CALIFORNIAN POPPY

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme,
and also part of the Today's Flowers meme.

ST NECTARIOS CHURCH, GREECE

One of the most visited sites on the Greek island of Aegina is the church of Agios Nektarios (Saint Nectarios) adjacent to the monastery of Agia Triada (The Holy Trinity).

Agios Nektarios of Aegina (1846-1920), is one of the most widely known Greek Orthodox Saints. He was officially recognised as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1961. Each month, thousands of people visit the tomb of Agios Nektarios, to pray to him, or ask for his blessings, which always seem to be answered. His Feast Day is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on 9th November. There are services in the church and there is a special procession in the morning, where the remains of Agios Nektarios are carried through the streets of Aegina Town. The translation of his relics is on the 3rd of September.

You can visit the immense church, which is one of the largest in the Balkans daily and entry is free. The church is still not finished, with work continuing. The mausoleum of Agios Nektarios is inside the church. After you visit the church you can climb the stairs to the monastery of the Holy Trinity. 14 Nuns are living in the monastery. Recently, the monastery has been expanded with the addition of a large guesthouse. The hill on which the monastery is built is named Xantos, from the word "xagnadema" (look out point), inviting you to survey the surrounding landscape.

This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Spiritual Sundays meme,
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AEGINA ISLAND, GREECE

The island of Aegina is one of the most popular tourist destinations as it is the closest island to Athens (only 16.5 nautical miles from the port of Piraeus). From 11/1/1827 until 3/10/1829 Aegina town was the temporary capital of the newly-founded Greek state. It was during that period when Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias had impressive neoclassical mansions built to house his headquarters that today are important tourist attractions.

Even though the island small, it boasts a great number of sights and natural beauties, and one of the highlights is the famous ancient Greek Aphaea Temple. Aegina town, the capital of the island, stands out for its well-preserved buildings. On the outskirts you can find charming little villages with distinctive traditional character, such as Kypseli, Agii and Vagia as well as organized tourist resorts like Agia Marina, Perdika, and Souvala.

Aègina is also surrounded by many smaller islands (Moni, Metopi, Diaportia, Lagouses, Kyra, Dorousa, Spalathonisi, Anonyma) that can be reached by boat from the port of Aegina.

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

AEGINA ISLAND, GREECE

Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, 27 km from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of Aeacus, who was born on and ruled the island. During ancient times, Aegina was a rival to Athens, the great sea power of the era. The capital is the town of Aegina (population ≈8,000), situated at the northwestern end of the island. Due to its proximity to Athens, it is a popular quick getaway during the summer months, with quite a few Athenians owning second houses on the island.

An extinct volcano constitutes two thirds of the roughly triangular island of Aegina. The northern and western side consist of stony but fertile plains, which are well cultivated and produce luxuriant crops of grain, with some cotton, vines, almonds, olives and figs, but the most characteristic crop of Aegina today (2000s) is the pistachio nut. Economically, the sponge fisheries are of notable importance. The southern volcanic part of the island is rugged and mountainous, and largely barren.

The beaches are also a popular tourist attraction. Hydrofoil ferries from Piraeus take only forty minutes to reach Aegina; the regular ferry takes about an hour, with ticket prices for adults within the 4-15 euro range. There are regular bus services from Aegina town to destinations throughout the island such as Agia Marina. Portes is a fishing village on the east coast.

This post is part of the Watery Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme.