St. Panteleimon's

There is one fishing boat on the blue sea.

A small breeze comes in the curtains of the guest house window. The other pilgrims are asleep since early afternoon.

Gentle waves on the rocky shore insist that the secret of unceasing prayer is here.

Coming down offshore on the boat, the pilgrim is introduced to the beauty of the Athonite peninsula. He passes a few ruined stone structures. Then, how fittingly picturesque is the boat dock for Zographou – named for “the painter” because of the miraculously painted icon which determined its dedication. A portion of ruined wall towers over the dock and boat-house. This and the little church are the village outpost for the walled medieval city out of sight in a high ravine. The dock is in a cove flanked by natural rock slabs with water caves. This and the forested ridge above are like a landscape painter’s dream.

This is only the beginning of splendid sightings of medieval walled monasteries. It is the Feast of Peter and Paul, and the bell tower of Docheriou sings out with complex antiphonal explosions over the water. Xenophon is even larger with its watchtower and beautiful red church domes and high stone walls with wooden bump-outs high up, supported on angular beams and plastered green and red and blue.

Then one comes around the point and within sight of the immense spreading structure of St. Panteleimon’s.

Mt. Athos is an independent Greek republic existing since the Byzantine era; but tonight we will feast upon a vigil of Russian church chant.

My first sunset on the Holy Mountain left the sky the color of a great candle. A half-moon was hung over the sea. I was standing under the huge bell-tower when the largest of its bells was struck.

The largest bell on the Holy Mountain. The one they can hear in Ouronopolis.
It hurt.

The All-Night Vigil promised to live up to its name. Having slept only a few hours the night before, I did not make it even through the two-and-a-half-hour Vespers. And though I had been disappointed with the predominance of Obikhod chant, it was sung so well and prayerfully as to be impressive.

Christopher