Easter Trip

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Metsovo

Vikos Gorge

Ionnina

Corfu

Halkidiki

Transit

Thessaloniki

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Well, it’s been a while. It's not that there hasn't been anything to write about, it’s more like I've been suffering from the crushing weight of too much to tell. Yes, I am a procrastinator, but hopefully this entry will make up for my lack of communication.
A couple free weeks, a backpack, a bus schedule, and a sister. What can you do with this combination? Well, let me tell you the weeks will be too short, the backpack too heavy, the bus schedule wrong, and the sister...well sisters are sisters, yet it really will be amazing! (Especially if you throw into the mix a foreign land and language). Well, this year I had all the ingredients ready for an amazing experience, my sister was coming to visit me for my Easter break, and together we decided to do a little backpacking and bus hopping around northern Greece. I do love to travel, but I feel that studying here in Greece I should try to see as much of it as I can. So, we chose to stay in Greece for our "vacation" to make the most of the country.
Our first stop was Metsovo, a mountain village famous for its sheep cheese, which is situated in a wooded region of the Pindos Mountains. During the period under Ottoman rule many Greeks left the cities and fled to the mountains to found new lives and new villages. To escape the reach of the Turks they built themselves houses in inaccessible spots. Inaccessible being the most important; to this day Metsovo is often unreachable during the winter months. Located where it was one can imagine that the way there was harrowing. The bus ride (the first of many) alone was tortuous. We crossed the Katara Pass, the highest pass in Europe, a fact I didn't find out until after surving the tortorous twists and turns over narrow and guardrail-less roads. The landscape, similar to the Alps, is lovingly referred to as “little Switzerland.” Not only was this leg of our journey frightening as, well you know, but the name of area and town was a bit distressing. According to local folklore, Katara, is named so because of a curse a bishop once placed on the area...hmmm...that really didn't make me feel any better to know. We were happy to get off but a little bit hesitant as the bus literally stopped in the middle of no where with no sign of the cute village we were expecting. Yes, Greek travel; a nice place to leave from but who knows where you’ll end up. The only way to go was down, so down we went. With boots and backpacks we headed down what turned out to be another disconcerting journey We traversed twisted, cobble stoned paths at eighty degree angles; the fear of rolling very close to our minds. When we finally reached a flat area, it started raining. Dark clouds rolled in hiding the looming mountains behind curtains of icy rain. At this point, mildly put, we were distressed. However, things began to look up as we found our hotel and headed into the warmth. The next day with dry weather we headed out to see the sights of Metsovo (and to try some cheese). With a trusty map- let me rephrase that- with a quaintly decorated cartoon map, we hiked to the Monastery of Áyios Nikólaos. At one time this area was deserted, and the monastery went to ruin. Shepards passed through and built fires inside the chapel. Years past and the walls blackened with soot. No one realized that beneath the grime of ages beautiful 17th century frescoes existed. Today, the frescoes shine as some of the best preserved frescoes in Greece.

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Well, I never finished this before I headed out on another adventure, this time to Italy and Germany. However, I thought I would go ahead and publish it unfinished; as my mother tells me "stop being a perfectionists and let us know what is going on!"
I am safely in Rhodes now enjoying both the sun and the beach.

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Photos

The Way of Apostle Paul
This is the road that the Apostle Paul supposedly traveled to reach the spot where he preached to the Thessalonians. A nice cobble-stoned road we followed it up the mountain through the Turkish quarter.

Metsovo
After the scary drop off and cliff like streets we arrived safely at the bottom; sweaty, tired, and still lost. This picture was meant to document our survival of the near death roll down through Metsovo! It started raining right after this too.

Metsovo
Here's a better look at the death trap that is Metsovo; quaint, but those streets are killers!

Metsovo
The Alpine slopes of Metsovo, an area the Greeks lovingly term "Little Switzerland."

Comments

[anonymous]

hey, it looks like you are having an amzing time! I am soo jealous! I cant wait to see you... miss you much : )