Cars honking, lights of the city twinkling. Night has fallen, but the city does not sleep. Campers crowd the small plateia in front of the parliament building in Syntagma, anxiously waiting, watching.  Soon three Evzones (soldiers) will come marching down towards the tomb of the unknown soldier, in an ceremony to replace the soldiers already standing. Their voices are hushed as the  soldiers begin to walk forward.

The evening is full of magic, it’s Athens by night.

The day included a visit to the Monastery of Osios Loukas, located on Mount Hellicon just outside of Athens. Best known as a healer and for his prophecies, Saint Luke’s church left us all breathless. Made entirely of stone, with stained glass windows allowing rays of light to slowly filter in, campers deeply enjoyed the peace of the church. Many were lost in quiet prayer and thought, taking in its’ intimidating beauty. Afterwards, they enjoyed the astounding view outside: acres of green mountains disappearing into the sky.

After watching the changing of the guards and enjoying some late night ice cream, we head to bed: a trip to the island of Aegina awaits us tomorrow.