the globe says
Greece
For men only, by thousand-year rule: apply for the diamonitirion permit weeks ahead, then the boat from Ouranoupoli into the monastic republic.
The monasteries themselves — a bed and meals are the tradition; donations replace bills.
A self-governing peninsula of twenty Orthodox monasteries running on Byzantine time: 4 a.m. liturgies by candlelight, trails between fortress-monasteries, and the deepest silence in Europe.
Walk between monasteries rather than taking the minibuses — arriving on foot at Simonopetra, hanging off its cliff, is the image you keep.
April to June, September to October
Evlogeite — 'bless' — the monastic greeting; the reply is 'O Kyrios.'
The Station by Robert Byron — Athos in 1928, and startlingly still accurate.
Ouranoupoli's tower and beaches, for re-entry into the century you left.
The permit quota for non-Orthodox visitors is small — apply early, dress conservatively, and understand you are entering a living monastery, not a sight.