A visit to Patmos will be an experience to tuck away in their heart for anyone with any Christian religious beliefs.
The site of the Groto of the Apocalypse (also known as St John’s Cave), where it is believed St John received and wrote the book of Revelations.
For anyone, religious or not, it’s a great place to visit – take a moment to look at the tourists’ faces, instead of the cave itself (just for a moment!), and see the look of wonder and joy on some of them. It’s priceless.
Patmos is also the home of the Holy Monastery (or the Monastery of John), which is also a prime tourist attraction.
If you’re not religious, still take the journey up and check out the view from the entrance to the monastery – it’s incredible!
Crete is basically an island of ruins – so if you’re a history or archaeological buff, take a look around the Mononian Palace of Knossos, which has some artefacts and ruins that have been amazingly kept in a good state for so many years.
You’ll also find some stray dogs and cats (they seem to just congregate at the sites of ruins – probably because of the tourists and the chance to get fed).
What better way to end my time in Europe by visiting the dreamlike island of Santorini.
With it’s cliffs packed with beautiful white houses, it’s a sight many have seen in pictures, and so to see it up close is something special.
Oia is the main attraction, as thats where those famous cliffs are, but there is a lot more to the island than just that, so take the time to explore.
The town surrounding the port has some great restaurants overlooking the water, so make a visit to one of those.
And beware – as it’s such a popular tourist destination, souvenirs and other shopping items are very expensive – see if you can find them somewhere else, or at least try to bargain the salesperson down.
