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ECOCLUB® |
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ISSN 1108-8931 |
International Ecotourism Monthly |
Year 4, Issue 46, Mar. 2003 |
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Eco Photo
The 836-year old Byzantine Monastery of St. John Prodromos, in the serene Lousios Gorge, in central Peloponnese, Greece. The Monastery has been in almost constant operation for over 9 centuries, and is now inhabited by a dozen hospitable monks who will proudly show you beautiful 16th century frescoes and may also offer you olives in lemon from the monasteries grove. You may wish to offer them something too, although they seem to have found everything they need. Throughout history, the monastery has been a refuge for the inhabitants of surrounding villages in times of raids or wars (the monastery's iron door is pierced with bullets), nowadays it is occasionally a refuge for people wishing to meditate or rehabilitate. The serene Lousios River Gorge was most probably a sacred place since ancient times and the Monastery was built in 1167, perched against the massive rocks, on the site of old hermitages. The name "Lousios" (= bathed, washed) is Ancient Greek and it is was given as the inhabitants of nearby Gortys, an ancient city whose ruins you may also visit, thought Zeus was given a bath ("loutro") by the Nymphs in this river (lucky Zeus...) There are paths that allow the visitor to walk along Lousios upstream or downstream. In recent years rafting, on an organised tour, is another possibility. |
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