible delicacy stands out. Pride of place goes to the eleventh-century parchment khrysóvoulos (chrysobull) of Emperor Alexios Komnenos, granting the entire island to Abbott Khristodhoulos.

In the evening back on ship, I saw a performance about Greek Mythology which turned out to be more of an acrobotics and dance show.