Holy Hill Hole

Small fishing village.
Small temple.
Big impression.

Stairs to where?

It appears it was renvovated in the last year. Fresh mortar and cement. Proper drainage added recently, chalky white water stain scars a foot from the ground are still visible. Rain must have been a nightmare before the well planned gutter was put in.

Musk oil, cloves, incense and old moisture were thick in the air of this small cave.

The icon portraits glimmered in the faint light. Pencil sized candles burned in a small pit of pebbles.

Quiet and solemn but not welcoming to me. Not when the sun was shining outside this tomblike room.

Aptera. How many crumbly rocks can you look at before you can say you're bored?

Wow. Lots of old broken bricks.
Parts of this place were used as early as 400BC for worship of the empty calf kind and for a cemetary.
Big earthquakes shook people away a few times.

This is St Johns place.
Those windows have new shutters and doors. There's also power hooked up but it's all locked.
Is there treasure? More broken rocks?

Here's the square of St. John.

It was small but cool. I was surprised the doors were normal height. No reason, just surprised.

This is one third of an underground cistern. There's a larger cistern but its missing the roof.

Slimy dark water, dank stench and ancient brick made for creepy awed Bella Lugosi feelings. Very cool. Creature of the Black Cistern cool.

Oh bummer. I can't remember the name or age of the castle peeking through the arch.

This was one wall of the large public bath. The Roman solider's was twice the size.

Oh. By the way. We're up high.

Really high.

And now I broke the law.

This castle is across the island highway.

In 1959 it was turned into a prison and now seems to be a crappy, single manned Greek military station.

We drove up to it and there are signs posted that we're not to photograph anything.

We're cheating. I don't see any signs from here. And just wait until I get my killer lens. I'll get photos of the guy sleeping in the booth at the gate.