Happy 47th Anniversary in Greece!

To celebrate our anniversary, we went to the Davelis cave.  It is a cave in Penteli, a mountain to the north of Athens.  It is an ancient cave in a former marble quarry that was used to build the Parthenon.  It was used as a hideout for thieves, a place for monks and others.  It was built during the Byzantine age directly into the front of the cave. 

 

We walked around and found many places that were quarried for the marble.  We saw a group learning how to rock climb.  We could see the rings ( carabiners) that had been pounded into the marble cliff for rock climbers. 

From there I explored a house made out of rocks that had fallen into disrepair.  It had a rock fireplace and several rooms.  The view of Athens was amazing. 

We then drove to the Holy Monastery of Saint Penteli.  It was a beautiful monastery that had no information written in English and all the doors to the different buildings once you entered the gates were closed.  We did see a priest walking down from the mountain and taking time to visit the sheep that were wandering in the orchard.  

Founded in 1578 by bishop Evripos Timotheos, a local saint of Attica, the all-male Penteli Monastery was built amid the lush greenery at the foot of Mount Penteli.

Devoted to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the monastery was constructed with financial support from the Degleris family. The number of monks residing at the monastery rose to more than 100 after many who previously lived solitary lives in nearby caves relocated here.

Under Ottoman occupation, the monastery owned large tracts of land in the Penteli area and throughout Attica. Due to its longstanding relationship with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the monastery was granted many privileges by the Ottomans.

With high walls and heavy wooden gates, the monastery’s exterior resembles a castle, while the interior buildings incorporate architectural elements from ancient churches.

From 1778 to 1780, the monastery served as a shelter for residents of Athens fleeing a plague that was ravaging the city. It continued to operate without incident until it was once again pillaged in 1821 by retreating Turkish forces during the Greek War of Independence. The monastery was again renovated and enlarged in 1858. It has remained relatively untouched since.  It was very large and beautiful.

To finish off the day, we went to a restaurant in our neighborhood that we walk past all the time.  It didn’t seem very busy but as we sat there, I could see the delivery motorbikes coming and going and people walking in and getting their phone orders.  We didn’t know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised.  We really like our neighborhood.  We have gone to the barber, the dry cleaners, the shoe repair, the mini market, the street market, several bakeries…there are so many bakeries and grocery stores.  They are all within walking distance by our apartment. 

Grilled Meat platter 

This is a very long entry.  It is very much like a travelogue.  I think one of the thoughts that came to me was how diverse Athens is and that within 30 min. you can go either to the sea or to the mountains and find many places to explore.  We look at each other from time to time and wonder why we were sent to Greece.  There is no answer now but we are grateful to be sent to a place where we can pray for the blessings of heaven to poured out on these people.  They are animated, generous, and big hearted.  What's not to love about that?  We were able to meet with our young missionaries and put together hygiene kits for the homeless with Praksis.  I don't think they were expecting so many of us but they were very grateful for the way we just got it done.  

Sleeping bags, bottled water, wipes, toothpaste and brush, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, and toilet paper. This Sunday I will be teaching Relief Society on President Nelson's talk: Peacemakers Needed. It is my favorite talk of Conference.  He said: “As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others — especially when we have differences of opinion,” he said. “One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people.”