Today I woke up in Kalambaka. Kalambaka is well known all over the world due to the legendary monasteries built atop Meteora rocks, situated near the eastern and northern part of the settlement. After jumping from one hotel to the next, one morning of sleeping in until 9 am is very much needed. Although, I am excited to check out the Monasteries in Meteora and learn more about the roots of their religion. My fit check is a little more dressy than usual. As all the girls must cover their shoulders, arms, and dresses/ skirts must be below the knees. While the guys had cover their knees and shoulders.
The Monasteries are BEAUTIFUL. They encompass everything religion means to me, beauty, individuality, and a sanctified place of worship. We were lucky enough to visit St. Nicholas Monastery as well as the Roussanou Monastery (one of the two Monasteries run by nuns in Meteora). At the Roussanou Monastery, we learned a little more about the monks. They cannot marry and don't cut their beards or hair to prove they don't care about their appearance. They do 8 hours of meditation, get 8 hours of sleep, and do 8 hours of labor (producing food or doing arts- icon making or rosary making). The rooms of the monks are called "cells" and there is a hospital for older monks in the monasteries. Although, even with their older history, the monasteries are constantly getting reparations done to keep the sites maintained. Additionally, monks don't eat meat an they only eat fish on Sundays. The origin of the monasteries comes from the first form of religion were the public would hold group meetings on Sundays together. Meteora, meaning ‘suspended in air’, is famous for its monasteries perched atop vertical peaks – but few know that before their construction in the 14th century, hermit monks first climbed these soaring stones to settle in the caves and hollows of the rocks as early as the 9th century. As hermits (coming from the word "herimitic", meaning to live on your own), they lived a life of solitude and isolation but legend has it they would climb down on Sundays for mass, held at Doupiani. In the 16th century, there were no stairs so there was a pulle and sack (net sack) to get up an down the mountain peaks (highest= 400m). Greeks went up for religious reasons but also for protection. Greece was invaded by Turks, so they climbed the rock for protection. There are three parts to the church, the sanctuary, nathas, and the altar. If the Halos (holy people) did something wrong and wanted to repent, they had to go to a separate area called the refectory. Before entering the monasteries, our tour guide informed us that it is part of a tradition to light a candle and bless yourself with three fingers on your forehead, heart, right (of your heart), and then to the left (of your heart). This is different from catholicism because it represents the closest people to God instead of the father, son, holy spirit.
Typically, when you enter a monastery, you will see Jesus in the middle and then the person that the church is dedicated to on the right (such as John the Baptist) and then always Mary on the left. Also, in the church, there are two divided parts of the walls. The lower level are the saints (because they are who we strive to be). The top design is god like (because it is who we cannot be). Then, there are four pillars that represent the sign of the cross and the dome at the very top is Jesus Christ (representing beyond time itself) and between the windows are prophets. The inside of the dome is very special because it is the pillars of Heaven (representing the support of the dome- which is God). Finally, inside the church on the walls is the story of Jesus (including his birth in Bethlehem, raising of Christ, Jesus fleeing from Jerusalem, etc.). The rich history matched the unbelievable views of Kalambaka from the top of the mountains.
Before making our way back down, we stopped to check out the views from the top of a rock formation. One of us (Kieran) even decided it would be a great place for a headstand on the edge of the rock. Although, it made for a pretty cool picture, he also gave Dr. Shah a heart attack....
After our tours of the monasteries, we headed back into town for a lunch break before heading to Thessaloniki. Amna and I found a small cafe where we ordered fresh juices and salads, which were sooo good. Then, we headed to Thessaloniki where I slept the whole four hours:).
Thessaloniki reminded me a lot of Athens because of the city feel compared to the smaller towns we have visited. Thus, I was excited to explore and especially go for runs along the water. After a good dinner at the hotel, a few of us walked around and got to experience our first night out in Thessaloniki, the views at night were stunning as you can see the water fade into the horizon and the streets packed with people on a Tuesday night.
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