Category Archives: anybody up there?

built upon the rock

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Mark Rossiter

Equipped with my €30 visa from the religious authorities, I took the fast boat from Ouranoupolis to Dafni, the port of Mount Athos (though that makes it sound grander than it is – there are about six buildings). Since Athos, the … Continue reading →

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hard times in Greece, and how to survive them

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Mark Rossiter

The Guardian had a story about a guy in Patras who has been so hard hit by Greece’s current troubles that he could no longer support his ten children and had turned four of them in for care. Sad, yes, … Continue reading →

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Meteora

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Mark Rossiter

My first stop out of Athens was Meteora. This is a strange piece of geology: vast rock pinnacles rising out of the plain and flanking the local mountains. That would be enough to attract 21st century sightseers, but what augments … Continue reading →

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Christmas cheer

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Mark Rossiter

apparently the pope has been complaining about the glitter of Christmas. Perhaps he’s just jealous. But have you seen his hat?

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pope soap dope

Posted on April 10, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

That religion is still the opium of the people is proven by the razzle-dazzle surrounding the funeral of one of its longest-standing cult bosses, John Paul II. Everybody who’s anybody had to be seen there, and it gave them all … Continue reading →

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tsunami on Dover Beach

Posted on January 27, 2005 by Mark Rossiter

The Archbishop of Canterbury – a thoughtful character – says that the awful suffering, and the 200,000+ dead, caused by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean must cause many Christians to question their faith in God. It’s hard to disagree … Continue reading →

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