Saturday, November 2, 2013

The Village of Agios Thomas

An abandoned home, perched high on a cliff top, overlooking the valley, below.

A few weeks ago, we visited the village of Agios (Saint) Thomas, 
whose beginnings can be traced back to the 14th century, 

A contemporary building in the village, covered in Chinese Lantern vines.

according to a 1371 document, claiming the settlement
 as a feudal property of Petrus de Medio.

The Byzantine Church of Agios Thomas, in the centre of the village.


The village is home to 40 churches,
 some housing wall paintings from the 12th century.



Today, the village has a population of about 800 inhabitants.






 The locals take pride in the history of their village,
striving to maintain its original, architectural beauty.


With the Aegean Sea and the islet of Dia in the hazy distance,


we made our way to the nearby church of
 Panagia Kardiotissa, at the scenic site of Mouzouras,
a short drive from Agios Thomas. 


The altar of this little church dates back to the 7th century,
and some time after 1912, the church was built
 where ruins of the original once stood.



I always feel very peaceful in this pretty, pastoral setting;
a reason I return often, and in different seasons.


All that fresh autumn air soon alerted our appetites!
Not far from the church, at a restaurant that specializes 
in organic fare, we enjoyed a traditional Cretan lunch,
 al fresco, amid rolling hills and dipping valleys.


 Hope you had fun!
Thanks for visiting and
have a wonderful week!

xo
Poppy

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54 comments:

  1. Kim @ Savvy Southern StyleNovember 2, 2013 at 6:51 PM

    It is all so beautiful, Poppy.

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  2. Things and ThoughtsNovember 2, 2013 at 7:04 PM

    You know how to treat us Poppy! Thaks to you, we visit this enchanting land and we can see so much beauty through your magical camera! Thank you!

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  3. Art and SandNovember 2, 2013 at 7:04 PM

    I love blogland. I have been to both Greece and France this morning.

    Thank you!

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  4. Ruth KellyNovember 2, 2013 at 8:50 PM

    I love visiting your blog. The doors of the village are so unique and wonderful but all your photos are great.

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  5. DewenaNovember 2, 2013 at 9:07 PM

    And some of us think we live in "old" houses? Not hardly. There must be one architectural and cultural treasure after another there in Agios Thomas. I can picture walking there after seeing your special photographs, Poppy, strolling along in a contemplative state of mind and feeling the patience of the ages reach my busy mind. I'm so glad the inhabitants care for these structures.

    Your al fresco lunch must have refreshed you, and the views of the Aegean Sea that I still cannot get over being real and not just a fable.

    Thank you for taking us with you on this visit.

    Dewena

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  6. Jennifer HaysNovember 2, 2013 at 9:13 PM

    Wow, just gorgeous. I absolutely love seeing these old buildings. I can't believe they remain, but this one is in such good condition. It's beautiful with the vines; I love Chinese lanterns and I don't see them very often so this was a treat. Thank you for sharing this fascinating place.

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  7. Brenda PruittNovember 2, 2013 at 9:40 PM

    You have such gorgeous scenery there! I'm jealous.
    Brenda

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  8. KhammanyNovember 2, 2013 at 10:58 PM

    The village is beautiful. I love the Chinese lanterns and the colors everywhere are so gorgeous! I love visiting your part of the world!

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  9. bj November 2, 2013 at 11:27 PM

    How beautiful the scenery there. My sweet little mom always wanted to visit St. Thomas...I only wish I'd had the money to take her there before she passed away. We both would have enjoyed this beautiful spot.
    xo bj

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  10. Betty November 3, 2013 at 1:35 AM

    What a beautiful place. I would love to visit it one day.

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  11. My Little Home and GardenNovember 3, 2013 at 2:19 AM

    I enjoyed the little trip with you, seeing the wonderful shutters and architecture.

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  12. helen tilstonNovember 3, 2013 at 4:06 AM

    Hello Poppy

    This little town is a treasure. I have learned that Agios is Saint - thank you for this lession.
    I can understand why you return often to this place
    Have a great week

    helen xx

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  13. Lucy@heart and hearthNovember 3, 2013 at 5:45 AM

    Thank you for the beautiful trip Poppy.Love the history and gorgeous photos.

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  14. StacyNovember 3, 2013 at 6:40 AM

    I love having a place that is peaceful to me that I can return to often and I am glad you have a place like that in your life as well. It is a beautiful town with a rich history ~ your photos are beautiful!

