- We recovered well from the long flight and picked up the hire car mid-morning. It’s a four hour drive to Trikala and we broke it in half.
- Stopped at Karmena Vourla on the Gulf of Evia for a swim and lunch. The tavernas have seating along the waterfront with their kitchens and other seating across the main street. Waiters dodge the traffic to bring you your food and drinks. It felt great to be back in Greece!
- Arrived in Trikala, checked in then had a drink on the vine covered terrace. The town sits on a plain straddling the Lithaios river. Took a late afternoon walk to get our bearings.
- Next day (Saturday) was the main event, visiting the World Heritage monasteries of Meteora which are built on top of rock pinnacles. It’s possible to visit the site using public transport, but it’s far easier with a car. We planned an anticlockwise route to visit five of the main monasteries.
- Moni Agiou Stefanou (St Stephen) was first. Built in 1798 it sits at the end of the road with a spectacular drop off to the plain below.
- Moni Agias Triados (Holy Trinity) was next. It has a cute little cable car to ferry people and provisions, and a less sophisticated winch system. It’s famous for being featured in the James Bond film For You Eyes Only.
- Stopped at Psaropetra lookout to take in the full panorama. We could see down to Moni Varlaam which we visted later in the day.
- Moni Agiou Nikolaou (St Nikolaou Anapafsa) was the next stop. It was built in the 15th C and is a great spot to see the geology up close. We lingered here to eat our lunch on a shaded terrace.
- Moni Varlaam was next. It has a rope and basket system on display so you can see how things used to get in and out.
- Moni Megalou Meteora (Great Meteora) was our last stop for the day. Founded in the 14th C it’s a large and seemingly prosperous monastery. The frescoes and major church building (katholikon) were most impressive.
- Headed back to Trikala for the evening with our heads full and our legs weary. And kinda wondering, why?
- Started slow on Sunday morning after a big day yesterday.
- Drove out to Pyli to visit the 13th C church of Porta Panagia. It’s a beautiful building in a gorgeous setting.
- The priest was getting ready for a baptism but took time out to tell us about its history. Originally it was a Greek temple. A medieval monstery was built on the site then destroyed by the Turks. The church was not destroyed, and he showed us doors that had been bricked up and turned into windows to stop the Ottomans bringing their horses in. He explained that in orthodox churches, icons of Christ are always on the right of the altar, Virgin on the left.
- Nearby we saw the Portaikos bridge, an arched bridge built by the bishop/ Saint Bessarion II in 1514. It’s a very elegant structure.
- The south bank of the river is shaded by trees and there’s a cafe and restuarant. Lots of locals had driven or ridden out there for a drink or something to eat. It was a lovely spot to linger for a while.
- Headed back to Trikala for the afternoon/evening. This ended up being a very pleasant day. A nice change of pace from yesterday.
