Paradise found

This place just gets better and better. I had a good night's sleep although I seem to remember a cock crowing the whole night through, plus sundry dogs and donkeys joining in on the chorus. Had yoghurt and honey and a fresh fig for breakfast, washed down with pommegranate juice, before setting out on the daunting ride up to the monastery. I parked the bike and walked up the trail to the cave of the Apocalyse but as it turned out, it would've been more easily accessible from the road. A chapel has been built onto the side of the cave, enclosing it, and a monastery built around the site. It was interesting to see it and I could imagine John huddled in there scribbling away on some papyrus, haunted by the shocking violence of his madman's visions.

I continued up via the road to Hora and the main monastery at the top of the hill - well worth the effort for the spectacular views and the charming little whitewashed town, with its narrow cobblestoned alleyways and overflowing cascades of bougainvillea. The main church in the monastery was interesting, with its icons and frescos, but not all that old, I think 18th century. The usual band of ignorant and insensitive tourists were there, dressed inappropriately, taking photos when they shouldn't have and talking loudly and stupidly. Some people think it's the younger generation who have no respect for heritage but looking at these people, you can hardly blame 'the youth of today'.

I then enjoyed the downhill run to Grikos and Petra on the east side of the island, which is where I'm sitting now. The water was once again cool and refreshing and wonderfully clear.

The restaurant I'm sitting in is mentioned in Lonely Planet and uses its own home-grown organic produce. I've just had a home-grown rabbit (or part thereof) - delicious, sorry bunnies.

This place right here is about as close to perfection as I can imagine - there's no traffic, just the sound of the tiny waves on the pebble-sand beach. Time has stopped, nothing moves in a hurry, the restaurant staff are talking softly behind me. If I were to spend a couple of weeks here, my head would be in the right place again and I'd have enough inner peace to last me 6 months back in the un-real world of 40+ hour weeks and life in the 'burbs.