Day 9 - Patmos Exploration

After breakfast we headed out for the Cave of Revelation. This is where St John wrote the Book of Revelation. This island is known as the Jerusalem of the Aegean due to the atmosphere of the island during Christian celebrations.

On arrival, we started with Mass very close to where the cave is that St John lived in. After Mass, Cardinal Pell gave us a talk about the Book of Revelation and the seven Churches.

We then went into the cave. We were fortunate enough to catch the end of the Orthodox Mass that was taking place at the time. The chanting was quite mesmerising. It was rich in harmony and was antiphonal in structure. The priest sang one part and the response was shared by two or three different men at different times.

The original cave was used as part of the Chapel they built at the front of it. Unfortunately, we couldn't take photos inside and it is not easy to explain. We saw the hole where it is believed John laid his head and a hole in the wall of the cave where it is believed he put his hand to raise himself up from the floor of the cave where he lay. We saw the flat part of the rock where it is believed that the Book of Revelation rested while it was being written. We also saw the fissure in the ceiling of the cave that split the rock three ways, believed to be a symbol of the Trinity.

We then visited the Nunnery of the Annunciation of the Mother of John the Beloved. After that we visited two other monasteries in the Old City. One of these was the Monastery of John the Beloved. This was a huge fortress-like building dating from the 11th Century.

We walked through the very narrow streets of Chora. The narrow streets were designed to ward off pirates over the centuries. I'm not sure how this worked but this is what they say!

We went to the Museum in Chora. This was quite interesting. It contained very old vestments and sacramental vessels as well as original icons. What I found most intriguing were the ancient manuscripts. They were breath taking with their beautiful calligraphy and use of colour all on ancient material such as papyrus and even animal hide.

On our way back to the Hotel, we had a bus tour of the island. The colour of the sea is the most beautiful blue.

We got back to the hotel, put our bags in our room and then went for lunch. We did not get our lunch until 3:50pm! I think the place we went to was struggling to manage the numbers we made!

We went back, had a rest and the went to dinner! And then ... You guessed ... Bed!