Meteora

On my trip to Larissa I passed through Meteora.

It is an extraordinary place with massive pinnacles of smooth rocks with holes in them like Swiss cheese. Although I did not stay long during this drive through, I returned many times with Debi and friends.

During return trips, I visited the monasteries atop the the rocks. Each monastery is built around a central courtyard surrounded by monk's cells, chapels and a refectory. In the center of each courtyard stands the katholikon or main church.

These monasteries were built as early as 1100 AD. Meteora has been a stronghold of the Orthodox East ever since the 11th century. It is a rock forest which rises from the Thessalian plain near the town of Kalambaka. Of the 21 monasteries which once stood on these rocks, six still function today. The remaining 15 are uninhabited and in ruins.



Debi and Friend
at St Stephen