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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 29, 2011 02:00 PM Republic of the Monks - day one
(posted four days later)
It was still dark at the Ouranopolis jetty when I was looking there for somebody with my travel permit to Mt Athos. They are not well organized... Finally I found a gentelman in the car speaking with the people through the window. We (all men) were staying in the long line. He checked my passport, asked for 30 euro fee and gave me this valuable paper...
I embarked little ferry "Agia Anna" they charged from me 9,80 euro for the trip to Agia Anna jetty and we departed soon. Everybody was waiting for the sunrise to see the scenery. After an hour I saw the first monastery on the coast. Few people including the monks in black disembarked and we sailed onward. Second monastery, the third. Some of the like castles on the coast. The main port is Dafni - all suppy for the republic goes this way. But I sailed further, knowing from the literature that the most picturesque landscapes and monasteries I can see after Dafni. It was true...
Disembarking at little Santa Anna jetty I was surprised. -Where is skete (sub-monastery) Agia Anna I am booked for the night? They showed me a little chapel up on the hill some 250 m above the sea level. Uff... It was sweaty walk up and up. But at the little monastery courtyard friendly monk treated me on traditional way: I got a glass of spring water, glass of ouzo (local alcohol), lukumi cake and a little cup of the strong coffee! I got my bed in the 6-bed dormitory and in the afternoon I took a walk to the monastery of St Paul. Back in Agia Anna we attended the service in the church and then we got a simple meal. What a view from this eagle's nest!
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Sep 28, 2011 02:00 PM Sorry... For men only!
There are 20 monasteries and 12 sketes (submonasteries) on Mount Athos peninsula. The monk's republic separated from the world exists already more then thousand years...
From the beginning women are not allowed to enter their terittory.
Men have to apply for the permit - your chances will be better if you will do it 6 months in advance.
If you are lucky (10 permists per day only for the foreigners) leave home your vidoo camera and your shorts (strictly prohibited) and report the day before your term in their office in Ouranoupolis.
I feel like a chosen one... You can enter the republic on the speedboat (the decks are closed - not for me!) or by ferry. Big ferry is broken, but there is also a little one "Agia Anna" departing tomorrow before sunrise. This is my choice! I know that there is no electricity in some monasteries so I do not expect internet to be available. Do not panic, if I will not write during next 4 days. New adventure starts tomorrow!
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Sep 27, 2011 02:00 PM Closer to Mt Athos
Few buses per day depart from Chalkidiki Bus Station to Ouranopolis. You will save few euro buying round-trip ticket for 22 euro.
Just at the door of my Atlantis Hotel I have a bus stop for the bus 45A going directly to this station... "Entering the bus do not forget to validate your ticket"- that's all in English you can hear aboard. But your stop is the last stop so do not worry...
The long distance bus is departing at 8.30. It is off-season time -there were only 5 of us - the passengers aboard.
It took us 2,5 hours via the side roads and small villages spread out in the green mountains to come to Ouranopolis - little village on the coast. Ouranopolis is practically the only gateway to the Republic of the Monks on Mt Athos. The village is sleepy. I found the room in the Cosy Makedonia Hotel.
Now I am going tho check my permit for the republic. I noticed on arrival that the ferry going daily to Daphni at 9.45 is broken. I hope to find the other solution... The sun is strong and I see the bue sea from my balcony...
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Sep 26, 2011 02:00 PM Thessaloniki
The big town of Thessaloniki is the jumping point for the trips to Mt Athos. I found out that Malev - Hungarian airlines offer the best prices for the flights from Poland to Thessaloniki.
But is was not so convenient - after connection in Budapest I landed in Thessaloniki airport in the middle of the night.
Fortunately in the departure hall there is enough place on the chairs to lay down and wait until the morning. Nobody will bother you...
In the morning I took the city bus 78 to get to the central Egnatia Street (ticket in the kiosk cost 0,80 euro). Atlantis Hotel at Egnatia 14 offers here cheap rooms (25 euro with shared bath), but I was forced to wait till the check-in time...
Street names are both in Greek and latin alphabet... Few people speak English on the street - this is my first imperession. I remember Saloniki from 70-ties. The White Tower and the waterfront. Weather is sunny and warm - like during the summer in Poland. So it is the time to take a pleasant walk around the city... Greetings from sunny Greece!
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Sep 25, 2011 02:00 PM On the trail again!
