June 13

Athens is a unique city. The historical ruins scattered around the city do not undermine its contemporary energy. Its liveliness reminds me of Istanbul. This photo was taken at the Acropolis. Even though I don’t enjoy walking under the scorching sun, I think this hike was worth it. The Acropolis Museum is an impressive building, but the fact that the Parthenon marbles are not here is very sad. I really enjoyed the video about the Parthenon’s journey throughout history; I think it reflects the city’s multicultural side.

June 14

We visited a couple of churches in Athens today, but my favorite was the Little Metropolis. The Little Metropolis was built on top of the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to a goddess. The ancient marbles were incorporated into the church as building materials and I thought that was very interesting. If I’m not mistaken, the recycling of the marbles from different eras was a partly conscious choice. That is a way of owning and taking pride in the ancient history of the city. History is always full of layers and it is impossible to erase the people that came before us. We get richer as we build new things on top of the previous ones. June 15 We took the bus to Thessaloniki. We will rent two cars to go to Serres.

June 16

Today was our first day in the monastery. We stopped on a hill before our arrival, and I took this photo of the monastery. Upon our arrival, Nikos gave us a short tour of the monastery. It is an amazing place. The monastery is more beautiful than I could ever imagine, and the nuns are very hospitable. They are focused on their tasks, but they managed to prepare an unbelievable lunch for us. I am not sure if they are waiting for us to approach them or if they are just very busy. In any case, being here has a very calming effect on me.

June 17

Everything in the monastery mirrors the nature that surrounds it. I took this photo because I really liked how the blue flower pattern reflects the clouds and the blue sky. I admire the beauty and precision the nuns created in the monastery. One can see that in every detail; from the colorful flowers to the tasty food. I wonder if this beauty is special to this monastery. Does the fact that its inhabitants are women contribute to this place’s elegance?

June 18

We had long conversations with the nuns. They are very open-minded and knowledgeable; we discussed subjects such as history and politics. Macrina mentioned how it took time to adapt herself to the monastery when she first arrived at age 26. I think it is a matter of training oneself in order to find inner peace. Routine is a big part of this process of self-training. Becoming a monastic is not choosing an “easy” or a “difficult” way of living. The monastery is home to her, just as we all have our own monasteries, where we feel safe and peaceful.

June 19

We were in Kavala today. What a beautiful city! We went to the beach and walked around the city in the afternoon. One thing I realized is that this trip would not have been this good if Nikos and Xenophon had not been with us; they know a lot and they are very nice people! We had a great dinner and went back to Serres; I love Greek food!

June 20

Today was our last day in the monastery and I was very emotional. I did not want to leave this peaceful place. We watched a video made by the nuns about the monastery’s journey; how it was rebuilt years after it was abandoned. I took this photograph showing the effects of the fire on the monastery. The nuns’ touch is very visible on the left side of the photograph.

June 22

Today is the last day of our seminar. I think something I will definitely miss is the people. It turned out to be a very interesting group of people, and I learned something from every one of them. We had many entertaining road trips and dinner conversations and we formed friendships. Another thing I will miss is the monastery and the nuns. But I am almost certain that I will visit the monastery again in the future. This group of people will not get together again in the same way, but I am guessing the monastery will remain relatively unchanged. At least that is what I would like to believe. Or maybe I can put it this way: the monastery will change and there will be a new group of Princeton students, but the meeting of the two worlds will repeat itself every year. I find something very comforting and inspiring in that idea.