Monastery of Mega Spileou

Last weekend I visited the Monastery of Mega Spileou (Great Cave) in the mountains southeast of Patras with my colleague Bob Sarni and his wife Kari. The whole place is being remodeled but a very old chapel is intact with faded frescoes on the ceiling and an icon of the Virgin Mary supposedly created by St. Luke. The setting is spectacular, and the drive into the mountains is scenic, passing olive orchards, vineyards and small hillside villages.