Only if you have good trust in fate you can look down, vertically, from the overhanging fragile wooden balconies of Simonos Petras. More than 40 meters below you, monks and their helpers were working in the gardens. The gardens are built on narrow terraces. These pictures give a birds eye perspective on the people that produce the organic food for the monastery.

The garden looks very professional. The lettuces are placed in strict, straight lines. An advanced irrigation system delivers water when needed. Each crop gets its fair share. And there is a plastic greenhouse to prepare the seedlings.

At least four levels of terraces can be seen. It is almost like a vertical garden. Like the hanging gardens of Nebukadnezar II in Babylon. One of the seven ancient wonders. Those vertical gardens were also terraced.
These guys were working hard on the ground, with their backbones bended.

A closer look of the work in progress. I like the shadow play. I remember watching them work for quite a while. Shadows and figure don’t seem to match all the time.

The monk below in his brown working clothes loads the boxes with vegetables, that are just harvested. Via a motorised cable they are lead directly to the kitchen of Simonos Petras. The freshness of the food can’t be surpassed. Without delay from the field onto the plate.

A more detailed view of the fresh load. Note the dangerous wooden stairs in the background that connects two levels of the terraces. Some trust in the good fate is needed to climb those stairs as well.

This monk received the vegetables and brought them into the kitchen. Ready to cook.

The next morning I woke up very early and was quite awake, so I moved out of the guest building, not to disturb my fellow pilgrims and took some pictures from Simonos Petras at night. I will show them next time.

Bas Kamps