Devout Secrets: Step into the lives of nuns and locals

 

After you’ve soaked up the blissful aspects of monastic life, we will head to the Chora for a guided walk along its small, winding streets. Its houses crowd the hill below the walls of the Monastery of St. John, a medley of mansions and small houses crowded together, representing the growth and development of the island. The town’s initial erection began in the mid-1400s, after the fall of Constantinople, by refugee families. At first, large mansions with gardens were built sparsely, and eventually, as the economy began to grow, more settlers began to arrive and the spaces between the mansions began to fill up with smaller, humbler abodes.

 

The most memorable architectural creation of Patmos is the Monastery of St. John. It stands at the top of the island’s capital as the rest of the town spills out below it, as if paying homage to its immense religious aura. But we we will walk into the open doors of a traditional Patmos mansion, where one of its owners will reveal to you the legends of this mystical island through a guided tour of this mansion that is also a folklore museum. Built in the 1600s, this is one of the first houses in the Chora, and one of the few open to the public. Originally owned by sea merchants from Odessa, it has been in the same family for eight generations, and one of the family members will be your guide as you walk through its rooms and discover the history and culture they hold within. Antique furniture, old icons, tools, photographs and an extensive collection of paintings will work as props for her unfolding endless stories of the past.

 

All this exploration will undoubtably have made you hungry. It’s time to sink your teeth into some local flavours. Our final stop will be at a local eatery where you can feast on local cheese pie, homemade meatballs, olives and fresh, ripe tomatoes. Once you’re full, it’s time to dance. Have you ever heard of a dance called “sirto”? Eat your heart out Anthony Quinn.