I arrived in Orsomarso for a day trip. It was just me and an older lady on the morning bus. The village had a wintery feel: it was quiet, chilly and smelled of chimney smoke. It’s almost 9AM. What a convenient place to put a clock, by the way.

Clock tower above the village

Leaving the village for a hike, I encountered welcoming animals. The puppies were playful.

Puppies

The fluffy cat looked wise and polite.

Wise cat

The river is called Argentino, meaning “silvery”. I would say that the stream is clear blue.

Clear blue stream

The waterfall breaks the silence. Otherwise the path is absolutely quiet, peaceful and solitary.

Waterfall

Shrine

On the way back to Orsomarso, I encountered a prominent rock. I’m sure there are legends about it, probably not good ones.

Prominent rock

Approaching the village

Orsomarso has a long history with Greek heritage: the valley once had Eastern Orthodox monasteries and hermits’ caves (see Mercurion). In one of the nearby caves, above the village, Saint Nilus lived as a hermit.

View from clock tower

Now, a lonely statue of the Virgin Mary stands in another big cave.

Lourdes Grotto