Patmos, Island of the Revelation (Greece)

The beautiful Greek island of Patmos has one major claim to fame - St John was exiled here, and in a small cave, had the visions which led to the writing of Revelations. Not such a bad place to be exiled, we thought to ourselves as we climbed steep and winding streets beneath clear blue skies, with panoramic views across the coast.

Unfortunately, photography is forbidden within the cave itself - and the silent, dark-robed Orthodox monk who guards the door looked balefully at my camera with an expression that seemed to say "you might think you can get away with a silent shot or two, if you don't use flash, but God will know and he will damn you to the end of time." I don't really believe it's likely I'd be damned to hell for my photographic sins, but I do believe in respecting the traditions of others, so I was good (sorry) and resisted the urge to sneak a few snaps.

The cave itself has been extended, and turned into a fully-fledged Orthodox shrine. I haven't had much experience of Orthodox churches, and was surprised by the tendency to cover everything in hammered silver or gold leaf. The three-part stone in the ceiling (from which the voice of God is said to have issued) remains a natural lump of rock, but the alcoves of John's pillow and hand-rest have been silver-lined, and the walls decorated with icons and crosses. Our group was split between those who "really felt something" in the cave and those who (like me) were intrigued but not totally absorbed in the experience.




At the highest point of the island, the Monastery of St John was founded to commemorate John's revelation. The monastery was also strict about photography within its chapel and museum, but the lovely courtyards presented plenty of photographic opportunities. The painted frescoes were impressive, and the museum was well-stocked, although not very informative to those of us not already familiar with the paraphernalia of the Orthodox church (it's another beautiful silver thingumy? Well, great, but what's one of those for?)
















The island itself is also rather picturesque, and we enjoyed a pleasant stroll between whitewashed houses before returning to our boat.

Mango & Coconut Truffle Bites

I made these little truffle bites in response to this month's We Should Cocoa challenge, organised by Chocolate Teapot and Chocolate Log Blog. I've only just discovered this event, as it's being hosted this month by my bloggy friend Shaheen at Allotment 2 Kitchen - but since you all know what a chocoholic I am, I expect I'll become something of a regular! Shaheen picked mango as this month's special ingredient, which is also right up my street.

Mango and coconut are natural tropical companions, and since it's a cocoa challenge, there obviously needed to be some rich dark chocolate involved. Something about that combination suggested a rich truffle, rolled in dessicated coconut. The filling is quite moist, so you really do need to chill it before dipping in chocolate - but on the plus side this means you get a great contrast between the snap of the chocolate shell, and the soft texture of the truffle. This is a vegan recipe so long as you use a vegan cake for your crumbs.


Mango & Coconut Truffle Bites
Makes approx. 25

250g (10oz) dark chocoloate
50g (2oz) creamed coconut
200g (8oz) cake crumbs
120ml (½cup) mango puree
250g (10oz) dessicated coconut

1. Melt 100g (4oz) dark chocolate with the creamed coconut.
2. Crumble the cake into fine crumbs, then mash the cake crumbs and mango puree together.
3. Add the melted chocolate to the mango mixture, and stir with a  spatula until thoroughly combined.
4. Form the mixture into small balls, arrange on a large plate, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt the remaining chocolate.
6. Roll each truffle ball in melted chocolate, then coat in dessicated coconut.
7. Chill in the fridge before eating.

Accidentally Visiting a Rainforest - Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

We weren't sure whether we should visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge. On the one hand, it's not like we find ourselves in Vancouver every day (or even every year), so if we missed it we didn't know when we'd have another chance. But the weather was so grey and misty that we weren't sure we'd see anything.

We decided to take the bus up the mountain, and decide when we got there whether the views would justify the entry fee. Luckily a family was coming out just as we arrived, so we asked them if they thought it was worth our while: they said yes, so on we went.

And as it happened, the mist made everything look ethereal and atmospheric, so if you ever find yourself wondering whether it's worth going in less-than-perfect weather, I'd say yes, definitely.








The bridge itself has been there since the 1890s, providing a practical footpath across a steep-sided gorge. When the owners replaced the bridge in the '50s, they tested the steel of the old bridge cables, and found that the old cables were still just as strong as the new ones they'd put in their place! Which must have been a little galling.








There's also a treetop walk through the rainforest.

Wait... rainforest? In Canada? This was news to me.

The information boards around the walkways explained further: this is a "temperate" rainforest, rather than the more stereotypical tropical kind, and is a protected environment in western Canada. Unfortunately we didn't see much wildlife beyond a few squirrels, but it was nice to wander between the trees.










The newest feature at the park is a cliff walk, a narrow path attached by cables to the rock. Although less impressive than the suspension bridge, it did give some more great views and a different perspective on the gorge. Again, the walk is enhanced by info boards - in this case, the one that stuck with me was the fact that the trees can absorb a huge amount of their required moisture from the air. Which cast a somewhat more positive perspective on a very misty day.