Meteora - Amazing Monasteries

Precariously perched on the top of an interesting set of rocks that look like fingers emerging from the earth are Meteora's famous Monasteries.

Apparently there were close to  30 monasteries at one time but there are 5 that have been carefully maintained and available for all to visit and take in the scenery from their places at the top of these rocks.

There are also a series of caves where the Monks also lived prior to building the Monasteries.

We stayed in Kalampaka, a town just a few minutes away and we enjoyed looking at the rocks as we sipped capuccinos and had a little breakfast before setting out to explore the area.

We passed by the first Monastery, St. Nickaulaus which was closed so we pressed on to St. Barbara.  

After climbing a set of stairs that look like they are not more than 10 years old, we met a wooden bridge that led us across to St. Barbara.  The views are amazing and the courtyard with its gardens serene.

It is 3 Euros to enter and the nuns take our money as they instruct myself and other women to borrow a skirt as pants on women are not allowed. (It is quite a look!)

After descending back to the car we tripped up the road to Great Meteora, the largest and most interesting of the group.

I climbed down a set of stairs and up the other side to the entrance.  

This was interesting.  I climbed around and found an old kitchen, courtyard, and room of skulls.

Yes, skulls.  Apparently, it was sacred to preserve the monk's skulls after their death and they are on display.  I was surprised as photos were forbidden in most of the areas but not the skull room?

The real thrill of Meteora is looking at these places from afar and wondering how the monks got to the top of these tall skinny rock formations!

  Looking at the Rock Formations from the streets of Kalampaka

   This is Greek Coffee Being Prepared at the Cafe where we had breakfast....  It takes 2 minutes boiling - Bunsen Burner Coffee!!

                Map of Meteora -  The Labels are tough to read but it gives a good overall picture of the area

5 km outside of Meteora, we spot these bizarre looking caves

                These were occupied as early as 5 Millenia ago by the first Monks in the Area

                Our First Impression of these tall finger like rock formations

  Saint Nicholas Monastery 

                This really shows how this area feels to be there....  Wow!!!

                I climbed up a trail to take this picture of St. Barbara below

  The courtyard at St. Barbara - Beautiful Gardens  Looking Down from the Monastary

                Inside St. Barbara - One of my favourite photos of the day

  Inside the church at St. Barbara  (I was not supposed to take this but I did anyway)

  

                Great perspective from here!  (Santa Barbara with St. Nicholas in the background and Great Meteora on the Top RIght

  Path climbing up from St. Barbara to a Lookout 

     Forest Flowers

         Looking across to Varlaam on the right (which was closed today) and Great Meteora to the left

                Ready to decscend these stairs and several others, go accross a bridge and up the other side to Great Meteora

                Great Meteora

                Almost there!

  Entrance to Great Meteora

        View across Meteora to the farm fields

                The  old kitchen...

     Quite the cauldron!

  Dining Hall

                Table in the Dining Hall

  Ceiling Inside the Dining Hall

  Courtyard at Great Meteora

  Decorations in the Stone Work

  Gryffin with the Monastery Bell in the Back

    Just outside the museum at the Monastary

      I saw this tiny door and look what I found inside!  

                Did someone say 'Let's put our heads together...'?

                I don't know why the leg bones are all together at the bottom?

                Looking up from the Courtyard to the Top of the Church

  It wouldn't be real if I didn't show the gift shop!

                Ancient Canteens

  This was a staircase... I was surprised I was allowed to go down it in this condition

  They built very short doors...

                This is the 'windlass' a set of gears and machines used to haul goods up and down the shear face of the rock to the Monastery

  Holy Water?    

  This is a view to the ledge where the goods would be lowered (and raised) by the windlass system

      Tunnel on the way down

     More great views

                Our Rental Car with St. Stephanos in the background as we leave Meteora and descend down

  This is Vralaam which was closed  but really dramatic

                See that wire?  Today, they use a cable car to get the goods across rather than the ancient windlass.

As a note, the nuns at St. Barbara still use the windlass with a wire and a basket.  One of the priests was once asked how often they change the ropes/wires and he answered, 'Only When They Break'.

                One Last Shot and Memory of Meteora