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| The picture doesn't do it justice...this is a truly beautiful place |
It’s been a frustrating day. It’s 12.30. I’m starving and I am sitting on the bus waiting for the group to come back from their visit to an icon factory. They are being plied with ouzo or orange juice in the hope they will buy, either an icon or some other Greek handicraft or souvenir.
The tour is actually over. Now it’s just lunch and a long drive back to Athens.
I won’t bore you with all the details, but suffice to say, I am over being on this tour. (Although it has given me a glimpse of what the experience could have been like-in many ways it’s worse, kind of like being teased with something and then denied it)
There were few opportunities to take photos, or just sit somewhere and absorb the beauty and atmosphere of the rocks and monasteries that are Meteora.
Sadly, I probably won’t get a chance to come back. So in case you do, stay in Kalambaka or Kastraki, a quaint little village “bold enough to site itself under the stone giants which tower above them.”
There’s a train from Athens to Kalambaka, and then drive yourself or take a taxi to Meteora. Buy a guide book and read up on the history and save yourself my experience. Get up early and enjoy the short time before the tour buses and operators take over!
So enough of my bad mood…
Here are a few not very good photos, so you too will have a sense of what is an amazingly beautiful place…
Addendum 20th May 2011
Yesterday ended better than it started.
I actually found a sentiero from Kalambaka that goes up to Meteora and takes about 45 minutes! There’s lots of accommodation nearby, so even though I didn’t make it up, for a few minutes at least, when I escaped from the tour, I enjoyed the tranquillity as I wandered around old Kalambaka on my own, looking up at the amazing rocks and monasteries above.
I am at the Athens airport waiting to get on an Olympic Airlines flight to Rhodes.
The drive out from the city to airport was a breeze on the X95 bus from Syntagma Square.
Athens is a truly wonderful city. There’s a lot to see and do and I’m glad I had a another small taste of what she has to offer
A presto
Mon x
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| One of the 6 (originally there were 21) monasteries at Meteora |
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| two of our group who could not walk the easy 191 steps to one of the monasteries (another is 600 steps and they are tougher) so travel when you are still fit!! |
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| Originally everything, even the monks had to get to the top via a basket and rope! |
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| In the 20's the Bishop allowed women to go to Meteora for the first time and a convent was built |
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| Kalambaka sits underneath the towering rocks |
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| would have been wonderful to climb up... |
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| Nun and girl at convent |
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| Convent at Meteora |
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| Kalambaka main street during afternoon nap time |
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| Meteora restaurant Kalambaka where we had a decent home cooked meal for lunch (12 euro with drink) |
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