Icons and Monasteries

        This morning we learned how icons are made. There are still those who make them in traditional way.

        Our travels took us to Meteora where we visited a monastery. The land used to be filled with water, but due to an earthquake the water drained out of the canyon, leaving massive rock formations. This impressive landscape is the perfect reclusive and beautiful place to go for a life devoted to prayer and study. Or in our case, be be tourists and walk through a monastery and learn about the monastic movement and way of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greek Orthodox Church

        There were so many great things about today, but I'll only name two. Our learning centered around the official and predominant religion in Greece, Greek Orthodoxy.

        This morning we visited the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrius. My favorite parts were the sights and sounds, both which were incredibly beautiful.

        Afterward we visited the Rotunda of Galarius, constructed around 300 AD. An interesting fact is that the Rotunda had been used as a place of worship by Muslims, Jews and Christians. What a cool history! These structures are impressive and beautiful; pictures simply cannot capture their grandeur.