Crete - Arkadi Monastery

 The Monastery wasn't far from Eleutherna, down in a fertile valley in the foothills.

It was a bit of a surprise to come through this landscape to a colourful childrens playground and taverna on one side of a parking lot

and the imposing Monastery on the other. Plenty of room for bus tours but just a few cars when we got there.

There was an admission charge

overseen by a cat.

The architecture inside was a surprising mix.

The centre of the courtyard dominated by the elaborately decorated church, described on Wikipedia as Gothic, Roman and Baroque.

Aside from a couple of large trees there is also this dead one. The arrow points to a bullet lodged in the bark from the Ottoman attack during the Greek resistance, when the Monastery was held siege.

There were areas not open to the public

and all the cell doors were closed.

We could wander around some of the rooms

and all around

outside.

A lot of the surrounding walls and rooms reminded me more of Mexican, South Western U.S.  architecture.

Plenty of cats.

A lovely micro-climate

for roses.

One room housed an art gallery

and another housed examples

of the gold and silver work

produced by the monks.

Up over the entrance way to get this shot

and I spied Rick giving some kitty love.

Across the parking lot was a memorial to the soldiers, monks and civilians who died when they blew up the ammunition, in the room where they were hiding, rather than letting the Ottomans capture it, and them.

and up those steps,

gruesomely, a cabinet displaying their skulls and bones.

A gift to Chris, as we drove home

a flock of goats

crossed the road.

And a few of Ricks

goats too.