meteora

meteora

3 Jun 2019

One of my workmates visited Meteora 4 years ago and the monasteries sounded so amazing when I decided to go to Greece, visiting Meteora was on the itinerary.



My accommodation was in the old part of Kalambaka, the gateway to Meteora. This was the view from the balcony.



My accommodation backed onto the monks walk which took you from the Byzantine Church to the Holy Trinity Monastery. 




It was a 45 minute scramble uphill, passing by olive groves and vineyards. I arrived pretty hot and sweaty.





I was too tired to walk on to St. Stephens so I clambered back down the hill and planned which monasteries to visit the next day.



The day dawned a bit grey and gloomy and by the time I caught the bus to St Nicholas, the first monastery, it was pouring.



I'd planned to walk the rest of the way but I was a bit concerned having to walk on the road - no footpaths/no shoulder and crazy drivers. I spied an unmarked pathway and followed it, even though I wasn't sure where it would lead.



It was such a pretty walk and I had it all to myself. 



I walked higher and higher until I eventually started to hear some voices. I'd arrived at the Varlaam Monastery, the 2nd monastery of the day.



The first 2 monasteries I visited were quite small and spare but Varlaam was huge and crowded with large tour groups.



This was the view from the terrace. 5 minutes later the fog rolled in reducing visibility to nothing.



This was the Holy Monastery of Greater Meteoron peaking through the mist, the next monastery I visited.



This was the largest of all the monasteries with the most lavish frescoes and chandeliers in the chapel. Unfortunately you're not allowed to take photos of these areas.



I started making my way back down the hill to the final nunnery, the Roussanou nunnery.



As I made my way down the hill, the sun came out and the fog started to lift.



Eventually it cleared,



revealing the Grand Meteoron Monastery in all it's glory.



By that stage I was monasteried out so I decided against visiting the Roussanou Nunnery.



Instead I photographed some of the trees and flowers



and the stunning landscape.



I decided to photograph St Nicholas again this time in sunshine then walked through the village of Kastraki to Kalambaka, happily munching on an excellent cheese pie.





Even though I walked home with wet shoes and socks and my hair all wild and woolly, I didn't mind because I'd had such a good day out.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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athens

athens

28 May 2019

I arrived in Athens not quite sure what to expect. I'd had such a relaxing stay in Milos and wasn't sure I was ready for the hustle and bustle of a big city. This was the view from my apartment.



First thing on my agenda was to visit the Acropolis. I'd read all the recommendations - rubber soled shoes, water, hat and an early start and did all of those things. 



I scaled the heights and discovered waves of tourists wielding cameras and selfie sticks and endless scaffolding. I was a bit disappointed.



My favourite part of the Acropolis was the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion.



Details of the Acropolis.



The Acropolis Museum was so helpful putting everything into context.



The Theatre of Dionysus. I'm not sure how comfortable those marble seats would have been.



The ancient agora was much more my style.


The Stoa of Attalos.



The Acropolis from the Ancient Agora.



The Church of the Holy Apostles.



The next day I was out and about early to watch the changing of the Presidential Guards.



I found it quite moving as did the guards participating in the ceremony looking at the intensity in their faces.



Next stop was Hadrian's Library.



Another view.



By then it was time to visit the Plaka, a lively district near the Acropolis.



Splashes of colour.



Some old doorways.



A local shopkeeper.



Flowers



From there I wandered to the Anafiotika district, known for it's cycladic architecture.



Yes, this is Athens not Santorini.



This is the view.



My final stop was the Panathenic Stadium home of the modern olympics.



The stadium is made from marble and it's a thing of beauty.



I felt a part of the Olympic family.



Next stop, the mystical Meteora.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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milos

milos

22 May 2019

When I was planning my holiday I wanted to visit a few of the Greek islands but I also didn't want to spend all my time packing and travelling. In the end, I decided to visit just 2 islands, Santorini and Milos.



It took about 2 1/2 hours on a fast ferry to reach Milos from Santorini. I stayed at Halara Studios high on a hill in charming Plaka, the capital city of Milos.



Plaka is nowhere near the beach and about 5 kms from the Port of Adamas. At the top of the hill is an old Venetian castle, the Kastro.



Plaka is very pretty with white washed buildings and lots of colourful touches.



The view from the church overlooking Plaka.



Plaka is close to a number of historic sights including the catacombs and the Roman Theatre. The walk down to the catacombs is very pretty.



You pass the Roman theatre first before reaching the Catacombs. The Roman Theatre is still in use to this day.



It's a beautiful structure.


A close-up.



From there I walked to the nearby village of Tripiti.



Tripiti is home to a number of windmills most of which have been converted into holiday accommodation. Directly below Tripiti is the fishing village of Klima.


A different viewpoint.



Try as I might I couldn't figure how to get to Klima so the following day I walked down there via the main road. Klima is known for it's colourful houses called syrmata where the boats are stored downstairs whilst the fisherman lived upstairs.



These days many of the houses have been converted into holiday accommodation but I saw a few fisher folk working on their boats and nets whilst I was there.



Klima is probably best seen from the water.



On my third day I went on a boat trip around the west coast of Milos with Milos Adventures.



It was supposed to be a swimming trip but this girl doesn't get into water if the mercury hasn't hit 27C and we were struggling to hit 20C that day. Some brave souls did enter the water accompanied by shrieks.



We went in a dinghy to explore the Pirate's Caves in Kleftiko. It was a good day.



Today it rained so I stayed locally and went for a walk through fields of flowers from the Roman Theatre back to my accommodation in Plaka.



Tomorrow I fly to Athens so tonight I had a farewell meal at my favourite local restaurant before packing.

I'll have some photos of Athens to share with you next time we meet.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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