Pat-tosh

As I write this, Mrs. D has gone for a lie down. I am forced to admit that the herbal seasick pills are not working. Fortunately, I am blessed with a constitution which would put the average Greek donkey to shame, so I am fine - although three glass of the local red rotgut and a couple of ouzo have most likely helped.

We have just left Patmos, home of St. John the Divine who wrote the book of Revelation. They make much of this on Patmos, not least I suspect because it brings in vast hoards of tourists!

Half way up the mountain is the 'Cave of the Apocalypse' (see photo) where Johhny boy, then 93 years old, apparently penned his tome -  or to be more precise dictated it to his young sidekick. Basically, as you can see, this is a cave but it has been richly embellished with a few icons and the odd authentic saintly relic.

In the roof of the cave, threre is a three way cleft. This is apparently the very spot where Johhny was standing when God spoke to him. To mark this, God then split the rock in three to represent the Holy Trinity.

What a load of old Pat-tosh!

Further up the mountain is the biggest fortified monastery I have ever clapped eyes on - and believe me I have clapped them on quite a few over the years. It is huge and old and if you are ever in the neighbourhood, it is well worth taking a look. However, being the cynical old heretic you might by now expect me to be, I am forced to ask a salient question....

If this is the place where the Almighty chose to reveal his great plan to humankind, then why does this monastery need fortifications and battlements to protect it? Wouldn't God be doing that already?

Oh, ye of little faith....