Our Lady of the Shelters
The November air is heavy with resin as we drive over the twisting roads. Passing through the small village of Steno (Στενό), I urge my friend to stop so I can drink from a spring that pours from the bark of an ancient plane tree.
Water flowing from an ancient Plane Tree in Steno, Corinthia, Greece
The water is still cool on my lips as we arrive at the church of Our Lady of the Shelters (Παναγία των Καταφυγιών), a series of shelters and chapels carved into the cliff face below the road.
Our Lady of the Shelters, Corinthia, Greece
Descending the paved pathway, the view of the valley is staggering. The shelters were constructed here to serve as a secret chapel, school, and stronghold during the Ottoman occupation.
Our Lady of the Shelters, Corinthia, Greece
Ducking through narrow entrances and walking along creaking floorboards, it is possible to explore the suspended rooms, where fresh water comes from a spring in the rock and the trunk of a tree reminds me that the rock face was once exposed to the air.
Our Lady of the Shelters, Corinthia, Greece
A Tree Trunk Growing Inside Our Lady of the Shelters, Corinthia, Greece
The Narrow, Rock Entrance to Our Lady of the Shelters, Corinthia, Greece
Continuing the hike downward, I look up at the shelters from below. I imagine making the precarious descent from the top of the mountain three hundred years ago, unaided by metal railing or concrete steps.
Our Lady of the Shelters, Corinthia, Greece
Breathless from the climb, I return to the top for a final view of the surrounding mountains.
The view of the mountains from Our Lady of the Shelters, Corinthia, Greece