Sailing from Santorini, each one of us was full of pictures, colors, and memories from the spectacular volcanic island. The next morning we woke up to a completely unknown island—Amorgos. We were ready to explore. The first group started earlier with our guide Gemma because they were determined to walk up the 300 steps which lead to a monastery built on a very steep cliff, the monastery of Virgin Mary Chozoviotissa as it is known. It was built in the 11th-century during the Byzantine period. The construction itself is not wider than 15 feet, and very narrow staircases lead you to the seven different levels of the monastery. Apart from visiting the tiny church, the monks treated everybody a local special liqueur, the rakomelo—or raki with honey. The views of the Aegean Sea from up there are breathtaking. You find yourself at a height of 600 feet above water with nothing but steep rocks below you. After this visit, we continued to the main town, or “Chora.”
The second group with me, Elli, went to monastery, but without the intension to go up the 300 steps. We stopped to the parking area from where we could enjoy the wonderful views of the wild setting. To see a monastery “hanging” from the steep rocks was unexpected. How could they ever build such a church there? The unlimited blue of the seas and the sky together with the gray rocks and the green vegetation gave our cameras great opportunities. We heard some historical explanations about the island and the monastery, and then we continued to the Chora.
We started our walk slowly and Elli was explaining about the architecture and the Venetian influence that could be seen in a number of architectural elements. The narrow streets, the flowers, the cats, the little cafes, the small shops, the many little churches, comprised a photographic paradise. We had plenty of time to explore it all, to do some “souvenir” shopping, and to try a frappe cold coffee before driving back to the port. The port itself was a picturesque place, too. We wandered around before taking the tender back to the Sea Cloud where a wonderful buffet lunch was waiting for us. Amorgos was an unexpected surprise. Authentic, unspoiled beauty.
