Paradise Lost

We double timed on the hike back to the jetty. Again we are the only people boarding from Thirasia. The deserted isle said good bye the same way it greeted us, with the cold abandonment of winter. On the way back to our hotel, this shadowy gate reminded me of our hasty flight from Paradise.


Photography Elsewhere:

Amazing self portraits from Wired picked by the readers and the editors. Both selections just blew me away.

Santorini Lagoon

Paradise Gate

Anything that seems like paradise never lasts. There's only one ferry back from Thirasia each day and it leaves at 4.00 pm. We have a deadline.

Toilet of the Gods

At the end of our long hike across the island was this marvel: those three doors are the toilets of the monastery.

Blue Infinity

Cape Trypiti Monastery, Thirasia.

We hiked up the hill to the monastery from yesterday's post. It's spotlessly clean, with a kitchen, a well, toilets (ah, the toilets!), cells for at least 8 monks and a big portable generator. It's also completely deserted. I'd guess that no-one lives here permanently anymore and this place is only visited on Sundays or holy days. Perhaps it's not safe to live here anymore. This place is on the edge of a cliff and part of the path up here had crumbled away to the sea far below.

Today it's just us and the wind in this quiet place. I believe that I can almost see forever from here.

Just to the left of this pic is a part of the building which is the most spectacular example of this type of thing I've seen so far. Of all the splendours and marvels of the world, this one made a big impact on me. I don't have a great pic of it, but I'll try and post what I have soon.

Cape Trypiti Monastery

Our destination is in sight now. A monastery on the far end of the island, atop the cliffs of the cape.