If the small beach by the harbor in Skala is the community water hole for locals, Campos Beach is the resort swimming pool for tourists – both domestic and foreign. When Emily and I first came to Patmos in 2010, Campos was home to a low-key group of international vacationers who made the beach and the cafe, George's Place, their home base every year. Families from Norway, England, Italy and Athens gathered as a small community to vacation together, celebrating birthdays, catching up on the year, watching their kids grow.
While the phenomenon stuck us as an exceedingly rare form of organic, international community, Campos is the obvious location for it. A sandy cove as large as neighboring Agriolivadi, but with a large swath of shallow, clear water dotted with little fish that swim right up to you. It's ideal water for kids to swim safely and adults to wade in and cool off. In 2019, Sennen and Ailyn could and did spend entire days on Campos with Sennen frequently doing flips in the water and having moments of international tensions over sand toys.
Today they're both in the water doing flips and falling forward into the water – rarely getting out and with no care about sand toys.
However, Campos has changed. Last year, George moved down the beach to a small location across the road and the cafe location that dominates the beach came under new management. Atmos, as it's now called, has a trendy, lounge-y vibe and a much higher price point. Sharp new sunbeds, giant chic umbrellas, a full-service cafe and restaurant with international, bordering-on-gourmet mixed with almost-farm-to-table cuisine (think avocado toast, sliders, guacamole, mescaline salad and grilled sea bream) have replaced strong Greek coffee, milkshakes and cheese and spinach pies. Dinghies from yachts parked off-shore bring a significant portion of the clientele and the most expensive sun beds on Patmos come with four designer glass bottles of mineral water in buckets of ice with attendants who refresh your ice supply as needed.
Like most change, the new Campos is win-some-lose-some. Atmos is cool. It's like a beach resort without the hotel. Even some locals come here to intake the vibe and be seen. The menu is considerably better and well, cool is cool. It's not a shabby place to hang out. If you showed up for the first time on the dinghy today, you'd be impressed. If you knew the community that was here in 2010 and even 2019, you might be a little sad.
One positive is that Atmos employs a lot more people and several islanders I've seen and known in other jobs are working at Atmos now. Valentis who used to deliver groceries for the AlphaBeta grocery store now manages at Atmos. That has to be a nice step, especially given he has a young family.
The change from Atmos ripples down the beach. The two other lounge chair operations have expanded, providing shelter for the more budget-conscious. Because who can afford Atmos everyday indefinitely? And George's loyals and those who want a more affordable alternative have shifted down the beach to his new, if not less geographically desirable digs.
Sennen and Ailyn seem fine with all of it. Same old beach, newer, nicer sunbeds and lunch. Yes, please.
Amazingly, we have avoided Campos this long – or at least Sennen and I have. Ailyn and my mom spent a day here on the more budget-conscious lounge chairs neighboring Atmos. My mom loved the shallow water and soft, silty sea bottom you can walk on so easily. Ailyn spent most of her afternoon in the water. But Sennen has been jonesing for his Campos opportunity – and today is it. On a warm, but beautifully breezy Sunday, what could be better?
My mom on the other hand texted she had finally arrived home while we were finishing lunch. From Patmos to Piraeus Port to the Athens Airport to Toronto to Los Angeles to my house in Thousand Oaks to get her her car and back to her house in Riverside County. Her Campos days are done for now and maybe a Sunday nap is more her speed for the moment.
I worry a little bit about what will happen when it's our turn to make the journey. Both kids seem torn between worlds. In the past 24 hours, each has expressed a desire to stay much longer. Ailyn seems more focused on a few weeks to the remainder of the summer. Sennen wouldn't mind even more. I remind them they'll miss their mom and how many fun things they'll enjoy when they're back for their half of the summer with her. I have also had to remind Sennen that whatever we do has to work for everyone – which includes his mom and Ailyn. We always have next year to look forward to.
Some of it is the Patmos Magic – the Atmos if you will. I never want to leave Patmos, just as I always used to wonder why I was heading to the airport to leave Bali during my time there. Some places are special and you wish time there could just carry-on indefinitely. Underlying it, of course, is the divorce. Daddy or Mommy. There's no way to make that better except to support the importance of the time with the other parent. My hope is their feelings mean I'm giving them enough – environmentally and interpersonally – to miss.
Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Our time on Patmos – even our time at Atmos – is not over yet. There is more shimmering blue water and gentle breeze to enjoy – maybe even another bottle of that very tasty mineral water. After all, it's Sunday on Campos – whatever that may look like today.
