Living in Mount Athos

Living in Mount AthosXavier Zimbardo

Mount Athos is a complex, intricate place. It is a difficult place if one wishes to know it truly and not simply to confirm what one already believes about it. One needs to go there again and again, to hike along its pathways (to walk, let's say, from the Skete of Saint John the Baptist to Saint Anne or to Kerasia); to wake up at night for the service and, while in the church, to wage “the battle of the pew”, that is, to resist drowsiness; to eat food cooked without olive oil; to listen to its music and it's silence; to chat with its people; to learn its history; to live according to its pace. And when one has done all this, one still may not have understood what it is that makes Mount Athos such a very special place in the world.

Mount Athos is a place of great natural beauty, with a biodiversity which is unique to the Mediterranean basin. Thick, leafy woods where the chestnut tree prevails, but also semi-desert landscapes from the loose stone-covered hillside of Saint Nile as far as Karoulia; steep rocky coasts but also gentle seashores, plenty of water (springs, waterfalls and small rivers) but also barreness; a rare flora and a rich fauna.(From the preface of the book)Pages: 128Dimensions: 24 χ 31 cm.

From Mount Athos. Ships from Greece within 5 business days, with US duties and taxes prepaid.