Category Archives: nature

2179 – A flock of birds

Posted on November 23, 2020 by athosweblog

On the boat between Dafni and Ouranoupolis, on the way back from the Holy Mountain, you are often surrounded by seabirds. Mostly seagulls that follow the ferry. They are so greedy that they even pick a piece of bread of … Continue reading →

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2171 – earthquake on Athos September 27th

Posted on September 27, 2020 by athosweblog

Today, Sunday 27/9, a powerful earthquake was felt by the monks on the Agion Oros in the early morning, during the service called “agripnía”. The quake took place about 20 kilometers southwest of Athos and measured 5.2 on the Richter … Continue reading →

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2153 – Plants, Rocks and Stones

Posted on July 13, 2020 by athosweblog

Some plants don’t need vertile soil, rocks will do perfectly. This a Geranium Purpureum or a Geranium Robertianum. Rocks and stones are a good surface for some plants such as the Euphorbia in the Russian settlement of Thebais. Even this … Continue reading →

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2131 – Living from land and garden: fruits and vegetables

Posted on April 13, 2020 by athosweblog

This looks like Aloe Vera or another cactus-like succulent plant. Do they use for beverages or for medicinal uses? This wild spinach-like vegetable grows in the steep gardens of Simonos Petras. A small cornfield in the middle of knowhere reachable … Continue reading →

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2119 – The beauty of Athos, flowers and more

Posted on March 19, 2020 by athosweblog

Here are some images of the sometimes overwhelming beauty of the natural environment of Mount Athos. Along side the footpaths, in the woods, Euphorbia start growing. But also in the rocky parts, on the slopes of the Holy Mountain itself, … Continue reading →

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2112 – Crossing the stone fall of Megali Sara

Posted on March 2, 2020 by athosweblog

Between Nilou or Nilos and Prodromou the monopati runs over an impressive stone avalanche area called Megali Sara The path was formed by passing monks after the 1905 earthquake, that created the stone fall. The region is geologically quite unstable. … Continue reading →

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2099 – The waste and litter problem on Mount Athos

Posted on January 25, 2020 by athosweblog

In 2014,  very close to the monastery of Filotheou , waste and rubbish are still dumped in the valley. I don’t know if that is still common practice. I hope not. On the path from Pantocratoros to Vatopedi  in  2019 … Continue reading →

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2092 – a botanical paradise

Posted on January 3, 2020 by athosweblog

Dried plants from Mount Athos are found in a herbarium from the Natural History Museum/ Smithsonian Institute in the US. This European Hop or Hornbeam f.i. can de found on the slopes of the Mountain between Kerasia and Panagia. Also … Continue reading →

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2082 – Athos pilgrimage 2019: the hike from Prodromou to Kavsokalivia

Posted on November 30, 2019 by athosweblog

Planning a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain is a necessity. Not only you’ll have make reservations for a place to sleep in a monastery or skete, you will also have book your trip by boat for Ouranopoli to Dafni and … Continue reading →

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2071 – When nature takes over….

Posted on September 5, 2019 by athosweblog

When we were walking in Kapsala we met a friendly man in the rain. He explained that it was not easy to find the correct road to Stavronikita. He went to get some water in a nearby house. When he … Continue reading →

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