Of all the monasteries I visited, Karakalou most resembles my
vision of a medieval fortified manor. Greeting you upon arrival, a tall square defensive tower serves today���s visitor as principal entrance to the monastery, treasury and picturesque folly.
Father Barnaby, an American, described the life of the monastery with great insight. It is clear that Karakalou is a vibrant
witness to faith and to the perseverance of monks who, over
the centuries, have sustained every challenge to their survival.
The same holds true for all of Athos.
Often referred to as ���the garden monastery,��� the precinct immediately adjacent to the monastery resembles the ubiquitous
gardens depicted with great attention to detail in medieval
texts. Rows of fruit trees, vegetable and other plantations are
tended with devotion. There is even a small section set aside
for Native American corn. The abundance of the earth is everywhere.
There, in clear view, and slightly above the gardens, doors open
to a chamber revealing hundreds of skulls and bones from
centuries of monks.
T
he entire Mount Athos experience reminds the visitor to
Greece that although the country is part of a borderless new
Europe and that millions of new citizens of non-Greek ethHYLAND
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