Winding (Up And) Down

Our days in Greece are numbered and we are torn. We want to stay - and we want to go home. Yesterday we visited a monastery and a nunnery in Meteora. Most of the mountains in Greece are covered with shrubbery or trees. But for miles before we reached Kalabaka, where we stayed overnight, we began seeing sheer walls of gray rock, devoid of vegetation. Towering thousands of feet into the air they are a rock climber's dream - or challenge. People are allowed to climb any of these pinnacles that are not inhabited. For on top of some of these huge monoliths perch monasteries, about as far away from earth and close to heaven as one can get. The barren walls were once completely covered by a huge lake, which water eventually found a way to the sea, leaving behind the scoured and cave-ridden walls eroded further by wind and rain to what we see today.

About the 11th century, the caves provided crude shelter for the first hermit monks seeking solitude. After a while they decided to build a place together. Considering the logistics, it makes sense that since all materials had to be brought up the mountain, they would build on top, as opposed to trying to carve out a suitable space on the face of the cliff. In early years before steps were created, the only way anything or any person visited this monastery of Vrolos was by being hoisted up in a net.  I visited the room which houses the cable and the huge hook, nearly as thick as my wrist, that brings supplies to the top. The wooden turnstile for winding the cable is still there, though a motor driven winch now pulls a metal basket a couple hundred feet from an outcropping below. What stamina and determination these first monks had to build atop this cliff!!

Monasteries are no longer supported by government or rich philanthropists so must allow tourists and the sale of souvenirs as a means of income for their simple needs. To compensate for the invasion of their privacy, they are closed to the public one day a week in summer, two days a week in winter. Of course their main "church home" was off limits and it was a reminder to us visitors, when we heard the chanting echo through some halls, of the real purpose of this aerie. Their gardens are beautiful and their chores must be many as the number of monks has decreased over the years. The paintings on the walls of the church and the chapel tell the whole story of Christianity from the Annunciation to the martyrdom of the saints. These paintings are rich in color and decorated in gold. Absolutely no pictures are allowed in the monastery.

The views, caught between the tall spires, of the valley below compensated somewhat for the lack of pictures within. The bus stopped several times for photos on the way up and back. Even though the bus was able to drive up the mountain, the long stairway from the parking lot was a steep climb, and most of us were huffing when we reached the top. Anticipating that women must have their knees covered I wore long pants, but upon arrival learned women MUST wear skirts. The monastery, anticipating the needs of unprepared tourists, provides wrap-around skirts to be worn over shorts or pants by all women not wearing skirts already, AND for all men who are not wearing long pants!! A real surprise for the guys in shorts.

From the heights of Meteora we had a long bus ride back to Athens. Today is our last day; some of us are still seeking souvenirs; some of us are packing and re-packing, hoping we do not have to jettison too many things to get our new purchases in our suitcases. I have made few purchases myself, simply one small pendant for which I will buy a chain when I get home. My best souvenirs are the experiences I have had on our trip. This blog is an attempt to record some of them while they are fresh in my mind. We leave early tomorrow morning, so this is likely my last blog from Greece. I will have much more to share when I see you.