Meteora Monasteries

I had set my alarms (phone and watch) for 5:30 a.m. since we had disembarkation at 6:45 a.m. Well, I didn't need either alarm as the ship's bow thrusters kicked into high gear at 5:00 a.m. It sounded and felt like a 747 jet had landed in my cabin. Lights on - the day had started. By 7:30 we were all on the bus, suitcases stored below, back with our guide, Christiana and our first-rate drive, Dimitri.

We began the trip by saying the Holy Rosary and then singing the Divine Chaplet, for to sing is to pray twice.

We drove north and I watched as the scenery changed from urban to rural and agrictultural. The three top industries in Greece are shipping (think Aristotle Onassis), tourism and agriculture. Main crops are wheat, corn, fruit (nectarines especially), olives, grapes for wine, honey (hives are in very colourful boxes) and a new one for me to see - cotton.

We made two stops along the way at the Greek version of ON Route centres that are on Highway 401. Lots of washrooms and lots of food choices.

Our destination was the town of Kalampaka and the towering rock formations of Meteora, a spiritual and geological marvel. These "pillars of the sky" host centuries-old monasteries that seemed to be suspended between heaven and earth. The Meterora is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala, in Thessaly, in northwestern Greece, hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Easter Orthodox monasteries, viewed locally as second in importance only to Mount Athos.

Twenty-four monasteries were established atop the giant natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area, mainly from the second half of the 14th century. At their greatest numbers, they housed about 10,000 monks. Only six of these are still active live and open to visitors: the monasteries of Great Meteoron (est. 1356), Varlaam, Saint Nicholas Anapaests, Rousanou, Holy Trinity, and Saint Stephen. The Saint Stephen one became a convent in 1961. The other five remain managed by monks. All of the nuns and monks live here in solitude and prayer. Their numbers now are at about 150. They choose silence to hear God more clearly. "Be still, and know that I am God...." (Psalm 46:10).

Dimitri ably navigated the tight hair pin turns that switchbacked up the mountain. From the parking lot, it was a long walk up to the actual monastery.

My pictures can barely do justice to the magnificence of the formations and the incredible feats of engineering to build monasteries atop them. We were able to tour The Monastery of the Apostles and to view its fabulous icons. No photos were allowed inside the actual church section where every inch of the walls and ceiling was covered in pictures depicting the life of Jesus and the apostles and saints.

From there, we headed back to the Hotel Amalia where we had stopped briefly to drop our suitcases and get covered up - the monastery has a strict dress code. It's a lovely hotel with nice big rooms and bathrooms.

We have mass at 6:15 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Today, September 8, is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin May. her humility and willingness to say "Yes" to God's plan is a lesson for all of us. We will be singing "Happy Birthday" to her after dinner tonight! Czytaj więcej