Well hello from Greece! Sam and I are currently visiting Meteora which means suspended in
the sky. This is a place that is really well known for its monasteries built atop these
rocks. And the landscape is usually out of this world but as you can see we are dealing
with a bit of fog and rain today. So it is going to be a bit tricky. Um, we were planning
to do a bit of hiking actually but I think that is not going to work out so we're going
to settle for some monasteries and caves instead. So let's get ready and go.
Since the weather wasn't really cooperating we ended up hopping in a van and driving out
to some different look out points around Meteora. Everywhere we turned we were greeted with
sweeping views of the towns below, impressive monasteries seeming to defy gravity, and imposing
rock towers that looked out of this world. The rain did eventually clear up and that's
when we went back to our original plan for a hike around Meteora.
Okay guys, so we are finally hitting the trails. It's going to be a 10 kilometer hike. So far
we've already been seeing ruined monasteries and the landscapes are amazing. So let's continue.
We have to catch up with our group.
Behind me are some massive boulders which are really popular for rock climbing. We're
not really into that so we're just doing a hike today. But if you're into rock climbing
you've got to try it over here.
The hike was a really easy one and perfect for most fitness levels. Our guide lead us
down dirt trails and we learned that there is a network of over 35 kilometers of foot
paths in this area. Along the way he pointed out strange rock formations, various mushrooms
growing in the forest, and the best part was hearing the tales behind each of the ruins
we visited.
This is the place where you can taste the echo. Listen! Echo! Woo!
It's raining outside, we've got an abandoned monastery in the background and we're going
to do our best echoes.
Echo! And you? Echo! That was weak. One more time. Echo! Echo!
So we've been visiting a lot of different ruined or abandoned monasteries and this is
one of them. Now there is a pretty interesting story behind this one. Apparently, monks used
to live here and one day they were out who knows doing some gardening or whatever when
a group of people came over and they just took over their home. They started squatting
and they took control of the monastery for over 80 years. So the poor monks had to find
somewhere else to live. Now today this one has been renovated but you can't actually
visit it. So we're just admiring it from a distance. Pretty spectacular I'd say.
The rain clouds have returned and it is pouring right now. That is the end of our 10 kilometer
hike. We're going to go have some lunch, dry up and maybe head out again in the afternoon.
by bus. So we'll check out some monasteries later.
Okay, so it is still raining but we are going to go visit the biggest monastery here in
Meteora. It's called the Grand Meteoron. Low and behold. It's just over there. We've got
our umbrellas. Let's go visit it.
What's scary? If you look over here you'll notice that this is the old entrance and they
used to climb up by latter. That's scary.
And lucky for us today you can reach the top by climbing the stairs. Three hundred stairs
to the top. But back in the day you would have had to use a rope and basically hoist
yourself up or had someone pull you up because you know they were quite secluded and they
wanted to keep it that way. So if you wanted to make it here you had to earn it.
What I'm going to do over here is light a candle and make a wish. So come and check
it out. It better be a good wish. Choose wisely. And, of course I can't tell you what it is.
Any tips on visiting here? Yes! I actually do have a tip. So prior to coming to Meteora
I would have thought okay let's hop on a bus, we'll reach the monastery. Visit the monastery
and that will be it. But if you do it that way you're missing out on so much more because
the landscapes here are incredible. So I would recommend doing a hike. Kind of like what
we did this morning because then you really get to admire the monastery, see them from
a distance. You get to visit caves and also visit the abandoned ruins of former monasteries
that are kind of hidden and you wouldn't normally be able to spot if you were on the main road.
So something to consider. You can get a bit of exercise and really enjoy the landscapes.
It wasn't until our final morning in Meteora that the rain clouds finally cleared and we
had blue skies over the valley. Though I have to say, we still loved it even in the rain,
and that's the sign of a good visit!