It was a good day. Today, at the beginning of April, winter has come again in my country. And exactly one month ago, in March, it was spring:) Tricks of our climate:(
The trip was planned, but in the morning I felt very bad, I just felt dizzy and I wasn't ready. I begged my friends to go without me, because I can only be a burden. I should have slept a few more hours. But they were stubbornly waiting for me...
Oh well. We will have to go:) To get to the mountains for one day, it is better to leave the city in the morning, but we constantly have some kind of adventure and we only get out at noon. The main thing is that it is spring outside and everyone is in a good mood.
I don't know when people lived here last. Or not people but some magical creatures...
Across the bridge
The plan appeared on the way... In the end, we decided to go to Rozhirche, where I had been a "hundred" years ago, but my friends had never been. Usually we left this wonderful place "for later", because it is at the beginning of the mountains.
Having left the car on a small site near the road, we could only go further on foot.
Ahead was a long (400 m) pedestrian bridge across the river, which stuck in my memory as something majestic and beautiful. The Stryi River was incredibly clean after the snow melted. And the sky gave new patterns of clouds every moment. To be honest, I didn't even want to go any further. But hang out here and watch for a long time. Only people who live far from water can understand me!!!
Beyond the river stretched a meadow with single trees. The sun warmed so much that winter clothes became burdensome. It seemed that we were lost in some parallel world.
A faucet at the edge of the village looked very strange. Why does water constantly run from it?
Our goal was the rocks in the forest on the hill, but first we had to pass through a village that could be seen in the distance. The village turned out to be small, neat, although some houses looked quite old.
There were no people on the street.
A sea of snowdrops and old thick willows.
On the verge of winter and spring.
An ancient monastery, created by nature and man
Behind the village began the path up into the forest. As it turned out, the desired object was located at the foot of the hill and our tired legs rejoiced at this fact.
So friends, these are not just sandstone cliffs, but also an ancient monastery! A little gloomy, a little mysterious and a very attractive place.
The main rock consists of two tiers in which spacious rooms are hollowed out. First, we entered the first floor and found ourselves as if in a church. In the corner stood icons and a sculpture of Christ lying in the tomb. Instead, the walls were covered with modern inscriptions by unknown authors...
It was very interesting to look at openings of various shapes and sizes, as well as to look at the world from these windows or doors.
My young friend @serafffym was happy to discover this place as well as his mother Eveline @lena-cvetochnaya.
Those spots of light look like ghosts, don't they?
My friend makes me laugh because she thinks I look too sad in the photo.
In order to get to the second floor, we climbed a little dangerous stairs, although in dry weather it is not slippery there. The cave turned out to be small and cozy, there were many dry leaves on the floor, as if someone had specially spread it. Guess what I thought? That's right, about the fact that in the warm season you can spend the night here in a tent.
Oh, but this place belongs to the reserve. So maybe my prank would be illegal.
I tried to find some information about this place, but there is very little of it... The first mention of the village of Rozhirche, where about 500 people live now, dates back to the middle of the 15th century, and the monastery on the outskirts of the village was also mentioned at that time.
According to legend, it was founded by monks who fled Kyiv from the Mongol invasion in 1240. They liked the cozy and secret place in the forest. Perhaps there were caves here, which were given the appropriate shape, because sandstone is a soft stone! Researchers believe that there was a living room and a storeroom on the lower floor, and a church on top. When did this temple fall into disrepair? It's hard to say, I think monks lived here in the 14th-18th centuries, or maybe even less. It's a pity, the stones are silent.
The forest as a book of nature
Afterwards, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. In the distance we saw two rocks that seemed to form a gate. And even higher above them is a platform from which you can see the surrounding landscapes. It seems that we wanted to go around everything in a short time... I struggled with my fear of heights. After all, it is so interesting here.
Nature is a book. It is interesting to read in early spring, when the world of plants and animals wakes up. These photos have a special meaning for me. I love to admire the intertwining of roots clinging to the stony ground, green moss, yellow stones and young fern leaves. Then it stops being scary, because it seems that everything there is timely and appropriate.
And a few more details... It's hard to stop when there's beauty all around.
A bouquet of snowdrops lay on a stone. We did not pluck them, because in Ukraine these flowers belong to the Red Book.
Since we left for the trip quite late, the walk was short and active. The sun was lower and the world was filled with warm colors... Of course, I had the feeling that I had not yet seen and explored everything here. It's worth coming back...
A thick, very thick willow in the light of the setting sun...
According to the plan, we also went to the nearby town of Skole to listen to the sound of the river and finally have something to eat. We were greeted by deep twilight and... rain. However, there are gazebos equipped for tourists on the banks of the river. And I had a burner with me, on which you can boil some water.
Friends really wanted to light a fire. There was even firewood here... In order for the flame to flare up, they took cardboard from... the garbage. To be honest, I did not believe in this idea. But a few minutes later a fire broke out.
Meanwhile, my phone acted as a flashlight, so the photo shoot was over. That's why you won't see heaps of all kinds of snacks and sandwiches that we successfully ate:)
I was grateful to my friends that they still got me out of the house. The meeting with a long-known but forgotten place filled me with inspiration and energy for the following days.
The rule is very simple: if you travel sometimes, it is easier to live later. Do you agree?
Thanks for your visit!💛💙💛💙
