If you know me I don’t often use the words Magical, Magnificent, Beautiful or the expression “Mind Meltingly Surreal”, so if that is what I refer to a place as then it must be pretty freaking special. All of those things are exactly what Meteora is.
I have wanted to visit Meteora ever since I saw a photo of it about 6 years ago. I originally thought the photo I saw was fake/photoshopped because I didn’t think a landscape so amazing could exists, but I soon found out that Meteora was indeed a real place here in Greece and I always planned to visit one day. I had never felt so excited to visit a place before.
My train got into the town which is nestled below Meteora at about 1.30 from Athens (goodbye Athens you amazing city). By the time I found some accommodation and lunch I only had time to hike up and check out a cave, the eastern Monastery and Nunnery. The hike really does feel like you are hiking on another planet or something, its amazingly green, moss growing everywhere, Snakes slithering around and the views are killer.
I found an amazing place between the Nunnery and Monastery to watch the sunset from on a pretty hairy rocky ledge which required a little bouldering to get to. Definitely not a place for someone with a fear of heights. Not long after I was joined by an awesome Mexican dude who turned out to be a Couchsurfer too. So we sat together and watched the sun disappear before hiking back down to town.
This is one of the “floating” monasteries used by the monks. There are a dozen or so of these Monasteries which you can easily visit, plus some in ruins or unreachable without rock climbing equipment. Here is a fun fact. Back in the ye old times the monks used to have to get to the Monasteries using ropes, ladders and leaps of faith. The only time they replaced the ropes is when “the lord” broke them and sent an unlucky monk to his death.
Back at my accommodation I fell asleep in the bath while watching adventure time with a beer in hand, perfect end to an amazing day. Hence why this post is a little late haha.
