Enroute to Rhodes

Listening to music, standing on deck, gripping the handrail as we speed across the blue Aegean, I feel alive, truly alive. This is who I am; here I'm at peace, I am fully myself. I haven't even been away for 2 weeks yet and I've got 3 to go - fantastic. How am I  going to fit back into work?

The promo video running on the ferry just displayed the caption:  "the people of Tilos talk little but feel a lot". That has to be good.

Islands are sacred places

I've been back to Aspri beach for a swim - I was completely alone today. I swam over to the rocks near the holiday units and followed some of the little fish meandering around their rocky homes.

Rode into Skala and posted a postcard, then walked back after dropping off the bike. Soon I'll be leaving this little place and returning to the wider world. There is a special atmosphere here but I don't associate it with the shrines to John. I think he probably came here for the same reason that so many Celtic saints sought out small, out-of-the-way islands on which to draw nearer to God. At times I've had a similar feeling to that which I've had on Colonsay or Iona or Mull or Skye. There's a solitude, a timelessness, a peacefulness in these places.

Apocalyse Now

Spoke to Nadia when I got back to Nikolas' - spoke for about half an hour again. Hope she'll be alright on the flight over. I then had a little siesta, followed by a trip into Skala to get some postcards and stamps. After this I rode over the hill towards Meloi beach but turned right at the little chapel and headed down to Aspri beach instead. It was just lovely - secluded, empty except for a young Japanese couple. I went in for a swim and put my goggles on and swam over to the front of some holiday units right on the water. There were large numbers of sea urchins nestled amongst the rocks and many small-to-medium-sized fish swimming around.

Since then I've been out to dinner and had some dolmades followed by a whole stuffed calamari - done in the local style. Really very good.

Some things I've been meaning to write down: I was impressed by how little I noticed Turkish men checking out women walking by. Plenty of Turkish women dress quite provocatively but I think the men were more respectful in general than what a bunch of Aussie blokes would be. Greek men remind me more of Australians!

I didn't stay that long in either monastery today. I  think the religiosity of it all just left me a bit cold. It's fascinating that cultures like this develop and that traditions are kept alive over such a long time. But my cathedral has for its ceiling the heavens, for its floor the earth beneath our feet. I am closer to the Divine sitting on a beautiful secluded beach, smiling at a friendly little dog, or puffing and panting up a steep hill whilst wondering at the crystal blue of the Aegean washing the rocks below. I think the weary attitude of the priest at the Monastery of St. John also saddened me. It's a sacred place and every day between 8am and 1:30pm, it is flooded with disrespectful idiots. I don't know why they allow it.

There was one women, Greek, at the monastery of St. John who prayed with anguished groans, prostrating herself in front of the icons. There is great power in this for those who believe.

I'm feeling strangely flat this evening - can't think why. It's been difficult speaking to Nadia without having a private space in which to talk and because of the infernal delay on the line. She said today that she doesn't want to do this again - I agree and I've already said it myself. I don't want to be away from her at all, certainly not for two whole weeks. I miss her and want to share everything with her, including the experiences I'm having right now.

I think the real reason I'm feeling flat is related to what I've just written - it's because what I've been doing today seems a bit hollow without Nadia here to share it with.

I also forgot to mention, there's an Italian family staying here with a little 3 year old girl - it's been nice hearing her cute little voice speaking Italian - reminds me of the impossibly cute little Nadia of cappuccetto rosso fame!

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.

Sipping a glass of Retsina

Sipping on a glass of Retsina, looking up at the half moon, surrounded by banana trees, sunflowers and roses. Cicadas chirp contentedly and Nikolas' little daughter runs around excitedly. He is watering the garden in the cool of the evening.

Went for another swim at Meloi after the sun had left the beach - only one other person there at the other end of the beach. I just rode into town and bought some drinks - once again I'm not feeling all that hungry and wont bother getting dinner. I'll get something tomorrow night.

I truly love this place and I haven't even visited the historic sites I came here for.

Isle of Patmos

Oh my God, now I've finally landed in paradise. This place is perfect, so much so that I've changed my ferry ticket and will stay an extra night here. Nikolas picked me up at the port as promised and took me to his place on the outskirts of the town. Skala is only a small town and the monastery isn't anywhere near as huge and dominatinng as I expected. The white houses of Hora are beckoning me from atop the hill - I'll visit in the morning. Nikolas' studios are great and even have little kitchens - I can imagine coming here for a week or two with Nadia and having a brilliant time. 

I went for a walk over the hill at the back to Meloi beach - took about 10 minutes. A  fantastic, secluded little cove with a handful of people enjoying the quiet beach, the water flat and calm. A yacht lay at anchor - what a great thing to do too, although it's almost a bit too cliched!

Onboard the Pride of the Dodecanese

Well, I  could hardly be happier, on board a catamaran, zipping across the Aegean towards Patmos. We're running a bit late but who cares.

I'm glad I added this little diversion before heading for Rhodes - it's been great already and can only get better shortly. Spoke to my darling Nadia earlier for about half an hour - She'll be on her plane flying this way in less than three days - yay!!

Almost there. I've been having a lovely time listening to a variety of songs, which have certainly put me in the right frame of mind for my imminent pilgrimage. Chris de Burgh's song "The Risen Lord" captures something of what I was trying to write last night. There is some ancient, deep, inexpressible spiritual connection that can be made to the heart of the resurrection but few people get past the debates abot its literal truth or otherwise and so miss out. Paul did Christians a great disservice by insisting that Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection - but I wonder if he meant a literal resurrection. Probably not and anyway, in his theology "resurrection" and "ascension", "glorification" or "vindication" meant the same thing.  Other songs - "Crusader" - there is something about the Crusades that does touch me deeply - I am susceptible to its call and can't judge those men who chose to wear the cross all those centuries ago. It appeals because it would be so much easier if the world were black and white, like in any fairytale, like in Lord of the Rings, like in much of the Bible, e.g. that book penned on the island I'm about to land on. My reality is anything but - there doesn't seem to be any movement or cause that isn't somehow compromised or corrupted or simply not what I really believe in. "I'd join the movement, if there was one I could believe in, I'd break bread and wine, if there were a church I could receive in" - Bono's words but my feelings for the past 15 years at least.

The song that touched me most deeply was "In a Country Churchyard" - a simple wedding day in the distant past then years, decades, centuries later, a visitor to the overgrown churchyard is reminded of what lasts - it is love, only love. That is what I want to say to my darling Nadia, the love of my heart and my soul. It is our love that will last and that is the whole purpose of our existence - to love and cherish each other every day for the rest of our lives, until that day comes for us when we are ready to fly...

Kos by night

Just finished a very enjoyable, leisurely ride around some of the ancient sites here - the Roman odeum, some mosaics and frescos plus a reconstructed Roman house from the 3rd century. Last night after dinner I meandered around with the dynamo switched on, admiring the town at night and taking some photos.

I headed off to bed, "ke-li-nich-ta", and ended up watching a German TV  channel for over an hour - an interesting report on Islam in Europe and elsewhere. It took a somewhat alarmist line but ended by saying Europe's Muslims have the chance to lead Islam worldwide into a new era of democracy and openness. It's a difficult question - just what does your average Muslim think about things like conversion to another religion? It reminds me a bit of fuundamentalist Christianity - if you corner them, they will admit that they think followers of other religions are heading for eternal damnation. That's a bit different to believing a Muslim who converts to another religion should be killed, though. That sort of belief ended in Christianity with the religious wars of the 16th-17th century. So Islam has a few hundred years of catching up to do.