Notes from the Aegean 🌊

Patmos isn’t an easy place to reach, and that’s exactly why I like it. It’s an eight-hour ferry from Athens, which, if you’re coming from New York, comes after an eight-plus-hour flight. By the time you arrive, you’ve been traveling for the better part of a day.

But I’ve always loved a journey — almost as much as the destination itself. There’s something about the long way there that makes arriving feel that much better and real.

Once here, it doesn't take much time to settle into the pace. Mornings start later, nights go longer. Days are punctuated by dips in the sea and simple lunches at the various tavernas across the island. Of course, we have our favorites.

Like most regulars here, we love the taverna at Psili Ammos — a beach only reachable by a 30-minute hike. At the end of the trail, the most perfect little taverna awaits, famous for its fried zucchini balls, roasted goat & potatoes and, frankly, just about everything else. Feet in the sand and a view of the blue sea certainly don't hurt.

My other favorite is the taverna at Meloi, just a few minutes' walk downhill from our casita. Family-owned for decades, it's completely unpretentious, with the kindest owners and delicious home-cooked meals that rotate daily. It's the kind of place you quickly start to feel like a regular.

And that's what I love most about a trip like this, especially with an extended stay: the luxury of becoming a regular. Morning rituals, familiar faces, daily hikes, favorite tables, and friendships built over years of visiting — picked right back up and rekindled every summer.

Over the last few years, we’ve found ourselves designing more & more things with a Mediterranean getaway in mind. Hats for the sun, peshtemals and pareos for the beach, sandals for just about everything else. Equal parts useful & beautiful — exactly the things we packed for Patmos.

SOL HATS. We’ve got Sol Hats from both last year and this year’s collection with us because, if this island has one thing in abundance, it’s sun.

I particularly love our Sol Hats because they’re so packable — throw one in a suitcase, stuff it in a beach bag, or just roll it up and carry it in hand. Unfold it when you get where you’re going and it’s good to go. Mine has been getting a lot of use here.

Porto Sandals. These are truly the ultimate island sandal. I’ll strap ’em on for a long, dusty hike down to the beach, wear them all afternoon, then give them a quick wipe before heading out for dinner in Chora. Rugged enough for the trail, but somehow still just right with a pair of trousers at night.

Peshtemals. Our Turkish towels (aka Peshtemals) are the real workhorses of a trip like this. Always in tow, they become beach blankets, post-dip towels, wraps around the waist, shade from the sun, and whatever else the day calls for. Ours rarely leave the beach bag.

Seneca Green Sabahs. Made from a soft suede, I love how these look after a little sun, sand & sea — comfortable, broken-in, and somehow even better than when they were new. The green feels just right in Patmos, too. And when I put them back on in NYC a few months later, they’re always a little reminder of time spent here.