We have just made our way to Mount Athos, a holy island containing 20 working monasteries and other small dependencies.
It is holy because it was said that Virgin Mary had visited the island and blessed it, and since then females are not allowed on the island as they only have space for 1 woman. It was so strict that in YR1060, a ban was made that prohibited female living creatures, including female domesticated animals (!!!), beardless men and eunuchs (haha….) from entering the island.
This ban has since been relaxed, allowing some hens for their eggs, though women are still not allowed, and only a selective number of men are allowed to enter each time.
So all we could do is sail around the island on “Gaia” and admire the monasteries from a distance.
I have to say, there were some really nice ones that we saw. Example Moni Aghi. Panteleimonos, a rather grand russian styled one, which resided over 1,000 priests at one time.
And Moni Simonos Petra, which is perched on a cliff and is supposedly one of the most photographed monastery (according to Lonely Planet!).
Since there is no other land nearby, we were joking and wondered what would happen if a boat capsizes nearby, with a mix of men and women as passengers. Would the priests say “You are not allowed on land because you are a woman!”
That would be really sad!
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