Visible only from the sea, the monastery is an example of human triumph over nature, a wonder that will leave you awestruck.

According to tradition, the monastery was founded by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in 1088, during the period of Iconoclasm, when the icon of Panayia was sent by a woman from Hozovo from Palestine and miraculously made its way to Amorgós. According to another version, the Monastery was founded in the 9th century by monks from Palestine and was later renovated by the emperor Alexios I Komnenos.

The monastery has eight floors connected by narrow stone staircases carved into the rock. 350 steps lead you to the monastery, the interior of which is like a labyrinth. The cells of the monks are all carved into the rock to form a unique example of traditional architecture. Two icons of the Virgin Mary and other religious relics from the period of Alexios Komninos have been found at the monastery. Important heirlooms such as a manuscript, gospels, vestments and ecclesiastical utensils dating from the 10th to the 19th century are also on display.


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It’s been a few weeks since children started school again. By now most of them have re-adjusted and are back to “normal”, even though they continue taking the necessary measures for the pandemic.

A working mum myself, I was looking forward to this long-awaited day. When it finally came I started thinking, planning, making scenarios about how to use all this “free” time that I now had in my hands. How to make the best of it for me and me alone. Of course, I had lots of ideas: “I’ll devote more time to my business; I’ll take a bit longer enjoying my coffee in the morning; perhaps I’ll even read this book I’ve started a while back; maybe I can do coffee with my friends; I could even go shopping; I could visit my parents more often; I could look into all the pending jobs, all the “shoulds”, waiting to be finished”. The list was endless.

There’s one thing I didn’t take into consideration though. And that was how tired I’ve been throughout this quarantine – both physically and mentally. I realized how much my “self-time” had been squeezed in order to keep the balance, to “keep calm and going” and how much in need of personal time I was.

I’m sure you do understand. I’m also sure that somewhere in your mind you’re thinking thoughts like: “But I have so many things to do and now that kids are at school I can use this time to…work more on my business; to organize the house; to do all the things I keep on postponing….” Feel free to fill in the blank as you see fit.

I can relate to your thoughts. But feeling that you now have all the time in the world to do what you couldn’t do before while being so tired wouldn’t take you anywhere. Unless we pay attention to our needs, unless we pamper ourselves first, we’ll keep on being tired, even exhausted at times. And this is a one-way ticket. The one that leads to frustration, miscommunication, and more stress. It’s like a vicious cycle. You cannot take care of others unless you take care of yourself first. It’s exactly what the flight attendant tells you about putting on your safety belt first before you put on your child’s.

So, let’s take an honest look at ourselves, at our own personal needs. Let’s evaluate our current situation. Let’s give ourselves the gift of self-time. You may go for a walk, read a book, take a nap, paint, cross-stitch, listen to your favorite music, dance, work out, meditate, take a bath…whatever works for you. Self-time is a treasure for life.

Originally Published on: itsmylife.gr
Written by Nadia Georgiou