To be honest, the road we walked along the coast from Timiou Stavrou to Lavra, is one of the most boring on Athos. Almost no old paths remain on this part of the peninsula, although I think I remember that parts of these old paths still remained in 1980. Nowadays it is just a relatively busy dirth road with some motorized trafic.

I will show you the highlights of this track here:

At first we walked a fine path from Timiou Stavrou to the main road.

Two unknown settlements not far from Timiou Stavrou, one of them probably Agiou Artemiou.

Where the path joins the main road to Lavra

Morfonou bay

Morfonou beach with logging industry

Walking towards Morfonou beach: a brooke

Morfonou beach: timber

If you look up from the beach you will see the Amalfi tower, the remnants of the only “Catholic” monastery, destroyed in about 1100. I wonder what archeologists might find at that spot (just as they did at Zygou monastery, near Ouranopoli).

Amalfi tower and the Holy Mountain

Because time was running out and my friends already made their way to Lavra, I decided to leave Morfonou beach, thus skipping these very photogenetic houses, build between the rocks. Afterwards I regretted my decision, being so close!

House, soon after leaving Morfonou bay

Athanasius well

A fig tree growing on the Holy water

An icon of Athanasius and the Panaghia, opening the spring

The well seen from the main road: it is not easy the recognize!

The old brigde: here is where the old path to Lavra must have been: unfortuanately no traces of this path are left……..

The old brigde crossing the small beach

Lavra in the afternoon of October 4th 2011.

Next time some interesting pictures of the buildings that surround the monastery.

Wim, 31/5