June 24 - Meteora

We ascended the heights of Meteora. On our way up we stopped for a photo opp of St. John Monastery. "For Your Eyes Only" was filmed there.

We were able to visit two of the monasteries: St. Stephen and Roussanou - St. Barbara. Photography is not permitted, but I did get some exterior shots and the beautiful mountains  

A requirement to visit was that women wear skirts to cover knees and men have knees covered, too. We thought if the girls were wearing capris or long pants, that would cover it (pun intended 😊). But no, they had to wear a skirt over the pants. St. Stephen provided skirts, but they would have to rent them at St. Barbara. Fortunately,  our day guide arranged for those who needed them to keep them for the second monastery and then she returned them for us 

I have to admit I was dreading Meteora the most. I couldn't get a good feel for what it would entail. I kelp hearing "lots of steps" but no one would say if it was uphill or down,  rocky or smooth, shaded or full-sun. To my surprise (and relief) I found that they were mostly downhill, smooth and in the shade! Well worth the trip. I just wish I could have recorded some of the beauty of these Byzantine monasteries.

The trip to the coast for the ferry involved winding roads along the mountain-side and many tunnels through the mountains. But, we were in comfortable seats on a cool bus, so all was well.

We stopped in Ioannina to stretch our legs, check out the lake, the citadel and have dinner before continuing on to the ferry at Igoumenitsa.

No possibility of internet until we are off of the ferry tomorrow. And that is the sunset of our tour of Greece.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

June 21 - Arrival in Athens

Image
Today seemed like such a long day! I know part of that was the time change on the flight. I did manage to sleep, and I think most of the kids got some, too. We arrived shortly before noon and cleared customs with no problem. And...no lost luggage!! We were so thankful to be able to go right to the hotel to shower and change out of those clothes we'd been wearing for so long.  When we met back up we took a walking tour of the city and got a closer view of the Acropolis before our "snack." I was expecting a gelato or scone or something like that, since we we having dinner at 7:30. But no!! It was a gyro! So good, but a definite surprise. Along the walk we would catch a hint of citrus smell. They were orange trees,  and pretty abundant. Shopping in the Plakka did happen. 😊 It was hot, but we enjoyed it. Tonight I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of the Acropolis at night. Tomorrow we'll see it up close and personal...
Read more

June 22 - Acropolis and Dancing

Image
Busy day in unbelievable heat!! We started out on a trip of the city on the bus. We started out on a trip of the city on the bus. Our 1st stop was at the stadium in Athens. It was never used for ancient Olympic Games but they did use it for modern Games. After that we rode around the city looking the city look at different sites including the Acropolis from different vantage points. The next stop was the hike up to the Acropolis  It was extremely warm and humid today, but we prevailed. We were rewarded for our efforts with a spectacular view of Athens. I was also blessed to be able to touch the Areopegus. This is where Paul preached and I had not been able to go to it in past trips. I brought  my St. Paul medal which had been touched to his relic, and touched it to the rock. We had lunch at the Plakka, followed by some more shopping. The meal was traditional Greek, pastichio, and way more than we could eat. It was like a lasagna made with pe...
Read more

June 27 - Il Piaggo Toascana Farm

Image
Working Under the Tuscan Sun 🌞  We did our service project by helping with a local Tuscan farm. This farm grows roses to produce rose jam and rose oils and also grapes for wine. The students first started by helping weed the older rose garden. Then they picked vegetables, some of which were used for our lunch. We even got to sample the tomatoes, fresh off the vine. Then they moved on to the vineyard. This is the time of year when it is necessary to remove any growth from around the base of the plant so it will flourish. Not only did they pick the vegetables for lunch, they helped prepare the appetizer: bruscetta! It tasted SO good,  with the fresh tomatoes and basil. I haven't said a great deal about the food, but it has all been good. A lot of roast pork. And, once we got to Italy, the required pasta side dish. But this farm outdid itself! Two kinds of fresh foccacia, a special pomodoro, rose tea and freshly made ca...
Read more