On a preparation day in March we took a little outing to a little village called Ouranoupoli. It is a little village in Halkidiki that is as close as you can drive to Mt. Athos. Mt. Athos is a holy city for those of the Greek Orthodox faith, much as the Vatican is to Catholics. The public is not allowed to visit Mt. Athos. Men may visit to have a spiritual retreat and must receive a special permit from the government. We had lunch at a little restaurant by the sea. This is looking out from our table.
This is SO Greek! We had to take a picture. There are stray dogs and cats everywhere. These two were making their way across the rooftops of the restaurants.
This man is a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. He was waiting for a ride back to Thessaloniki. He was very friendly and willing to have his picture taken. We couldn't communicate with one another well enough to understand if he lived at Mt. Athos or had just been there for a visit.
We drove to the border of Mt. Athos. It is actually an independent city-state. This man was walking down the road and Dennis asked to take his picture. He just looked so Greek. I'm sure he was scratching his head trying to figure out why we wanted his picture. The backdrop is also beautifully and typically Greek.
These vacant buildings were just inside the borders of Mt. Athos. They were probably used by monks at some time. There are many large monasteries on Mt. Athos and it is home to several thousand monks.
These warning signs tell visitors not to cross the border into Mt. Athos. We thought there might be a big gated entry-way with guards. There are just markers saying that this is where Mt. Athos begins and not to enter. The only way to get there is by boat from Ouranoupolis.
The marker letting you know you have reached the border.
An imposing tower by the sea in the village of Ouranoupolis. It is the landmark structure that identifies the village. It's a museum now and I'm not sure what it was previously. It would have been a good lookout tower to watch out over the sea.
The Greek flag flying by the tower above. The cross in the corner represents the Orthodox Church and we have been told that the blue and white stripes represent the sea and the breaking waves.
A beautiful little village built on a little peninsula jutting out into the Aegean on the drive to Ouranoupolis. I think the name of it is Pyrgadikia.
On a preparation day in March we took a little outing to a little village called Ouranoupoli. It is a little village in Halkidiki that is as close as you can drive to Mt. Athos. Mt. Athos is a holy city for those of the Greek Orthodox faith, much as the Vatican is to Catholics. The public is not allowed to visit Mt. Athos. Men may visit to have a spiritual retreat and must receive a special permit from the government. We had lunch at a little restaurant by the sea. This is looking out from our table.
This is SO Greek! We had to take a picture. There are stray dogs and cats everywhere. These two were making their way across the rooftops of the restaurants.
This man is a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church. He was waiting for a ride back to Thessaloniki. He was very friendly and willing to have his picture taken. We couldn't communicate with one another well enough to understand if he lived at Mt. Athos or had just been there for a visit.
We drove to the border of Mt. Athos. It is actually an independent city-state. This man was walking down the road and Dennis asked to take his picture. He just looked so Greek. I'm sure he was scratching his head trying to figure out why we wanted his picture. The backdrop is also beautifully and typically Greek.
These vacant buildings were just inside the borders of Mt. Athos. They were probably used by monks at some time. There are many large monasteries on Mt. Athos and it is home to several thousand monks.
These warning signs tell visitors not to cross the border into Mt. Athos. We thought there might be a big gated entry-way with guards. There are just markers saying that this is where Mt. Athos begins and not to enter. The only way to get there is by boat from Ouranoupolis.
The marker letting you know you have reached the border.
An imposing tower by the sea in the village of Ouranoupolis. It is the landmark structure that identifies the village. It's a museum now and I'm not sure what it was previously. It would have been a good lookout tower to watch out over the sea.
The Greek flag flying by the tower above. The cross in the corner represents the Orthodox Church and we have been told that the blue and white stripes represent the sea and the breaking waves.
A beautiful little village built on a little peninsula jutting out into the Aegean on the drive to Ouranoupolis. I think the name of it is Pyrgadikia.
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