This photo of the rocky desert landscape was taken in the eastern Mediterranean hinterland. At the time I was staying at a monastery called Mar Musa. To say it is off the beaten track would be an understatement. The journey involved a local bus, some hitchhiking and a walk up a steep gorge to the tiny doorway entrance. It is free to stay as long as you like as long as you do your share of daily chores, which could be anything from laundry to milking goats.

If you look close you can see one of the pious meditating on the rocks.