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  15. Maureen WyattNovember 3, 2013 at 7:41 AM

    I'm trying to imagine looking at frescoes that go back that far in history. Amazing! Also eyeballed that cute sign with the birdhouses and sheaves. I just may copy that. Thanks for the mini vacay.

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  16. Deb @ Frugal Little BungalowNovember 3, 2013 at 2:13 PM

    So many churches! I love all of the colorful door shots :)

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  17. UnknownNovember 3, 2013 at 2:21 PM

    Lovely! I can see why you would return here over and over!. Such wonderful history.
    Thank you for sharing your post at Fresh-Cut Friday!
    ~Liz

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  18. lynneNovember 3, 2013 at 2:37 PM

    I cannot imagine having all of that history around you. To have access to that beauty and history is amazing

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  19. StaceyNovember 3, 2013 at 4:37 PM

    So beautiful! I wish my bougainvillea would grow like that. :)

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  20. Jackie @ travelnwriteNovember 3, 2013 at 6:17 PM

    Kalimera Poppy! What a wonderful start to my Sunday morning!! I have been thinking of you for a couple of reasons: first, the commanders of our cruise ship were all from Greece (and we had time to talk of our love of Greece with them - blog posts are coming) and second we have just booked flights for next spring which will bring us back to Greece and Crete is definitely on the list. . .maybe for Greek Easter if we can work out the schedule. But definitely if we get to Crete, I hope to meet you! Have a great week. Jackie xo

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  21. aspiritofsimplicityNovember 3, 2013 at 7:17 PM

    absolutely beautiful

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  22. 20 North OraNovember 3, 2013 at 8:51 PM

    Poppy - What beautiful photos of lovely buildings and town. I love that you give us some history to go with the pictures. Thanks.

    Judy

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  23. Pamela GordonNovember 3, 2013 at 9:39 PM

    You live in such a beautiful place, Poppy. I love the history of this little town and the beautiful stone buildings with painted shutters. Thanks for sharing your visit with us. Have a nice week ahead. Pam

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  24. ~Lavender Dreamer~November 3, 2013 at 10:01 PM

    I always love to see your photos....such a beautiful place and one I will probably never get to visit. I love those plants...I think they are Chinese lanterns? You had such a beautiful turquoise blue sky for the photos! Enjoy the week ahead!

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  25. ClaudiaNovember 3, 2013 at 10:30 PM

    What a gorgeous village, Poppy. Such history compared to our relatively short history here in the States. Lovely photos. Thank you for taking us along on your journey.

    xo
    Claudia

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  26. JamesNovember 3, 2013 at 11:09 PM

    What an amazing place! Great photos!

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  27. eileeninmdNovember 3, 2013 at 11:36 PM

    Poppy, so many pretty things to see. The churches are lovely and I love all the pretty and colorful doors. The birdhouses and dried flowers make a lovely display! And the chinese lanterns are one of my favorites. Beautiful images, have a happy week!

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  28. VeeNovember 3, 2013 at 11:43 PM

    Love it because it is so beautiful and so very different from anything I see! The door and shutter colors are so pretty and cheery. It was wonderful to see the flowers blooming and the Chinese lanterns. Scrumptious. You can do it all over again any time!

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  29. Judith @ Lavender CottageNovember 4, 2013 at 12:00 AM

    Oh my, look at the history and architecture here. Even the distant view is gorgeous. Are you sure you miss frost and snow Poppy? ;-)
    Judith

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  30. Custom ComfortsNovember 4, 2013 at 1:05 AM

    I can't imagine being surrounded with so much history and beauty. I've never been to Europe, but I find when I see pictures on European ladies blogs, I am just awestruck by the beauty, history, and quaintness of the land and buildings. So different from America, where things are either new, not well kept, or totally run down. Actually it's not as bad as that sentence sounds, but we just don't have the lovely ancient buildings you all have, and I always enjoy seeing them.
    Cindy

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  31. Gardening in a SandboxNovember 4, 2013 at 2:30 AM

    What a beautiful place from the flowers to the architecture to the colourful shutters on windows. A magical place. Valerie

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  32. MarianneNovember 4, 2013 at 6:29 AM

    Lovely, Poppy. Thanks for the tour. BTW, I've started blogging again after a very long hiatus. Please visit me at http://www.hillandbend.blogspot.com.

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  33. Shane PollardNovember 4, 2013 at 6:47 AM

    Argos is a beautiful old village - oh your photos show it to perfection.
    The shutters are so gorgeous with that old shabby patina - I'm always looking for old shutters to photograph too.
    It's hard to see where the Agean finishes and the sky begins - that blue is wondrous Poppy!
    Shane

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  34. RajeshNovember 4, 2013 at 6:52 AM

    Beautiful shots from the village. I liked seeing those old structures.

