(this continues blog 1340) After a long hike from Prodromou to the top of Mount Athos I finally reached this beautiful place: my friends asked the Archondaris to leave some dinner for me, because I arrived late. I was given a place in the trapeza on my own and the monk served me a lovely meal. While enjoying the food I looked around and realized that the whole trapeza was newly panited with amazing fresco’s of an extraordinary quality! But first let me show you the pictures I took in the building on the South side of the skete I found some chapels, also decorated with fine fresco’s.

Administrative room

The iconostasis of a small chapel at the end of a corridor, with a icon of Christ, similar to the Protaton icon

The left side of the iconostasis, with an icon of the Panaghia and child and two archangels.

In the chapel: four saints, Georgios, Dimitrios, Charalampos and Modestos and the Panaghia with child.

Icon of Agia Anna with the child Mary

Fresco of Agia Anna with the child Mary

This fresco is the first from the trapeza, and one of the finest, with the Last Supper and the twelf Apostles. Look how Judas (2e to the right of Christ) turnes his face after his betrayel!

Detail of the last picture

And with this last fresco you reach the stairs that lead you back to the courtyard: does anyone know who painted these fresco’s and when they were painted?

Sitting on the bench at Skiti Anni watching the sun go down, in absolute quietness: one of the most extraordinary places to be on earth! As soon the sun disappeared under the horizon we heard, very nearby, a jackall howling: a few seconds later his call was answered by at least three of four other jackalls in the neighbourhoud! An absolute mindchilling moment!

Wim, 6/4