Visiting the Monasteries
I set out early on my own to visit the monasteries and take some photographs from various viewpoints along the mountain tops.
It's a very grey, misty morning with the threat of rain to come so not ideal for sharp clear photos. But it's the only day I've got so I make the most of it.
There are 25 Eastern Orthodox monasteries at this amazing world Heritage Site in a quiet corner of the mountains in central Greece. six of them are still functioning, the others in various states of disrepair.
They perch atop immense natural columns of rock. for many of them the only way to gain entrance was via precarious ladders lashed together or in large nets hauled up the cliffs by manpower. Perfectly defensible positions in an age when attack and pillage was commonplace.
Already the narrow winding roads up along the ridge are filled with traffic as coach after coach of day trippers crawl up the steep inclines and compete for parking spots. Lord knows what it must be like on summer weekends.
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| Long lines of tourist coaches crawl up the mountain |
At the first one I visit I pay €3 to go in. The entrance gates and gift shops inside are staffed by nuns. It is so rammed with visitors that I can hardly move and cannot get inside the chapel or museum at all.
I soon wander back to the bike and decide I will just enjoy the external views from now on. There is no point in trying to go inside the monasteries with these crowds. There are 7 or 8 that are open to visitors, though some are closed on different days.
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| Perched atop rock pillars |
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| In the monstery gardens at St Stephens |
I suspect that the ones that are more difficult to access will not be rammed with tourists but in the bike gear I don't fancy climbing up to them.
Apparently scenes from a James Bond movie were shot here. I cannot remember it so I resort to Google and find "For Your Eyes Only" with Roger Moore as Bond climbing up the rock face to get to a monastery. I'll have to watch it when I get home.
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| I think this is the monastery featured in the bond film |
After a couple of hours it begins to rain and I head back to Kosta's and spend the rest of the day reading and lazing around. The other two head of to see the views and go into town to feed. I wait for my evening meal, another of Ma Kosta's specials, a rather two well-done pork chop.
Kosta's regales us with more of his unique homespun philosophy of the world. And so to bed.
Here are some of the better shots from the Meteora visit.
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