Arrival in Meteora

After visiting the old fortified city of Ioannina, we stopped at a coffee shop, Antika, for a coffee and a snack, and walked a little more around town. We also went to get rain jackets for the next part of our trip, Meteora. Dean got a layer that he should be able to use for running at an outdoor sports store called Fifth Element, and I got a long raincoat at Oysho.

Ioannina has a lot of stores and cafes. With better weather, I'm sure it's a great place to visit and explore besides the most historical sites.

The ride to Meteora was roughly 90 minutes. The last part of the road was quite winding, but we were struck with the view as soon as we arrived. The Meteora refers to the rock formation in the region, which hosts several Eastern Orthodox monasteries. It is located between the town of Kalabaka, where our hotel was located, and the village of Kastraki. And what's impressive is that the rocks are right next to the town, which gives it a very imposing feeling. Our hotel, Aeolic Star Hotel, had views of the rocks directly from our window.

The Meteora complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 because of its outstanding architecture, beauty, and religious and cultural significance.

It was rainy and windy when we arrived, so we stayed in the hotel and chilled until it was time for dinner. We went to have dinner to Panellinio, a Greek restaurant very close to the hotel. The staff was very friendly and the decoration was interesting, with old photos and objects. I had a beef dish with tomato sauce and Dean had lambchops, as well as a quite large Greek salad.Read more