Let’s continue our visit to Konstamonitou on September 18th 2018 (see 2038 for post 1). After entering the monastery through the main entrance (Δ), we turned right, to go to the archondariki – guesthouse on the second floor (Z2).
Waiting for the archondaris, together with the three pilgrims from Athens. The helped me asking and translating an important question to the guestmaster: “how can we make a reservation for a night in the monastery”? The monastery does not use email to communicate and calling by phone or faxing usually gives problems. The answer was surprisingly simple: “just come to the monastery, we will always have a place to sleep”! This sounded like the old days on the Holy Mountain, when reservations were not an obligation and you could just simply announce your arrival.
This notice below is important for non-orthodox pilgrims: they are not allowed to attend services in church and the meal in the trapeza. This is such a pity for non-orthodox pilgrims. I hope the monks responsible for this decision once will understand that this not the way to promote orthodoxy to other pilgrims.
The katholicon seen from the guesthouse (A) with the bell-tower on the left (A1)
Let’s make a tour around the katholicon:
We left the monastery, after having asked the right way to go to Docheiariou, following a monopati. We were told that it would be easy to find. This information did not seem to be entirely correct. Next time more about this hike.
Wim Voogd, 27/1/2019
The saints above the entrance to the Katholikon are, on the left side the Holy Deacon and Protomartyr Stephen, and on the right side Saint Constantine the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles (ο Άγιος (και) Ισαπόστολος Μέγας Κωνσταντίνος – Heilige Apostelgelijke Konstantijn de Grote), to whom the Katholikon of Konstamonitou is dedicated.