The special and intimate place called Maroudá is described on this website many times and extensively by Wim (see the following posts: 1789, 1801, 1802, 1805 and 1809).

It was our first encounter there. We were welcomed by some pilgrims who shared coffee and sweets with us in the kitchen.

I like to show some impressions of the kellion. In retrospect I was surprised that I concentrated on taking pictures of holy crosses.Inside the enclosed complex is a small construction to carry the bells. Not really a bell tower. But all is on a small and nice scale in Maroudá. The building is topped off by a red cross.Steeply looking down at Skiti Andreou from the terrace. A complex of crosses in crosses; I count six of them. The same balcony where in 2013 a former Taliban warrior was baptised and re-named “Alexander”.The next morning started quite foggy, which gave another impression of the buildings.A red and a white cross looking at the Holy Mountain a bit vague in the far distance.On the terrace we met a novice, called Romanos, who studies the Byzantine chants intensely. He brought his songbook and explained how the very complex musical notation worked, or he tried to explain, it was rather complicated. To illustrate the notation he sang for us. Pilgrim Jacques made, to his approval, a short impression of his singing.

Romanos is a very nice and open person who really wanted to communicate with us. Somewhat later during the service in the church, in the midst of the complex, we could hear and see him sing and interact with a monk in a recital.The sun, the moon and the three fishes on the outside wall of Maroudá. ( request by F. John Herbert )

Bas Kamps