Have you heard about the Republic of the Monks? There is something like this - a dependent territory of Greece. But it is governed by their own laws. They do not tolerate the presence of women and require men to apply for a special entry permit several months in advance. With the help of outstanding Greek globetrotter Harry Mitsidis I was able to obtain such a permit and I'm going backpacking to Mt Athos. I plan to wander from monastery to monastery for few days. I hope that my fitness and the weather will be good enough to meet this challenge...
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Sep 20, 2011 02:00 PM Flying Air Baltic...
It was raining heavily in Saint Petersburg in the morning when I left SPB hostel. This hostel is nothing special but it has very convenient location: subway station is just around the corner and the starting stop of K-213 matshrutka (minibus) going to the Pulkovo airport is located just on the opposite side of the street.
I took marshrutka. It costs 30 roubles, they did not charge me for the backpack (normally - 20 roubles extra for big packs).
Allow one hour to get to the terminal - for the international flights it will be Pulkovo 2. Check in is very slow, but they close flights only 40 min before departure.
Waiting rooms are crampy but security did not care about the water in my cabin luggage.
Air Baltic - Latvian carrier has low prices, but they charge extra 20 euro for each piece of checked luggage. Cabin allowance is 8 kg...
On board you are gettin nothing for free: a cup of tea or mineral water will cost you 2,50 euro - so bring your sanwiches with you (I did! :) )
I had two hours for the connection in Riga and my next flight to Gdansk was on time. Great views of the Baltic coast on the route!
Welcome home! One more interesting voyage is over...
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Sep 19, 2011 02:00 PM Sankt Petersburg after the season
I have been twice already in this legendary town (first time in Soviet Union) but is is worth a day to wonder again around the channels, churches and palaces. St Peter is compact, so there is no need to use the subway or buses.
For the first time I went to the other side of Neva River to see the famous battleship "Aurora". It is still there, open to the public in the middle of the day and the entry is free!
To climb up to the cupola of St Isaac Church you have to pay 150 roubles. Museum will cost you 250... They pay at the moment around 30 roubles fer US dollar...
St Peter center today was almost empty. I met very few tourists. And I liked it. It is better to enjoy this atmospheric city out of the crowd...
The only public computer in the hostel seems to be broken forever, but they were so nice and allowed me to use the other one at the reception. Thank you Sasha!
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Sep 18, 2011 02:00 PM North Russia: train goes every second day!
In Sortavala, close to the border of Finland I stay in Ladoga Hotel. They offered me a bed in the huge 6-bed room for 400 roubles - not bad...
Now, how to get from Sortavala to St Petersburg? There is a single railway track and they have a train going north on even days and south on uneven days...
I tried to buy the tickets in advance but I found the station closed with a written info that it will be open only 1 hour before train departure. OK.
It takes more then 6 hours to St Petersburg, but since it was day-time service (dep. 7.20 am) I decided to buy "platskartny" class for 406 roubles. What is "platskartny"? Do you remember the hard sleepers in China? - that's similar class.
They also serve free boiling water for your tea or soup at the end of the car...
In St Petersburg the hostel business is gwowing - now there is a choice of 20 hostels or so... Wow! I went by subway to SPB (Why not KGB? :) ) Hostel at Moskovsky Prospekt... 750 roubles per bed in the triple room, clean sheets and big towel included!
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Sep 17, 2011 02:00 PM Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga
This is holy place for the orthodox pilgrims. I took a boat from the Sotavala jetty at 9 am. The captain do not issue tickets - he just took 1300 roubles for the round trip to the Valaam Island to his pocket. The hydrofoil journey took us almost one hour. Can you imagine beautiful, forested archipelago of 50 rocky islands?
That is Valaam. In the 14th century on the main island the holy monks built the monastery. After being destroyed by Swedes, after fires it is now beautifully restored inside. I climbed little hill to the gate and visited two churches - lower war empty, but in the brilliant upper church there was Sunday service with great singing to hear.
Then I took a walk to the distant sketes (little sub-monasteries) Limited time allowed me to visit only 3 of them... Great day!
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Sep 16, 2011 02:00 PM Bus to Sortavala
Easy day - after nights on the trains and planes I spend first night in the hotel i Petrozavodsk. They sell beds in 4-beds room. And I was there alone like a king for just 660 roubles. The bus took me to Sortavala on Ladoga Lake. Ladoga seems to be he largest lake in Europe.
Sortavala is nicely located i the long, picuresque bay. I met ere lovely people: Svetlana an Vitaly publish ineteresting magzine about their town - between the world wars Sortavala was Finish... Great pople they took me for the walking tour and show the laces of interest. Then w had a tea in their timber house. Thak you dear friends!
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