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  35. LorrieNovember 4, 2013 at 8:01 AM

    I love history and your country is rich with it, and beautiful besides. I love, love, love the house with the blue door and shutters. Just stunning.

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  36. ΣοφίαNovember 4, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    Άυτό το χωριό είναι υπέροχο, σε ευχαριστούμε !
    Λάτρεψα την πινακίδα με τα μικρά σπίτια,
    φιλά σου στέλνω !

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  37. Marty@A Stroll Thru LifeNovember 4, 2013 at 11:53 PM

    Oh Poppy, what a lovely little village and you gave us such a wonderful tour. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  38. Denise @ secondtimearoundfindsNovember 5, 2013 at 12:37 AM

    Such wonderful pictures thanks for the great tour of the village.
    Denise

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  39. MelanieNovember 5, 2013 at 3:40 AM

    What a gorgeous place you visited...the pictures are breathtaking. The history, the architecture, the views, the colors...all incredible.

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  40. Our photosNovember 5, 2013 at 8:43 AM

    Beautiful photos, Poppy!
    Greetings, RW & SK

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  41. UnknownNovember 5, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    Hi Poppy! Your blog is lovely and Agios Thomas is so pretty. It does remind me of Abruzzo, very much. Thank you for following my blog because I now have discovered your blog, which I look forward to reading. : )

    Louisa @ My Family & Abruzzo

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  42. Aida November 5, 2013 at 12:20 PM

    Beautiful village of Agios Thomas. You are so blessed to be living in this part of the world Poppy. That Creeping Chinese lantern is something I haven't seen before. I thought they grow like a bush.
    Thank you for sharing my friend. Hope you are enjoying the rest of slightly warmer weather.

    Have a good week

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  43. EG CameraGirlNovember 5, 2013 at 2:12 PM

    So photogenic! I love the doors, windows, shutters... And I'm amazed tht the village has 40 churches!

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  44. Mary Howell CromerNovember 5, 2013 at 8:22 PM

    So enchanting this village, and oh to go inside that abandoned home upon the hill, how sweet that would be. Those little lantern type seed pods, I want some ;). I love the roofs and the shutters, and the stone, and well, everything presented...beautiful poppy~

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  45. fiona andersonNovember 6, 2013 at 9:59 PM

    Thank you for sharing your visit to Agios Thomas, it looks like such a beautiful place, beautifully photographed.

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  46. AnonymousNovember 6, 2013 at 10:36 PM

    Poppy, what a beautiful place. Your photos are gorgeous as always. I host a weekly link up Tues-Sat's for any history-, antiques-, or vintage-related post. A post like this one would be most welcome! -Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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  47. Sandi@ Rose Chintz CottageNovember 7, 2013 at 12:28 AM

    Hi Poppy,
    The village is totally charming and how lovely to be able to visit there. What history and imagine 40 churches in such a small community. Wonderful views too. The Chinese lanterns are amazing! Thanks for sharing at my HOME and enjoy your weekend.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  48. KathyNovember 13, 2013 at 3:52 PM

    Exquisite Poppy! Love the buildings, the flowers and is there anywhere where there's a bluer blue?
    I do apprecate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  49. Noel MorataDecember 2, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    I love all the colorful doors and portals in different colors...how nice to have all those delicious pomegranates!

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  50. Tonya {The Traveling Praters}December 3, 2013 at 2:30 AM

    Agios looks like a beautiful, quaint village to visit. I can imagine strolling along the streets on a warm fall day.

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  51. Got My ReservationsJanuary 4, 2014 at 12:54 AM

    What a lovely set of photos to savor on this cold, snowy day. Beautiful inspiration to visit somewhere I've never been.

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  52. The TablescaperJanuary 4, 2014 at 6:57 AM

    So gorgeous!

    Thanks so much for sharing it with us at "Oh, the PLACES I've been!"

    - The Tablescaper

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  53. Ann Marie at Iris AbbeyDecember 1, 2014 at 3:24 AM

    These are beautiful photos. I love the shapes and colors of the doors, the textures of the walls, and the gorgeous sea. It's always a delight to visit with you. I saw your link at Ivy and Elephants.

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  54. JESDecember 6, 2014 at 1:53 PM

    What a neat little village!!! I love history and enjoyed this beautiful stroll!

    Thank you for sharing at the Art of Home-Making Mondays this week :)

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Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I really appreciate hearing from all of you! Have a great day!

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