Day 29 Train to Meteora, Monasteries

This is our last day. Today we take a 4 hour train trip to Meteora. Meet a van and go visit several monasteries. Google says it is an 11 minute walk to the station. The neighborhood is full of graffiti and our driver yesterday pointed out people doing drugs, so we thought we'd take a taxi to the train. This morning we went to the bakery next door to get breakfast for later. When we asked for a taxi to the train station, he told us to walk, insisted it is safe, and we can't get lost. On the way we met a couple from Singapore to walk and talk with. They said they tried to get a cab and were refused because it was too close. We got a chocolate with them at the station. We all walked to the platform together. They couldn't get first class seats because they were sold out. On the train we are in a cabin with 6 people. The other 4 are from Lincoln, Nebraska. The train from Athens to Kalabaka was uneventful, but kinda long at 4 hours.

We meet our tour group and boarded our minibus. Stopped at a travel center for restrooms, lunch, and such.

They told us a story about the scarfs in a cave. A Muslim man cut himself badly with an axe and his wife cried for help. The monk's told her to pray for his healing and he was healed. She took off her hijab and hung out in the cave to show her gratitude. The monks replace the 400 scarfs every year.

They dropped us off at the 1st of 3 monasteries and we climbed a long way. My Fitbit said 24 stories. Part was on the stairs and part was ramped. I like the ramps better.

 

Most of the interior did not allow pictures. Inside look a lot like the Russian churches I visited. The ladies that were not wearing a dress would provided a skirt to wear. It cost 3 euros to enter, it was called the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Anapafsas. They said only 6 monasteries are functional: 4 male, and 2 female convents. At one time there were 24 monasteries. This one even had a monk-o-vater.

A generator driven elevator. The guides say the other 2 stops are not so strenuous. There were dogs and cats here, too, but they were a bit skittish.

We can see other monasteries way up on the hillsides. They make honey there. Verlaam monastery took 22 years to construct by a single monk, who hauled the stones 7 Km from a riverbed on his back, and then up the rock. Another long climb but not quite as bad. One of the dogs outside the monastery has a hurt foot. We feel bad for him. Out next stop is a lookout that was copied in Game of Thrones.

 

The Erii castle where they let people fly through a hole in the floor.

Our 3rd monastery is a convent with 14 nuns and 2 novices.

To become a monk or a nun, a person has to show up at the door wearing a white robe. They have 2 years of sleeping 8 hours, doing chores for 8 hours, and praying for 8 hours. Then the management decides if you have what it takes to become a nun or a monk. The decision is NOT yours.

It is the monastery of Saint Steven.

You can tell women live here, there are flowers.

 

We saw several nuns. The monks have people to help with tickets and gift shops, but the nuns do it all themselves. Our train leaves in 20 minutes, and our guide says we will be back at the station in 10 minutes, but we are still high on the cliffs. They did it. Got us back in 11 minutes, and we got on the train with 15 min to spare with the same cabin mates as our trip up.

The air conditioning did not come on, and it got pretty warm and is raining outside. Our cabinmates went to the dining car to play cards where it is cool. Then our AC started working. We finally got back to the station in Athens. It's dark, around 10pm and I'm nervous about making the walk back to our hotel. But it went without a hitch. Paul remembered the way and nobody accosted us. I checked with the hotel desk to see that they had arranged our car to the airport and they didn't. So the lady said she would do it now but, it might be too late to arrange and we may be taking a taxi.