Day 2
It was a good decision to do a 2 days Meteora trip as there are so many amazing sites to visit and so many different viewpoints from which to take in the breathtaking landscape.
Our night in Boutique Hotel Iridanos was good. The hotel was clean, breakfast selection was varied and tasty, and the staff was very friendly. The van picked us at 9 am for another sightseeing tour.
According to the tour guide, the monasteries have a strict selection system when it comes to accepting a new member. The last member to join a monastery was many years ago. If any of the monks/nuns leaves the monastery, the leader who accepted the monk/nun would have to leave the monastery as well. The tour guide then mentioned that the monk who lives in the house near the cave dwelling was 'expelled' because his disciple left...
Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron
This is the biggest and oldest monastery, and is known as the monastery that's "suspended in the air".
We crossed the bridge and climbed up the stairs to another magnificent monastery and vista.
The compound is very well maintained. Every few meters we'd stop because the scene would change slightly and each one was just as perfect as the last for photos.
Ladies are required to wear a skirt to enter the monastery. The monastery provided a container with a heap of skirts for female visitors. I wore a skirt after realizing this requirement the previous day ;).
We took our time to enjoy the panorama . How and what prompted the monks to build the monastery in such challenging terrain?
We saw some tourists from across the monastery, jumping near the cliff to take photographs... What went through their minds to do such a risky act?
As it was off-peak season, there were very few tourists, and it was great to have the monastery almost to ourselves.
Holy Monastery of St Stephan
St. Stephan's was founded around the year 1400 and is a nunnery now. It is the closest monastery from the town of Kalabaka. It provided a bird's-eye view of the town.
The monastery was easily accessible without the need to climb many stairs. Unlike the other monasteries, the skirts for the visitor were placed on hooks on the wall( neat arrangement indeed).
There was a school excursion, and the students were excitedly taking photos, chatting and exploring the monastery. All around, the landscape was simply breathtaking.
End of Tour
The guide sent us back to the town. We strolled along the street and the locals were going about their daily life. It occurred to me that they must certainly have become used to the stunning Meteora landscape and that it exists as a sort of background scenery in their daily lives. Perhaps they'd be awed by the concrete jungle city that I've grown accustomed to?
We had a long coffee break in a cafe before going to the train station.
One of the visitors asked the tour guide if the number 13 was of significance in Meteora or Greece as it was scribed/painted often on walls. The tour guide sighed and said that number 13 jersey is worn by a popular soccer player... oh.
We boarded the train for our journey to back to Athens. I was happy that at long last, I visited Meteora. I may not return but the memory of Meteora and its stunning views will definitely stay imprinted in my mind.
Other Information
We booked our tour with VisitMeteora. It was a 2 Days 1 Night tour that included one-night accommodation and two half-day tour. The tour started from Kalabaka train station, and the return ticket was also booked by VisitMeteora. It was a good arrangement.
On the same trip
Arrival in Athens, Walking Around, Pickpocket Encounter and More!
Meteora Day 1 : Athens to Meteora, St. Nikolas Anapafsas Monastery, Sunset Rock and More!
Acropolis and Morning Walk
One Island Hopping to Aegina From Athens
It was a good decision to do a 2 days Meteora trip as there are so many amazing sites to visit and so many different viewpoints from which to take in the breathtaking landscape.
Our night in Boutique Hotel Iridanos was good. The hotel was clean, breakfast selection was varied and tasty, and the staff was very friendly. The van picked us at 9 am for another sightseeing tour.
According to the tour guide, the monasteries have a strict selection system when it comes to accepting a new member. The last member to join a monastery was many years ago. If any of the monks/nuns leaves the monastery, the leader who accepted the monk/nun would have to leave the monastery as well. The tour guide then mentioned that the monk who lives in the house near the cave dwelling was 'expelled' because his disciple left...
Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron
This is the biggest and oldest monastery, and is known as the monastery that's "suspended in the air".
We crossed the bridge and climbed up the stairs to another magnificent monastery and vista.
The compound is very well maintained. Every few meters we'd stop because the scene would change slightly and each one was just as perfect as the last for photos.
Ladies are required to wear a skirt to enter the monastery. The monastery provided a container with a heap of skirts for female visitors. I wore a skirt after realizing this requirement the previous day ;).
We took our time to enjoy the panorama . How and what prompted the monks to build the monastery in such challenging terrain?
We saw some tourists from across the monastery, jumping near the cliff to take photographs... What went through their minds to do such a risky act?
As it was off-peak season, there were very few tourists, and it was great to have the monastery almost to ourselves.
Holy Monastery of St Stephan
St. Stephan's was founded around the year 1400 and is a nunnery now. It is the closest monastery from the town of Kalabaka. It provided a bird's-eye view of the town.
The monastery was easily accessible without the need to climb many stairs. Unlike the other monasteries, the skirts for the visitor were placed on hooks on the wall( neat arrangement indeed).
There was a school excursion, and the students were excitedly taking photos, chatting and exploring the monastery. All around, the landscape was simply breathtaking.
End of Tour
The guide sent us back to the town. We strolled along the street and the locals were going about their daily life. It occurred to me that they must certainly have become used to the stunning Meteora landscape and that it exists as a sort of background scenery in their daily lives. Perhaps they'd be awed by the concrete jungle city that I've grown accustomed to?
We had a long coffee break in a cafe before going to the train station.
One of the visitors asked the tour guide if the number 13 was of significance in Meteora or Greece as it was scribed/painted often on walls. The tour guide sighed and said that number 13 jersey is worn by a popular soccer player... oh.
We boarded the train for our journey to back to Athens. I was happy that at long last, I visited Meteora. I may not return but the memory of Meteora and its stunning views will definitely stay imprinted in my mind.
Other Information
We booked our tour with VisitMeteora. It was a 2 Days 1 Night tour that included one-night accommodation and two half-day tour. The tour started from Kalabaka train station, and the return ticket was also booked by VisitMeteora. It was a good arrangement.
On the same trip
Arrival in Athens, Walking Around, Pickpocket Encounter and More!
Meteora Day 1 : Athens to Meteora, St. Nikolas Anapafsas Monastery, Sunset Rock and More!
Acropolis and Morning Walk
One Island Hopping to Aegina From Athens