Magical mountaintops
27 July 2013 | Thessalonika
One of the spectacular monasteries at Meteora
We have hopped our way up the coast of the Kassandra peninsula north to Thessalonnika, stopping for a few days at a time in local harbours as we go. Skioni is our favourite stopover with a laid back village, popular swimming beaches and a winding coastal road ideal for a spin on our bikes. Even though we are coastal hopping we are on mainland Greece and the effects of the financial crisis are more apparent here than on the Greek islands. We have seen empty shops, half built houses and even a large shopping mall totally vacant. It is depressing to see and when we ask the locals how they are managing, the common response is that this year is worse than last. We feel by dining out at the local tavernas we are in a small way supporting the Greek economy, well that's what the cook says!
The highlight of our stay in Thessalonika is the road trip to Meteora with our friends Bill & Janet from the yacht 'Airstream'. The three hour drive provides spectacular views of the mountainous countryside and we pass through countless tunnnels where the freeway cuts a path through the middle of these huge peaks. Along the way we visit the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. This tomb along with some others were discovered completely intact in the 80's. As well as the bones of the occupants, they contained many valuable relics of the times.
After arriving at Meteora, check into an authentic Greek village B&B in nearby Kasteriki and then started exploring the monasteries which are definitely the drawcard for hundreds of tourists to this area. There were once 24 monasteries perched on top of rocky pinnacles that rise high into the sky and could ony be reached by ropes or ladders. The monasteries are Greek Orthodox and inhabited by monks and nuns who devoted themselves to prayer and solitude in an effort to be closer to God spiritually and physically. There are now only six monasteries occupied and open to visitors. We are able to visit four of the six and are really impressed by the size and architecture of these 14th century monasteries that soar into the atmosphere with 360 degrees of sheer drop off. Access is now by numerous stone steps carved into the rock and it is quite a climb into some of them. Two of the monasteries are run by nuns and the beautiful gardens and flowering pot plants suggest a feminine touch. The chapels are highly decorative completely covered in murals of the Holy Family and the saints. One of the monasteries Agias Triados featured in an 80's Bond movie 'For your Eyes Only' and would have provided a dramatic backdrop. We enjoyed our night off the boat in a spacious B&B and returned to Thessalonika the next day.