Meteroa Rock, Monks, and Monasteries

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My sincerest apologies for not publishing a blog for a very long time…It’s not that I didn’t do anything but more of I did too much! I hope everyone is excited to read about monks and monasteries, since that is the first trip I’m going to talk about!

Meteora, Greece is a place that has interesting tall rock formations that resulted from wind and water erosion. Left behind are steep but smooth cliffs, peaks, and caves on which monks from the 4th century onward were able to live a life of religious asceticism.

These monks were not kidding when they wanted to be left alone either; the cliffs of Meteora are so steep that only the most experienced rock climbers attempt to scale the sides of the mountainous region. The first monks to arrive were forced to create footholds in the massive rocks to climb or carve steps.

The monasteries that I visited were from Byzantine era, complete with characteristic art and ornately decorated sanctuaries. Each monastery/nunnery was quite unique, yet all of them had a sense of peace (and strong pungent smell of incense…)

For those planning on visiting these sanctuaries, remember that they are on the top of massive rocks, so the journey to the top is very physically taxing. The stairs are many, steep, and slippery all at the same time.

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