Meteora - Monastic City of Rocks

  

Day 3 : 3 Aug 2012

Had a good breakfast at the hotel. Bus pick-up at 8.30am.

Stopped at an icon shop before going up to Meteora. I won 1st prize in a raffle - an icon.

The golden age of Meteora was in the 16th century. In Greek, meteora means "suspended in air." 

Holy Meteora stands as the most important and largest centre of Orthodox Monasticism in Greece, after Mt. Athos. The stone giants, natural sandstone rock pillars,  are in north-west Thessaly, central Greece. The nearest town is Kalambaka*. Meteora is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
                                                                               
*city surrounded by high walls

First traces of history of Meteora are shrouded in legends and folklore. In 11th century, desert dwellers nested in the cavities of the rocks. Towards end of 11th and beginning of 12th century, it was a small ascetic city.

In the 14th century, St Athanasios founded the Grand Meteoron monastery on the largest rock. It was a safe sanctuary for the monks - safe from political upheaval and with complete control of entry. The only means of reaching it was by climbing a long ladder, which was drawn up whenever the monks felt threatened.

Since then 24 monasteries and single dwellings flourished throughout the rock. Many are in ruins now. Only 6 monasteries are functioning today.

1st stop - Holy Monastery of St Stephen's
It is now a nunnery. Nuns live here. Saw the Holy Skull of St Charalambos in the church. Miracles associated with relic.
 

Most accessible monastery by vehicle

Damaged by Nazis in WW2.

courtyard - no photos to be taken in the church

Ladies wearing pants are given skirts to wear in the monastery.

2nd stop - Holy Monastery of Roussanou (St Barbara)
Walked down pathway and steps to church. A smaller nunnery with an outstanding view at entrance.

Further down the hill, there are also steps leading up to this monastery. Easier to walk down this way.

In the old days, the monks would use this ladder to climb into the monastery.

Other monasteries that we did not visit.

Monastery of the Holy Trinity. On top of the cliff. Main church built around 1476. Accessible by climbing over 100 steps.

Featured in the 1981 James Bond film 'For Your Eyes Only' starring Roger Moore.

Monastery of Grand Meteoron (Transfiguration of Christ the Saviour).  Highest and largest of the monasteries.

Monastery of Grand Meteoron

I don't have photos of the other 2 monasteries - Varlaam & St Nicholas Ananpafsas.

After the monasteries, bus proceeded downhill to Kalambaka for 1 hour lunch break.

 Guide recommended restaurant to all. But, not hungry. Decided to explore town.

Lovely farmer's market. Bought fruits. Had delicious, sweet nectarine on 1st day in Aegina. Wanted to get some more here.

Bought spinach pie and pastries for return journey to Athens.

Left Kalambaka for Athens at 1pm. Long 5 and a half hour journey. Reached Athens about 6.30pm. Bus dropped people at various hotels in city. Tired after a long day.

Delphi - The Oracle

Day 2 : 2 Aug 2012

Kali Mera - That's good morning in Greek.

Wake-up call at 7.15a.m. Excited. Going for an overnighter to Meteora. Waited for pick-up at hotel lobby. Wondered why guide was late. Finally - someone showed up and off we went in a full bus load of people. Had very good rate for tour through V's help - 127 euro/person. (Exchange rate 1 euro = 1.52 S$) Went with G.O.Tours.

Journey from Athens to Delphi is about 180km, 3 hours by bus. Along the way, the guide was telling us stories about the different places. A lot of familiar names from Greek mythology thrown in. She really knows her stuff.

Trivia from the guide

1. Passed Thebes - connected with Oedipus and Sophocles. 

2. To the Greeks, Greece is known as Hellas.

3. Pentelic marble used for Parthenon was mined at Penteli mountain, a mountain in northeast
   Athens that we passed.

4. Name of national road - guess?  no.1

5. Population of Athens - 5 million
6. 85% of Greece is mountainous.
7. Muses lived in Mount Helikon.

We stopped at a delightful tree-shaded restaurant before going up Mount Parnassus to Delphi.

As we made our way up to Delphi, good view of surrounding. Passed a picturesque ski village on way to Delphi. Very popular in winter.


Delphi is 600m above sea level. Delphi was the religious centre in ancient Greece. It was the site of the oracle. People went there to receive predictions. Visited the archaeological site.

Disappointed that we did not go to the museum at Delphi. The group that was going to proceed further to Meteora had to change bus. The 1-day Delphi group went to the museum while the Meteora group went for lunch and thereafter a 4 hour journey to Meteora. The Delphi group would go back to Athens.

Had lunch at this restaurant in Delphi. 

The moussaka-similar to lasagne- was simply delicious!

Eggplant salad-lovely with bread

I LOVE Greek food.

As we finished our lunch, the 1-day Delphi group that had toured the museum arrived at the restaurant. If I had known earlier that we would bump into this group again, I would have asked the guide if I could join the museum group, pay the extra for museum entrance and quickly eat lunch before joining the Meteora group. Anyway,...

From Delphi, it was a 1 and a half hour ride to the Thermopylae Pass. Of course, B was keen to see this. (This was the first place he said when I asked him what else he wanted to see in Greece besides Parthenon).

Leonidas in the background

In 480 B.C., at the Battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas with 300 Spartans fought bravely to their death against a huge Persian army led by Xerxes.

7.30 pm- finally, arrived at Kalambaka, town at foot of Meteora. Nearest city to Kalambaka is Trikala, where the God of medicine was born.

We're in the land of Thessaly - land of centaurs, Bucephalus(horse of Alexander the Great).

Stayed the night in Amalia Hotel, Kalambaka. Beautiful, low rise hotel.

view of  the Rock from the hotel