Day 24 - Monday 27 May - Meteora

Monday 27 May,    Meteora

This was a full day bus trip, and we made sure that we were at the appointed pick-up time nice and early.  Even so, we were still 30mins late leaving the city (still feeling gypped about our missed tour in Sofia 😖 😠 ).

It is about 240km away, so it took a while to get there.  We went first past paddy fields (surprised), Mt Olympus (home of the gods),

through tunnels (one 6kms long), past farm land, villages and towns. 

 A lavender field

 A nicely planted ex-quarry

By the time we got there, it was raining.  There are 6 working monasteries, down from 28 set up in C14.  In those days, the building materials, daily needs and people were hoisted up in nets and barrels, or climbed by ladder.  These days there are steps and bridges, and tour groups are allocated 2 monasteries to keep congestion down. 
So we went to Varlaam Monastery, which is quite big, with museum pieces and lots of outdoor space, then St Barbara of Roussanou Nunnery,  which is much smaller.

The huge barrel and its capstan and launch ramp.

Down into the yard.  A cat is walking just above the white blob beside the dirt pile.

We don't really like this style of icon.  The painted faces look strangely flat against the wonderfully embossed gold, but the carved frames are magnificent.

We had been told that they were particular about dress, and that there should be no bare shoulders or knees.  So guys went in with shorts, and ladies had to wrap a skirt around themselves over their trousers.  No photographing is allowed in the churches, but in the vestibule and outside it was ok. 

 

On the terrace

 

 Looking down to Kalabaka

and across to Roussanou.

From Roussanou looking back up to Varlaam.
 

 Guard dogs

The ladder in, but now there's a bridge.

 The beautiful garden.

Then we drove down the mountain to Kalabaka town for late lunch, then headed home.
 

 Looking back up to St Stefanos monastery.