Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Dave went mountain climbing.    Now that's a sentence I'll bet none of you thought you'd ever read!  That's right Thunder Kittens, I done climbed a mountain I did!  

Dave: The Intrepid Hiker of Mountains

Dave being egged on by Nick "Mountain Goat" Tsakiris.....Ariel Photo by Nicholas

So not only have I fought VICIOUS BEASTIES in my underdrawers (see previous post: What's In Dave's Pants) but that same day Nicholas succeeded in dragging me up the side of a mountain to the beautiful monastery of  Vaidenitsa way up near the source of a waterfall of sweet clean snow-melt from Mt. Tayetos.

Photo by Nicholas

 The name Vaidenitsa is derived from the Slavic Vodonitsa: voda meaning water, 'nitsa being a common Slavic word ending meaning place and, get this, there is even a rumor about the place being haunted by "the Ghostly Goat of Vodonitisa"!  We didn't see the Ghostly Goat himself but we did encounter, along the path,  much evidence of his presence....if ya know what I mean.  We walked around it.

All along the path there were beautiful flowers which I'm hoping Philip the Horticulturist among you can "comment" on for us all to see...Philip?  

 Nicholas photo

 Nicholas photo

                                                                     Nicholas photo

 

Nicholas photo

Nicholas photo

  The monastery was built around the beginning of the 17th century but all around it are incredible hand-built stone buildings and terraces that seem medieval.

 Nicholas posing for size comparison...The ancients must've been shrimps! ...Actually, they made the smallest openings they could to keep out the cold...ya see, ya learn something here at Dave's blog.

 

 Nicholas photo...just here 'cause I like it

And finally, here is another Pyrgos or tower that we encountered along the road to the beginning of the trail.  There are many Vampire legends in these parts as well, by the way, and this is where they live(d?) no doubt.