Meteora

Greece

By Jon Mountjoy

January 20^th, 2020

Meteora, in Greece, is quite remarkable. Pillars of vertiginous rock, topped with monastaries.

Meteora and its monasteries

Most of these monasteries were built in the 14 and 1500s. Imagine hauling all the raw material up, on baskets and ropes. Imagine being hauled up, in fact. Or let down.

The priests persuaded locals to help. I would expect hell and rewards in heaven to be involved in that persuasion.

If you go inside, you'll find serious looking personnel, tiny chapels and expected religious icons. I think there was also a holy Ostrich egg, and dizzying views.

This is probably how it all started. Many thousands of years ago, folk started living in caves, carved into the face of the rock.

We also visited the splendid Byzantine Church of the Virgin Mary. Sadly, photography of any sort was not permitted. It has frescoes from the 11th and 16th century. There is much history here. Everything is old. Including the fungus on the ventilation shaft.

I love this blend of building and rock.

Sunset was splendid - especially seeing the stone fingers silhouetted like this.

Part of a splendid meal in Kalambaka, was gigantes, a butterbean dish you find over much of Greece, and stuffed aubergine.

Natural History Museum of Meteora & Mushroom Museum

What a combination. How could one not go in? This was a fabulous little museum. The 'shroom part of it was rather artistic. The little sign on the one depicting the grim reaper, reads: "Amanita phalloides & Amanita verna: The lethal Amanita mushrooms. These mushrooms are the most deadly poisonous mushroom in Greece and Europe. They are responsible for the majority (more than 90%) of deadly mushroom intoxications. Their toxic properties show us that 'we don't play with mushrooms' because 'a mistake in mushroom identification can kill'.." Indeed.