Monasteries, magic, and mosquitos

It’s 11pm and I’m dancing around a Greek mountain in the dark, in 30 degree heat, in some vain attempt to avoid becoming bug bait (spoiler alert, it doesn’t work). The sky is alive with the thrum of cicadas, the single note chirps of swallows swoop above and the buzz of thousands of mosquitos that have just discovered their next meal fills my ears. Just across from us stands the monastery of Varlaam, the biggest of 6 monasteries still functioning here in Meteora. Kris, my guide for the evening tells me how him and his friends used to explore the mountains here every day after school. He grew up in the town below, Kalambaka, and spends the night telling me stories of monks, hermits, Greeks and Turks.

It’s been swelteringly hot today, hitting almost 40 degrees and so I’m grateful for the chance to explore the area without the sun directly overhead although it’s still extremely warm. Kris and I discuss climate change as we walk, apparently this is hotter than normal for Greece and they had rain almost all of May and June which is unheard of. Something’s definitely amiss.

As the sun sets, we’re given a stunning view down the valley. The unusual rock formation created by being underwater millions of years ago, and the sandstone eroding, leaving impressive rock formations and small caves built naturally into the side of these stunning cliffs. As night falls I manage to get some star shots above one of the monasteries before calling it a night.

I wake up and catch a glimpse of myself, my face red, tired, and puffy, like I’ve had a night on the town, only to realise moments later the puffiness is coming from three mosquito bites- one on each cheek and one on my forehead. Wonderful. I then discover the collection I’ve amassed on my arms, and a few on my finger tips. It’s going to be an itchy ride back to Thessaloniki before heading on to (North) Macedonia tomorrow although it was absolutely worth the photos and the chance to explore such a beautiful area.Read more