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Although I wore a long sleeved crew neck t-shirt kerchief, and long pants, that wasn't enough. A volunteer dressed me in long skirt, big shirt, socks and head scarf. |
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All the art work was brough from Greece and it is exquisite. |
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There are 7 chapels now and each is unique. |
"In the summer of 1995, Elder Ephraim (a former abbot of Philotheou Monastery on Mount Athos with a history of restoring and repopulating previous monasteries) sent six monks of Athonite heritage to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona with aims to establish a new monastery in the name of Saint Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism.[citation needed] The fathers began by building the main church, monastic living quarters, the dining hall, and some guest facilities. They also began a vegetable garden, a small vineyard, citrus orchards, and an olive grove amidst the desert landscape. These areas are now interconnected by an elaborate system of gardens, pathways, and gazebos with Spanish fountains.[3]" (wikipedia)
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There were a number of beautiful fountains. |
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The wooden roof and carvings throughout the St. George's Chapel were gorgeous. |
We visited the Monastery while staying at the Foothills West RV Park in Casa Grande. We planned to spend 2 nights and then drive north to the South Side of the Grand Canyon for 4 nights. But after checking the weather, we moved the reservations to the following week and got 2 more nights at Foothills. Below freezing conditions and snow made that decision easy. That still left 2 nights which we reserved up in Sedona. But a day later the weather there promised cold rain and the RV park there had no Wi-Fi or cell! We hope to go there after the Grand Canyon. So again, we went hat in hand to Foothills and got two more nights. This is a lovely place with a heated pool and a hot tub. And the weather was almost perfect all week - sunny skies with a high in the 69 - 73. My next post will cover our visits north to the Musical Instrument Museum and San Tan Regional Park.
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This was the last chapel to be built. It's just outside the main complex and visable for miles around. |
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A detail of two of the hundreds of icons. |
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Every medium was used to decorate the buildings and grounds |
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The brick and stone work throughout the complex was amazing. |
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St Demetrios Chapel |
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Many of the chapels are mainly lit by candles but this beautiful chandelier was electric. |
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You need to be a recommended Greek Orthodox member to stay in here but it seemed quite popular. We saw a lot of guests going into the dining room at lunch. |
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A tiny food truck in the parking lot run by a Greek family provided an excellent lunch- Spinach Feta Pie! |
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