divine mount athos

in reference to the easter holy week, 60 minutes aired a fascinating short documentary on the monasteries of mount athos in greece.  the architecture of the place is unbelievable in every sense, including the fact that the monasteries have been there for over 1000 years.  

the journey to get there is treacherous but the waiting list to visit or join is long.  it's the only place on earth that keeps byzantine time where the day begins at sunset and is filled with devout concentration, prayer, and basic chores of sustaining a secluded life.  the monks that live there have come from the four corners of the earth to live in solitude and constant prayer.  

to the everyday outsider it may seem like a melancholy existence, but their total isolation from the chaos of the outside world and dedicated concentration on a spiritual existence renders the place and the monks that live there as anything but melancholy.  plus the views are astounding.

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