The boat ride from the main land to the veesaki (little island) of Amouliani took only about 20 or 30 minutes. It is located between the second and third fingers of the Halkidiki peninsula, and has a wonderful view of Mt Athos.
It also has some beautiful beaches – and little else. But what else do you need? The water is crystal clear. I have heard many people say that the beaches of Halkidiki are the finest in the world, and I have no reason to dispute that.
We arrived on the island around 12:30, and Fr Alexei told us we had free time to wander around until 5. Pelagia and I went first to a little restaurant on the water and had something to eat. In the top photo, you see Pelagia looking over the side from our table down into the water, where thousands of little fish swirled around. Diners would frequently throw a piece of bread into the water, which the fish would swarm.
The second photo is of the restaurant as we walked away – what a lovely location!
After lunch, we walked about a mile or two across the island to what we were told was the best beach. We weren’t disappointed! The third photo is of Pelagia entering the beach from the path we followed, and the last photo is of her taking a nap. What a great way to spend the afternoon!
Later, when we met back up with the group, Fr Gregory (the priest-monk) admitted to us that he even went for a swim, albeit in a secluded place where no one else was. The weather here has really peaked in the last few days – yesterday it was over 100! – so the water felt great.
Again, for more photos, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment