In the morning, breakfast was also supplied and then we rejoined the bus for the trip to the monasteries of Meteora. When we left the hotel, we could see the dramatic peaks outside which overlook the town but which we were not able to see in the dark the night before. Having rejoined those who were at other hotels we proceeded to a factory where religious icons are made and had a demonstration about their hand-made processes. There was an opportunity to buy souvenirs, including icons, here. We re-boarded the bus and started the long, winding climb up the mountains to the first monastery which was actually a nunnery dedicated to Saint Barbara. The bus parked above the nunnery and we had to walk down some steps which wound through a wooded area to the entrance to the nunnery. On arrival we were met by a small building atop a rock and climbed some steps and crossed a small bridge to access the nunnery itself. We were greeted by a couple of rather glum nuns and were able to see the small chapel at which they hold their devotions. It was covered in icons of various bible passages and the sufferings of Christians through he ages. Some of these were a bit gruesome. The nuns are Greek Orthodox (as are 95% of the people in Greece). The nunnery is very small and holds about 15 or 16 nuns. It must be very cold in winter time. The setting is beautiful and serene, except that there is a military airbase nearby which emits deafening roars form the resident planes. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful day, not too warm (there was a lot of climbing to do) but sunny and clear. It was certainly a magical place and worthy of its UNESCO rating as a World Heritage site. We descended from the nunnery back to the bus for the short drive to the monastery which is dedicated to St Nicholas. Here our access was reversed and we had a large number of steps to climb for the short route or a longer route via a ramp. Either way it was ‘breathtaking’ – literally. But the climb was worth it as the photos which I will post in due course will I hope show. The small chapel at this monastery was also covered with icons and the bell tower offered a panoramic view of the surrounding area and the other monasteries which inhabit this area. On a high almost vertical uninhabited crag nearby two climbers were ascending what seemed an impossible vertical face, that was really the hard way up.
Although it may be hard for some to understand why anyone would sequester themselves in such a place as this, there is no doubt that it is a peaceful and serene place to contemplate whatever one believes in.
On descent from the monastery, we drove back into Kalabaka top a restaurant owned by a lady who goes by the name of Mama!! She welcomed us into her kitchen with “Come to Mama” and we were served delicious ‘Mama’s specials’ for lunch. There were all kinds of meats and also vegetarian dishes including a wonderful eggplant dish. She was certainly quite a hostess.
Then, after a short walk in the town, we were back on the bus for the long six-hour drive back to Athens. By the time we had got back to our hotel in the evening we were pretty much done for!!
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