Day 5 of the Inspiring Vacations Greek Tour

Dinner last night was tasty and the service at the Platanos Tavern was friendly and efficient.

The bed was very comfortable and the accommodation was in a special place of the world.

We woke to another beautiful day, early start, quick breakfast, bags stacked like Tetris into the car to deliver to the bus and then we were on our way up, up, up the rocks to the monasteries.

MK informed us of the hermits who settled here and then the development of the monasteries. Rock climbing is obviously a common activity in Meteora.The towering pillars were shaped over millions of years by geological processes and erosion. Some rise hundreds of metres above the surrounding countryside, creating a landscape that almost looks unreal.

We stopped at two monasteries. These buildings are at dizzying heights. The first was accessed up a set of steep steps.

A leaf blower broke the serenity of the place

We made a stop between monasteries to take some more photos of the spectacular scenery.

Women have to wear a long skirt so I packed my green scarf that served the purpose. Saint Stephan’s was the nun’s monastery. One of the easiest monasteries to access because a bridge connects it to the rock.

We then had some free time in the town of Kalabaka.

Back on the bus we started the 4 hour journey back to Athens Riviera. We made a stop at Thermopyles. MK explained that this is one of the most famous places in ancient Greek history. It is where King Leonidas of Sparta and his warriors made their legendary last stand against the enormous Persian army in 480 BC. In ancient times, the landscape formed a narrow passage between the mountains and the sea, making it a strategic defensive position.

We continued on our way with another rest stop that charged exhorting tourist prices. On to Athens and its traffic! This slowed our progress but we got to our next accommodation, the Blue Sea Hotel, by about 7pm.

We gave Christos and MK their gratuities with much appreciation for a great trip.

The 4 star hotel was a bit tired and lacked easily accessible power outlets or even enough of them. I asked for a double adapter so I didn’t have to unplug the TV to boil the kettle.