Beneath that still sky lies The Rock of Monemvasia, and its medieval fortress. Some refer to it as "the Gibraltar of the East" or "The Rock".

I’ve always thought of the place as enchanting and mythical, especially when I first visited it as a kid. It looked to me as the medieval counterpart of Atlantis for some reason and its name sounded even more enchanting, like some sort of a magical incantation.

Odd as it may seem, when I look at this photo I realize that the best part of that morning in December 2009 was not the sunrise itself. And it was a lovely sunrise spent perched precariously on the rocks, watching that huge cloud that stood over The Rock for a long time, changing its shape from a caterpillar, to a snail, to a sea turtle (yes, the sky wasn’t so still after all, and that cloud was a big show off!). Still the best part of that day was the subsequent walk through the narrow cobblestone paths of the castle, and the slippery climb trying to reach the highest point of it with the company of a friendly mongrel dog who quickly took the lead and sniffed its way to the top thus showing us the way. And the even better part of it was that cup of coffee we had in one of the cafes there, basking in the sun and enjoying the terrific view.