Blogs from Thessaly, Greece, Europe

From a crow’s beak comes a crow’s voice… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the monasteries of the Meteora (a few kilometres north of Kalambaka). We woke early and headed down to Hotel Alexiou’s stark dining area, where I enjoyed a fairly basic breakfast of yoghurt and muesli, bread and jam, and tea and juice. Well, one cup of tea. For the first time in our Greek travels, hot black tea was not easily accessible. Black tea bags, for some unknown reason, were like hens’ teeth here. Hotel Alexiou wasn’t luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but the staff were friendly and attentive. We were happy with our room, the view from our balcony, and the location of the hotel. What more did we need? We resigned ourselves to the ... read more

"There's one!" I'm bursting with excitement. "There's another one," I exclaim as we approach the 'Stone Forest,' dozens of vertical rocks, each as tall as a small mountain. As we get closer, I can begin to make out the Orthodox monasteries atop several of these pinnacles. From photos I thought there were maybe 3 or 4 of these, but I later discover that 24 were built, some of them inside caves. Hermits started moving into the caves in the 9th century, and in the 1300's the first formal monastery was built. Allan's tired from the drive and it's hot from the African winds blowing north--44C/118F, so he lies down for a nap. I take the car from our hotel in Kalambaka, and drive to the top of the road--a couple of the monasteries are reachable this ... read more

Serres. Mica localitate, retrasa si linistita aproape de granita cu Bulgaria. Loc bun de popas. Am ales Hotelul Metropolis, camera la 50euro, camera spatioasa, de fapt apartament, curat, vedere, minibar plin, AC, TV plasma.... read more

26th to 29thMay Kato Gatzea near Volos It’s back to the coast and a lovely campsite called Sikia run by two sisters. The campsite is busy, partly due to a big group of cloggies. We were offered a tiny patch with a view of the sea but opted instead for a more spacious pitch with a view of the sea if you crane your head to the right. Behind us is the Pelian, a mountain range that has a small ski resort at the summit. There is a network of cobbled paths that link the hillside villages with each other and the coast. After buying a map we planned a couple of days walking but first we decided to cycle along the coast. We passed through the lovely seaside villages of Kala Nera where we stopped ... read more

As I left Corfu, I did something I've rarely done on this trip, which was not booking anywhere to stay at my next destination. This was because I had no idea whether I'd even make it to my next destination that day; Meteora. Basically I had no idea what the bus connections were and therefore how far I could get; but the hostels in the towns around Meteora seemed to have plenty of room so if I managed to get there, then I knew I'd probably be alright. With the ferry dropping me off in Igoumenitsa, I knew that I'd be able to then get to Ioannina but with only two daily buses onwards from Ioannina to Meteora, I wasn't sure if I'd make the last connecting bus and end up being stuck in Ioannina. In ... read more