The church “Panaghia” in the center of the village of Lindos is an Aegean jewel noted for its stunning frescoes and wall icons.
My trip to Greece included a day on the island of Rhodes. We drove to Lindos on the coast of the Aegean then walked through the town's narrow and twisting streets and up the slippery stone pathway to the ancient fortified acropolis. Our guide told us not to miss the ancient church in the middle of the village. A woman outside the small church virtually shouted at all the tourists in tight shorts and bare arms as she handed out wraps they must use as coverings. The white stucco church looked quaint but rather unassuming on the outside. Certainly it didn't prepare us for the beauty inside.
As we stepped into the relative darkness of the church, we were treated to a glittering spectacle of paintings everywhere we looked. Lit candles hung from the ceiling. Literally every inch of the walls and the ceiling was covered with stunning frescoes. Even now I distinctly recall the reds and golds and blues of the paintings - all of them about 250 years old.
I then perceived the woman handing out wraps to the tourists in a different light. At first encounter I thought she seemed angry or hostile; later I viewed her as a valiant soul rightly desiring to preserve this incomparable jewel representing her religion, culture, and history.
