METEORA: GREEK ODYSSEY PART VI

21 Comments40th Anniversary Trip, Greek Odyssey, History, Memoir, Photography, Travel

greek odyssey

All my life I’ve wanted to visit Greece and indulge my passion for ancient history, archaeology and mythology.

When my husband first broached the subject of marking our 40th anniversary (in 2013) with a vacation, it came to mind immediately.

Thus, we embarked on the trip of a lifetime! Come along for the ride, will you?

This is a continuing series. See other chapters HERE.

Part VI: Kalambaka/Meteora, Thermopylae and Return to Athens
Sept. 13, 2013

[Day Four of Four, Classical Greece Bus Tour]

Meteora to Athens,Greece
Map data ©2015 Basarsoft, Google

Day Four Itinerary:

Overnight stay in Kalambaka (aka Kalabaka). The next morning, visit Meteora, where suspended in mid- air, stand ageless monasteries with exquisite specimens of Byzantine art. Return to Athens via Trikala, Lamia, Thermopylae (visit the monument of Leonidas). Arrive in Athens early in the evening.

Our day at Delphi had been rugged! We were happy to snooze on the bus, then relax at the hotel before embarking on this last stop of the tour. Meteora is lesser-known than the other historical sites in Greece, possibly due to its location. It was pleasant to take the tour with fewer people crowding into our camera shots.

approaching Kalambaka
Approaching Kalambaka
Town of Kalambaka, Meteora
Kalambaka town centre

The Metéora (Greek: Μετέωρα, pronounced [mɛˈtɛoɾɐ], literally “middle of the sky”, “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above” — etymologically related to meteorology) – is a formation of immense monolithic pillars and hills like huge rounded boulders which dominate the local area.

It is also associated with one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second in importance only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural conglomerate pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. Metéora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the 9th century AD, an ascetic group of hermit monks moved up to the ancient pinnacles; they were the first people to inhabit Metéora since the Neolithic Era. They lived in hollows and fissures in the rock towers, some as high as 1800 ft (550m) above the plain. This great height, combined with the sheerness of the cliff walls, kept away all but the most determined visitors.

At the end of the 14th century, the Byzantine Empire’s 800-year reign over northern Greece was being increasingly threatened by Turkish raiders who wanted control over the fertile plain of Thessaly. The hermit monks, seeking a retreat from the expanding Turkish occupation, found the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be an ideal refuge. More than 20 monasteries were built, beginning in the 14th century. Six remain today. READ MORE

map pf Meteora Monasteries and towns below

After a good breakfast, we checked out and boarded the bus for our next adventure.
And so it began…

Monastery of St. Stephen

The St Stephen Monastery was founded around 1400 by St. Antoninus Cantacuzene. This is the most accessible monastery, where instead of steps you simply cross a small bridge to reach the entrance. As a consequence of the easier access, it was damaged and abandoned during World War II. In the Greek Civil War that followed, the monastery was further desecrated during which many of the frescos were destroyed by communist rebels.

In 1961, a number of nuns took possession of the monastery facilities and began restoring it. Among the surviving frescos is one of the Virgin in the apse of the fifteenth-century refectory. Restoration work includes painting new frescos by modern artists.

St. Stpehen's Monastery & Kalambaka, Meteora
View of St. Stephen’s Monastery with Kalambaka in the background
entrance to st. stephen`s monastery, Meteora
Entrance
St. Stephen's Chapel, Meteora
Chapel
Monastery of the Holy Trinity

The Holy Trinity Monastery is situated at the top of a rocky precipice over 400 metres high and is one of the oldest monasteries still existing at Meteora. James Bond fans might recognize it from the 1981 movie “For Your Eyes Only”. The main cathedral was constructed in the 15th century and decorated with frescoes in 1741.

holy trinity monastery, Meteora
Meteora overview of Holy Trinity Monastery
holy trinity monastery, Meteora
Closeup view
Frescoes, Holy Trinity chapel, Meteora
Frescoes, Holy Trinity Chapel
Monasteries of Rousanou and St. Nicholas

The Monastery of Rousanou/St. Barbara was founded in the middle of the 16th century and decorated in 1560. Today it is a flourishing nunnery with 13 nuns in residence (as of 2015).

The Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, built in the 16th century, has a small church, decorated by the noted Cretan painter Theophanis Strelitzas in 1527. There was one monk in residence in 2015.

St. Nicholas & Roussanou Monasteries, Meteora
Overview of St. Nicholas (L) & Rousanou Monasteries
Monastery of Varlaam

The Monastery of Varlaam (named after the first monk to settle there) is the second largest monastery in the Meteora complex, and in 2015 had the largest number of monks (seven). It was built in 1541 and embellished in 1548. The old refectory is used as a museum. This monastery is  only accessible by climbing 195 steps. We took a pass but did venture up to the last one.

