Mount Athos Sun in December

[topum]

This was one of my favourite spots there.

Comments

[found-world.livejournal.com]

Nice photo.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Pretty :)

[topum.livejournal.com]

Thanks man.

[topum.livejournal.com]

Oh it was. I am going back there end of October.
Women are strictly not allowed and can only see the place from a boat tour around the peninsular. It is a strange and fascinating place.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Why aren't women allowed? 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

It is a monastic state, only monks live there.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Ah I see.  The mountains, good place for a monastery.  

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of monasteries there. Nothing else is allowed. Many hermits simply live in caves.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Yes. Caves seems to be the place to find Hermits and bats.

I suppose men do need time away from the women.

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

A lifetime away from women for these guys.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

They don't even hang out with the nuns occasionally?  

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

No, there are no nuns there, no women at all.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

How can they possibly survive without a few women around to keep things organised? 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, they do everything themselves. And have been for the last thousand years I think. Women are not allowed to step on the ground. The place is very difficult to get into. Even EU citizens (and even the Greeks themselves) still need a "visa" which one has to apply for well in advance. They run themselves and issue their own "visas". Greece insisted on a special exception from freedom of movement for them when they joined the EU. They are so extreme that even female animals are not allowed (they are vegetarian plus fish there) except cats. It really is a very strange and unique place.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Yes very strange.  A totally 100% male society. 

I never would have dreamed such a thing would exist. 

It looks hard to access yes (I googled it)  The place looks almost as if it were carved out of the mountain. 

It's like the Knight's watch in Game of Thrones.  Good show.  Alot of deaths though.  George RR Martin likes to kill off his main characters and upset his readers/viewers. 

Athena