Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Meteora


I chose this picture because I think it captures how huge these rocks are as you see them towering over the houses.  There are many more like these.  I think I was more impressed with the rocks themselves than with the monasteries on top of them.
Monks began building monasteries on the rocks in the 14th century.  There were once 24.  Now there are four monasteries and two nunneries.  They seem to take turns being available for tour groups.  The afternoon group I went with was allowed in one of the nunneries.  The morning group the same day was allowed in one of  the monasteries.  The chapel we saw was ancient with some beautiful icons. 
The Greek word "meteora" means "rock in the air" and is where we get our word "meteor."  I spent some time walking right up to the base of some of these monsters and felt their power.  The guide knew that some prehistoric people settled in the area, but he didn't know why.  I would guess that the rocks seemed to them to make it a kind of spiritual area.
Maybe the monks escaped onto the inaccessible rocks without noticing that the Spirit was in the very air of the place.

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