Varlaam Monastery, Meteora
Overview of Varlaam Monastery
Great Meteoran & Varlaam, Meteora
Overview of Great Meteoran (L) and Varlaam Monasteries
The Monastery of Great Meteoran

The Monastery of Great Meteoron is the largest, although in 2015 there were only 3 monks in residence. It was erected in the mid-14th century and was the subject of restoration and embellishment projects in 1483 and 1552. One building serves as the main museum for tourists. Our old, arthritic selves managed the steep climb up 320 stairs to get there. Thankfully, there was a rest stop halfway up!

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The foregoing was syndicated to Flytrippers travel website on April 25, 2019

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After lunch in town, we headed for our final stop of the tour:

Monument of Leonidis, Thermopylae

The monument stands opposite the historical hill of Kolonos and represents Leonidas, legendary warrior king of Sparta, in full armour. It was designed by B. Phalereus, and was erected in the 1950s at the expense of Greeks living in America. The monument was built to commemorate the battle at Thermopylae, and is located at the centre of the pass where the final phase of the battle took place.

A sign, under the statue reads simply: “ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ” (“Come and take”), which the Spartans said when the Persians asked them to put down their weapons at the start of the Battle of Thermopylae. On the right and left, there are marble figures of the personified Taigetos, which is the highest mountain in the Peloponese and the personified Evrotas which is a river flowing through the whole district of Laconia.

statue of Leonidis, Thermopylae | Meteora

And thus concludes the Classical Land Tour. Much more to come!

Coming next:

Part VII: Athens and Cape Sounion (Attica)

Athena Nike Temple

What’s the most incredible place you have been?

Looking forward to your comments!

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THE ENTIRE GREEK ODYSSEY SERIES:

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21 thoughts on “METEORA: GREEK ODYSSEY PART VI

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, Sanch. Yes, Greece has it all! 🙂 Here’s hoping their economy will stabilize, soon. There hasn’t been anything in the news, lately.

  1. I completely missed this series. I’ll return when I have more time so I can read all about your trip. I’ve always wanted to go to Greece. I didn’t know you had been posting on your blog. I guess it doesn’t show up in my blogroll or email anymore. I’ll have to try to figure out what’s wrong.

    Love,
    Janie

    1. Hi, Janie. Thanks for checking out the Greek Odyssey series. This is part six and there will be several more in future. Thanks for letting me know about the lack of post notices. I discovered the other day there was a problem and hopefully, I was able to fix it. We’ll see what happens when I publish the next post.

  2. I am absolutely going to find the time to go back and read your other posts on Greece. I was there in 1969 but only saw Athens and Delphi. The most incredible place I have ever been is probably St. Petersburg, Russia. But then it is very hard to choose just one. Thanks for sharing this.

    1. Thanks, Denise. This is part six and there will be more in future. 🙂 We did a Classical Greece land tour as well as an islands cruise. Dream come true! ♥

  3. What an incredibly lovely tour you took us on Debbie! The hanging monastery is a marvel! Greece is on my bucket-list, I skipped it this time around because of all the problems of economy its going through. Did Spain and Italy instead. But some day, definitely visiting it! Your images are spectacular!

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, Kala. 🙂 We went to Greece in 2013 and only had a slight problem on the island of Rhodes. Everything else was good, but things definitely got worse after that. Spain and Italy? Must have been a wonderful holiday! Spain is on my bucket list and I’ve been to Italy three times (hubby’s immediate family lives there). It’s a magical country! ♥

  4. My best friend was there back in 1988 and I consider her and you so lucky to have visited these monasteries. I have known about them since I was a kid and consider them a marvel at building these great places.

    1. Birgit, I hope you get the chance to visit Meteora in person one day. Touring Greece was my lifelong dream come true and now, it’s a distant memory. Thankfully, I can relive the trip through these photos.

  5. Hey Debbie, long time no see 🙂 And guess what, I didn’t realize that you are in Toronto. I just came back from a biz trip in Toronto yesterday… I love your pictures. I just know you had the time of your life during your Greece trip. Those monastaries… built on top of… a rock, they are amazing, aren’t they?! Thank you for sharing these with us.

    1. Nice to see you again, Claudia! 🙂 Too bad I missed your visit to Toronto. Did you enjoy your stay? I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Yes, touring Greece was my lifelong dream come true; one amazing experience after another! Thanks for coming by.

  6. Debbie, WOW! I just love taking a peek at distant, interesting landscapes such as your discovery in Greece. Kalambaka reminds me of the Grand Teton and the monastery at the top is incredible. It amazes me how primitive people built such structures on top of a mountain. Can you imagine how labor intense that was in those days? It would be hard today but gosh it just blows my mind to think about such a feat done ages ago. I really enjoyed the pix and history! Thanks for sharing and linking up today, my friend!

    1. It’s mind-blowing, isn’t it? 🙂 That entire trip was amazing and I’m so thrilled to have experienced it. It was my lifelong dream to visit Greece. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour, Cathy. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to visit more of the participants, but we were away for several days. Will do better, next time.