In the second instalment of our article we enter the Sumela monastery to discover a different world.

This is what you find when you finally enter the monastery.

The facade which has been visible for some time as you plod up the path, is the old guest quarters and monks' rooms which were actually constructed in the 18th century. They are currently being restored and you cannot look around.

However, the core of the monastery, the rock church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and originally covered with frescoes inside and out, has been restored as far as possible (in terms of frescoes which were seriously vandalised for many years).

You can also see the kitchen, a small chapel, several rooms whose function you have to guess as there is little signage.

As we walked back down the path the weather began to change and cloud descended to conceal the monastery.

This is what happens on most days in the year and we realized how lucky we had been to see the monastery so clearly on our way up the mountain.