Agia Triada on Akrotiri

This morning I had to drive Sweetheart to an office in town and when getting back home, the car engine still running, I asked him if he'd agreed I'd go and see my koumbara on Akrotiri; it's fine, he said; Go!

And so I was off to Akrotiri, some 13 kms further on she lives. I didn't find her at home, neither at the grocery shop nearby. Then I drove on towards this monastery, what I wanted to visit all those months, but Sweetheart is no fav of this place; now I had the opportunity to get there.

The main entrance was closed, but one door opened and a monk came outdoors. I asked if I could visit the monastery and he asked me if I was alone and where from. AH all the way from Holland, and alone... Welcome, get in here and forgive me I will not guide you around; I have lunch here with friends from far away.

How lovely I was granted in, beyond opening hours!
I roamed around, took photographs, talked to the cats and burnt some candles for Manolis, who will be burried tomorrow in Austria. 

When I left again via the steps down and the large diningroom, the monk and his visitors sat at the nicely set table for dinner; they offered me a meat pie (it was lamb meat). That's typical for Crete and Greece; people never let you go without a piece of their foods / drinks. 
~  I learned from the monk that he's with 11 others in this monastery, so I instantly reacted with ' what a lovely biblycal number 12 monks like the 12 aposteles... he'd heard that before :-) 

And after this D-tour on Akrotiri I went back via my koumbara, who was home now and we enjoyed a few happy hours together with her granddaughter and daughter and son-in-law. 

Happy happy Weekend to you Blippers!! And thank you all lots for your reactions, ** &  ♡♡! So welcome and appreciated! And what lovely to "hear"  you all like yester entry of the alley Zambeliou so much! the colors the dark wintry atmosphere ~  precisely what struck me there too

Here some Info from Internet on the Monastery of Agia Triada:
The monastery of Agia Triada (of the Trinity) on the Akrotiri peninsula of western Crete
The monastery of Agia Triada is located on the barren peninsula of Akrotiri, where the wind god Aeolos feels at home. A wonderfully magical place in the middle of a beautiful landscape with olive groves, cypresses and vineyards. Founded by the monk brothers Jeremiah and Lavrentios Tzagarolon from the neighboring monastery of Gouverneto. According to tradition, Brother Jeremiah traveled to the holy monastic republic of Athos to be inspired by the unique architecture there. Unfortunately, the monastery was burned down during the 1821 revolution against the Turkish occupiers. The monks fled. For a few years the monastery was abandoned and the archives of the monastery were lost. After the restoration and reconstruction in 1830, it was inhabited again and since 1892 it has been a training place for clergymen and teachers. From 1930 the monastery developed into the theological school of Crete. The monastery of Agia Triada is the most impressive monastery of the Venetian era because of its architecture and size. The architectural style of classical antiquity with stylistic elements of the Orthodox monastery building, combined with western architectural forms make this monastery so special. It resembles a fortress and forms a large quadrilateral in the middle is the imposing Katholikon and the two small chapels. In the small monastery museum, visitors can admire the few treasures that monks were able to save back then. Icons, manuscripts, old books, official documents and vestments are well presented. Today the monastery of Agia Triada is the largest monastery in Crete, which is also managed. It mainly produces a good organic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soap, and its pomace brandy. The taste of the olive oil is just as unique as the location of the monastery. The excellent olive oil of the monastery of Agia Triada has received several awards. You can order it online from us.