3-17-25
Today was such a memorable day!
After having breakfast at the hotel, our group loaded up on the bus and headed to Meteora.
The four hour drive was beautiful! We drove through the countryside of Greece. It was filled with vineyards, olive groves, the Aegean Sea, and towering mountains. We definitely shared some good laughs along the way too.
About an hour and a half down the road we stopped at the battle field of Thermopylae. It is a mountain pass where the a small Greek force led by King Leonidas of Sparta made a heroic last stand against the much larger Persian army of King Xerxes in a narrow mountain pass during the Greco-Persian war.
A we stopped for lunch at a family owned roadside restaurant. They were so welcoming and the food was great!
Following lunch we drove to our main activity of the day, the cliff-top monasteries in Meteora. As we drove up the mountain, you could see an incredible view of the land below. We stopped at a viewpoint where you could see the monestary we were visiting from a distance. It was truly mind-blowing to see these masterfully crafted buildings were perched on a cliff. These structures were crafted before the 1920’s and there were originally no steps or roads. Therefore, they often used ropes to bring supplies, people, or other goods to the top. Now there are only six of the twenty-four monasteries in use by the Greek Orthodox.
As we continued on to the second largest Greek monastery, our guide told us about the life of a Nun. There days are divided into three, eight hour portions.
- 8 hours of prayer
- 8 hours of work
- 8 hours of rest
She also said they never marry, or have children also their families and friends do not usually see them often.
I do not think that is the job for me.
There were about 200 steps leading up to the church, which we were expecting to be not so enjoyable. However, the walk up was filled with arial views of Greece that you do not get to experience many other places. I was so surprised once we reached the top! It almost felt like a very tiny cliff village. There was an entry point where we got our wraps since women are required to wear a skirt below the knees, no pants or sleeveless tops. We stepped into a cobblestone courtyard area in front of the church that had 2 or 3 levels with a beautiful dome structure at the center of the lowest level.
As we continued into the church I was even more shocked. The room people first enter into was lined with Byzantine art and portraits representing the iconic Greek Orthodox figures. Each ceiling dome inside the church depicted Jesus Christ because He was considered the highest figure by the Greeks. The art only got more impressive as we entered the chapel itself. Every inch of the walls was covered with painted murals. They used these pictures to tell the story and warn people of the dangers behind certain choices. Unfortunately we were not able to take pictures in there, but it was very impressive. Many pictures were very gruesome, maintaining themes of death as a warning for those who receive punishment.
We were also to see the pulley system they used to send goods up and down. Humans were usually moved by getting in a net, tied to a rope, that was pulled up by someone at the top.
Once we had completed our tour and taken lots of pictures, our group headed to a traditional Byzantine workshop. On the way we stopped at another viewpoint to take photos where I think the wind was blowing at least 80 miles an hour, not really but it felt like it.
Even though the art at the workshop was not necessarily my style, it was very interesting to see the process they use to make the pieces. I would explain it, but it was too complicated for me to properly articulate.
After that it was time to head to our home for the night, the Amalia Hotel. Following check-in we headed to the room to freshen up and take a quick nap before going to down to dinner. It was a relaxing night filled with good conversation. We all needed a decent nights rest for our next adventure.
Until tomorrow!
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