- Do you speak English? - Asks a priest with an American accent. - Yeah, sure - answer proudly. - Y

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Mount Athos When you get off the ferry at nine thirty in the morning, the fog has not yet lifted. Retractable demontiriuma (visa, which you are allowed to enter the holy land) in a backpack and takes forward. In the first step begins almost vertical climb to the terraces of wandering "St. Anna ". Skits are small monasteries subordinate to the larger monastery. Instead taxis are parked in the harbor several dozen chains of five or six horses. While climbing a winding stone path, we disagree with those caravans. They are loaded up with food bags and crates of water and down empty. The first horse ever ride a man who walks descent. Hooves of animals are not shod, which adds to the feeling that time has stopped here.
In the valley before wandering the road is full of olive trees, covered wood bases with ripe fruit. Some of them will soon be harvested and the fruit is stored in containers with a marina. Others will be compressed and will become amber oil. After about an hour winding path also pushing wandering - a collection wood bases of ancient and modern buildings, perched like eagles on the sheer cliffs of "Saint Anne". According to an old legend, in this sanctuary away leg of the Mother of God, who first set foot on the peninsula in a shipwreck on his way to Cyprus. After witnessing the beauty of Mount Athos, however, Mary asked her son to give ù land and requires no other woman enters her.
When you turn your gaze to Sithonia, the middle peninsula of Chalkidiki, sea son - transparent, infinite, divine. wood bases Can not help but admire the Greeks that have managed to keep this piece of land of paradise away from the business interests of the market economy.
- Do you speak English? - Asks a priest with an American accent. - Yeah, sure - answer proudly. - You are not allowed to wear shorts in the holy lands. Are you orthodox? - Yes. - Then please change.
Put long pants again and despite wood bases the discomfort, keep up without being offended by the remark. The place has its quirks and rules that may seem unacceptable side. However, precisely these features are preserved unique authenticity that can not be seen in other holy lands. Vatican pale as poor and kitschy replica of the perversion of God's will, which here seems much more reserved in his humble and austere form.
With increasing altitude and the landscape changes its appearance. Olive trees give way to beech bushes, wood bases covered with acorns, chestnuts and tame some conifers. The trail up. Fork appears lonely rock in the distance to Sithonia, bathed in the warm rays of the sun. Misty curtain gradually lifted and at one thirty in the afternoon for the first time appears and Mount Athos - naked, rocky, white and majestic. You turn back and look you drown in autumn palette of yellow, green, red and orange, with which nature has dyed this Persian carpet, embroidered at the foot of the proud giant.
The genius of nature is brought here pilgrims from all Orthodox nationalities - Moldovans, Belarusians, Russians wood bases and Greeks. All seem friendly and smiling. One will greet with "Calimera" another will say "Zdravstvuyte" but all mention God's power. Each message ends with "Wami with God." The path meet father, who died sitting wood bases on the stone. He asks you to wait until the lame companion catch up. After humbly obey his will, he bless and keep going.
Lush vegetation give way to moss and grasses. Showing rock proceeds to the top. Clouds envelop it in mystery, which from time to time disclosed in these flashes you think you understand perfectly the meaning of his own existence.
After four hours non-stop climbing, reaching "Panagia" - stone church shelter in the foothills of Mount Athos. The building is single storey wood bases and is divided into three rooms. First, into which the visitor is the dining room with two wooden tables, each with two wooden benches that can seat a total of about twenty people. In the right corner, near the entrance, stands a massive wood bases stone sink. Water from the huge red drum on the wall with metal hooks, drain into the pan. Small room, converted wood bases into a church with icons of Jesus and the Virgin Mary can be found through the second door of the building. Inside incense candles. T