Meteora's Majestic Monasteries

I was right. Today was another day filled with awe. There’s a quote I read recently that sums up my day perfectly...“Gratitude is happiness doubled with wonder.” I think that captures the feeling of my entire Grecian adventure, and more specifically, today’s trek to the sacred rocks.

I was standing on these rocks, formed 60 million years ago, looking out over the mountain ranges of Greece and the villages below, and I looked up at the white clouds passing over my head. It was as if I could reach my hand up and swirl them around. Although there were tourists mingled with the black-robed Orthodox Nuns of the Nunnery, and the wind whipped my dress around like a Marilyn Monroe moment - the silence of the place was deeply felt.

Our first monastery was Saint Stephen’s, the second one was the Monastery of Roussanou. Both are actually Nunneries with about 20 lifers. St. Stephen’s was a bit larger and more easily accesible. They have this large piece of wood from a cyprus tree, hanging horizontally in their small stone courtyard. Beside it is a hammer-type instrument fashioned from wood. This is how they communicate the changing of the hours - devotion, mealtimes, chores, devotion. It represents the wood that Noah hammered on his Ark, sending his message far and wide for all his followers to appear on the boat. Cool. Both monasteries have beautifully tended gardens where the Nuns are actually buried when they pass on. Interesting. And all of the monasteries have unbelievably small churches decorated in the traditional Orthodox fashion - which is to say, beautifully and artistically and gaudily. Not an empty square of stone could be seen on the walls, pillars, or ceilings of the churches. Icons with gold-leaf and bright reds, blues, yellows, greens, and oranges stand out in hand-carved wooden frames. Frescos of Christ’s death and resurrection adorn the walls, and intricate wooden carvings encircle pillars and screens to separate the sanctuary. Jaw-dropping.

The moments of wonder seemed endless - it was all just a bit over the top. And on our way up the mountain, we stopped to gaze out over the rocks where all six of the monasteries could be seen, where the caves in the sides of the rocks were visible (caves where monks lived in the 10th century before the monasteries were built), and where the lines on the sandstone were transparent - a gift leftover from a prehistoric ocean that once swept through the area. Took some pictures of the ‘famous’ monastery - the one in the James Bond film, “For Your Eyes Only.”

Most people were quiet on the ride back to Athens - some sleeping, some lost in thought, and others profoundly touched by the vast natural wonders seen. Arriving back into the city, bodies moved around and came to life. As the sea came into view, I heard my lungs exhale a deep breathe I didn’t know I’d been holding. There’s something about me and water. I felt my core balance out and a smile on my face.

Now I am sitting in the lobby of The London Hotel, in Glyfada (just outside center of Athens), internally reviewing my day and preparing for my next adventure. In a few hours I say goodbye to Greece (for now) and head to Spain. I have a week in Ibiza with a group of friends from London - so incredibly happy anticipating seeing their faces, and then a week in Barcelona. I’m guessing that it will be very cool to be in Spain for the World Cup final. If England and the USA couldn’t show up, at least it’s fun that it worked out to be Spain while I’m actually in Spain.