The Best There Is

Church of Agios Andreas...Orthodox

The Greek Orthodox Church was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Then inside was an explosion of icons, designs, light, candles, chandeliers, sacred objects and just sheer beauty.
We stood silently inside the entry way. The matron/gatekeeper eyed us. Makaila and I walked in and gawked, whispering to each other.
I really wanted a photo or two. But, the sacredness of it all was overwhelming. I certainly did not want to offend the city of Patra and the congregation of Agios Andreas and the entire Greek Orthodox Church or maybe even the government of Greece.
But, I wanted some photos.
There was no sign saying "no photos." We had seen signs in Athens that just said, "No Flash." So I told Makaila that I was going to go ask permission and say we would not use a flash.

"Yeah, good luck with that one," said Makaila.
I approached the Greek woman who was the gatekeeper. I held my breath and asked "OK, for photo?...no flash."
She says,   "Huh?"I thought, "Rats, she doesn't understand and besides I am probably risking an international incident here." (I could see the headlines in the Times of Patra "American Protestant Minister Disgraces the Sacred Church of Agios Andrias! Hillary Clinton and the Archbishop are called in to diffuse crises! Military put on Alert. American President Distances Himself from the United Church of Christ...Again. )
I was just ready to ask again in the midst of the huge and silent sanctuary, when the matron's cell phone rang...Hallo! she shouts into the phone .... beneath the sacred icon of the Risen Christ....and then she turns to me and shouts as she puts the cell to her ear and walks away.....Sure, sure photos OK! Flash OK too!" 　

It would seem that this city has found a way to shake hands across the great divide of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. The Patron Saint of Patra, Greece is St. Andrew and as a result, both the Orthodox AND the Catholic have named churches after Andrew.

Andrew is the Apostle Andrew who came and died in AD 66 in Patra, Greece. Those Apostles really covered a lot of ground. Two weeks ago I was in Turkey where the Apostle John was to have traveled and died. A few years ago I was in India where Thomas the Apostle was to have traveled and died. (I saw the shrine of his left middle finger bone, or something) No kidding.

In any case, St. Andrew. His skull is in the Orthodox Church (they also have energy saving florescent bulbs in their chandeliers in an interesting juxtaposition of the very old and the very new.) The Orthodox Church....Church of Agios Andreas is.....ab-so-lute-ly stunning. It is drop dead gorgeous from the outside too. I tip my hat to them.

The Roman Catholic Church is older, (the Orthodox upgraded with a new church building in the 1970's and they gotta have a great mortgage too) and it too is quite ornate but isn't quite as stunning. I lit a candle in both. I was grateful to be there and to see these two churches dedicated to the Apostle Andrew.

Patra has Roman Ruins. Patra has a castle which defended the town and I think was rebuilt by Crusaders (which would be unique, since every place else I have been lately had Crusaders pass through and sack the cities.) Patra has snow capped mountains surrounding the city on the south and blue water of the Mediterranean on the north. I really like Patra.

It also has a port with huge passenger and truck ferry boats to Italy. We are on one now. More about that later.

 Peace,  Bob