Ok, so you're a Monk...

Meteora, Tuesday, June 10
(click any photograph for a larger view) (I think)


I suppose if you were looking to isolate yourself from the world, Meteora would be the place for it. Or would have been, before the roads started bringing up busloads of tourists and Fulbright Scholars. These are huge, imposing conglomerate rock formations, starkly different from the surrounding mountains and plains, a horizontal, alien landscape. Not quite inaccessible, but close enough... before a changing economy paved a winding road up to the summits, to the icons, architecture, and magnificent views, and of course to the monastery gift shop.

We visited the convent (formerly a monastery) below; look carefully at the bridge visible in the photograph; it is not for vehicular traffic, and prior to its construction, one had to climb the steep path all the way from the bottom.

Or you could take the cable ride up--formerly the only "quick way" to the top. If it looks like a setting from a James Bond movie, you are close--that monastery is one rock over. The photograph below shows the view of the cable-drawn net from below. We did not see it in use, but we are told it is still used.

The same, but this is the view from above. And no, I was not going to get any closer to get a better view.




There are no photographs allowed inside, or I would be sharing with you some lovely Byzantine Icons like this one (taken outside, so it is ok).

When there is time, I can show you some similar icons from a museum.

Instead, for now, here are some other photos from the beautiful and fragrant grounds of the convent. Hey, at least the roses (maybe the bugs, too) were raised by the sisters of the convent.