back in Patmos

How fast times go by??? We arrived in Patmos about ten days ago. The whole plan has changed again, because the oncologist advised to do the six months of chemo near a hospital. They are going to give him nearly a double dose of chemo in the coming months, for that reason they want to follow up his progress from close. I feel at one point relieved that we are going to stay in Holland during this therapy, but at the other hand it is quite difficult looking at the psychological part.

He is so happy here and it is so easy for him to leave the house and immediately finding his friends and beloved ones. Since we came here we have not been able to spend one night in the house!! As in Holland I would spend a lot of effort to get him out of the house. We get up every morning around 08.00 o' clock, go out to a beach and swim for 20 minutes or so, then home for breakfast and at 12.00 we have his daily masseur at our home to massage him for a good hour. This is an offer of Susan and Benetos and we highly appreciate this, he really enjoys it and relaxes during and after the massage. After lunch we take a little nap and go out again in the early evening. We have been going to the Music Festival a few times, I think tonight is the last night, which we also enjoyed a lot. Outside of the Apocalyps in the little amphitheater, a beautiful scenery when you look at Skala below.


As soon as we decided, after the meeting with the oncologist, we would be spending the winter in Holland I had to run after finding a good school for Sophia. As now it is not an option anymore to leave her as the only member of the family alone behind in Patmos!! At first she did not wanted to go at all, but now she realizes that it is better for all of us when we would be close to each other. I did not try to convince her with a lot of words, just told her that we would be needing her around us.

After two days she asked me the name of the school and found their website. it is a very interesting school, bilingual ( half Dutch half English ) and it approaches her profile quite a bit. Her being interested in art, handcraft,music, social life, drama etc. they spend a fair time to these subjects. It will not be easy for her as we will be facing a difficult winter, so I decided to put her back one grade, meaning she will be doing the second class again. Anyhow, she will need some time to adjust to the new school system and the dutch way of living in general, not to forget the weather!! We hope she is going to like it and will soon make some friends in Holland. Good luck my sweet Sophia!!


Daphne left Patmos last Tuesday and is now in the UWC in Maastricht. She is totally absorbed by all the new faces and impressions. She is one of the 50 boarders, coming from 47 different countries. She has been "meeting" most of them on Face book and emailing and now finally got to meet them. They all got a new bike with the logo of the school and biked to Belgium last weekend as an introduction weekend to get to know each other better. If I am not mistaking, school has started from today. As Sophia, we wish also the best of luck for Daphne.

Besides being busy by driving Panormitis around, spending wonderful time with him, I also am trying to organize a small exhibition with his photographs. It is a lot of work and I hope that I will be able to realize this idea. Wish me luck!!

that's it for now, dear friends, I will have some more time free at the end of next week ( I hope ) and will post you then.

lots of love and kisses