Meteora

So, this weekend with a bunch of friends, we went up to Meteora. I personally had never heard of this place before, but it got 3 out of 3 stars in my Frommers guide, and let me tell you, it was totally worth it.

To get up there, we took a train from Larissa Station to Kalambaka, which took about 5 hours, give or take. The train ride was remarkably smooth and relaxing, despite it's length. It wasn't even that expensive, costing 30 euros round trip, or about 45 dollars. Upon arriving, we got off the train and went exploring for a hotel. The one we found was no Hilton or Sheraton, but it did the job for a night.

I guess i should explain what Meteora is, because i for one knew next to nothing about it before a friend suggested that we take a trip up. Meteora is best known (and famous for) the enormous rocks/mountains which dominate the landscape. Easily rising 500, if not more, feet in the air, Eastern Orthodox Christian monks/nuns have constructed several monasteries over the past 1000 years. Some are abandoned, but 6 are still in use. I visited 3 of them which were open, but walked by 2 more which were closed, so i saw most of them. The artwork was exquisite, the view extraordinary, and the building incredible. How people managed to build anything on top of these peaks is mind boggling.

Some of the monasteries were run by the monks/nuns, each charged a few euros for entrance. The churches were all the same though, having a similar layout and structure, with similar paintings and designs. That didn't detract from how spectacular and unique each one was. The Great Meteron was certainly the most fantastic, with both a gorgeous view, large building, and several museums/relics on display. Sadly, i didn't see any monks at this one, as it was run by others. Very sad. The same was true for Varlaam, which there was not much to see. The first one, run by nuns, called St. Stephens, was prob. my favorite, as you could talk to the nuns, and there was a great deal of room to walk around in.

How these mountains formed was another question. Apparently, the plain of Thessaly was once an ocean, so the mountains formed through geological/volcanic activity, then were left when the ocean emptied out. There was no method or plan, they were all different shapes and sizes. The pictures I took were sadly not the same as the actual view. You needed to take a taxi in order to reach anywhere, as it was a long walk to reach anywhere.

The town itself was simple and quaint, a major change from Athens. There were small shops, many geared towards tourists, but i wasn't complaining. Most were closed for the season, as high season is in the summer, but there was enough to provide a view of a small town in Greece. We found a taverna where the owner was waiter/chef, and cooked the food right in front of us in a fireplace. It was an amazing experience. The souvlaki was delicious, as were the appetizers and the atmosphere/company.

All in all, a fantastic trip, well worth the cost, and the time it took to travel to!