West of Potamos, in the valley running from the village to the west coast, there is the Agios Eleftherios church, hidden in a big cave. Every time I go to Lykodimou Bay, I have a look at this intriguing cave on the other side of the valley. The small church is not always easy to spot… Especially when the weather is grey, the church seems to be swallowed by the cave.
To be honest, I’d never been to the church. The last kilometre of the old trail from Potamos is totally overgrown, with mainly high thorny bushes. I had to stop several attempts to reach the church because of running out of time or wearing the wrong clothes (shorts).
Last week however, I persevered and after much toil and with bloody legs I finally reached the cave. Impressed by the 14th century church, I went inside. I was surprised by the beautiful, clearly coloured wall paintings from the 19th century. Near one of the wall paintings, the artist had put his signature and the year of 1894. Because of the simple lines of the face of the icon of Christ, it is obvious that he couldn’t finish his work.
It was quite a special experience, both inside the church and outside, sitting in that huge natural shelter of the cave, enjoying the views of the west coast.