Train trip from Athens to Kalambaka 5 hours. Throughly enjoyed the trip (when not asleep/snoring) as there was so much to take in, one of those interesting train rides. Back to the land of subsistence farming where the people are, and often need to be, self sufficient. Huge cultivated plains (Thessaly Plain) with mountains looming large around the horizon.View from train amazing!
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| Train View of hinterland |
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Fruit trees; mulberries, olives, peaches, nectarines, cherries. Citrus closer to the coast. Corn and some other grains plentiful at the moment too. Funnily enough we saw and bought fruit in the Plaka, Athens; so plentiful that cherries, nectarines and peaches were all going for 1€/kg! Delicious! Vege gardens again commonplace and integral to the subsistence life. Tomatoes not surprisingly a favorite!
Herds of small weedy looking multicoloured goats and many beehives in an array of different colours all contributed to the authentic Greek countryside experience!
Our arrival into Kalambaka was a little eerie. We got off the train late, now mid afternoon, adorned with numerous heavy bags, sun beating down on us with only a handful of elderly locals chitter chatting away in Greek and with no idea how to find the Rex Hotel. The train station resembled an old makeshift tin shed (50 degrees in the shade!) and its carpark was more like a dust bowl. As you can imagine we were soon alone and well on our way to dehydration as the sweat poured out! A lone map from what looked like the 1940s pointed us in the direction of a tourist info centre about 10 minutes walk up the hill. It was about now we took notice of the surroundings; the imposing stone pinnacles of Meteora, home of the cliff top monasteries, watching over Kalambaka. I could also see what promised to be a wonderland of overgrown tracks, hidden caves and adrenaline pumping climbing opportunities. Manda perhaps less excited at that prospect! Too hot to gawk at the scenery we soon pushed onward and upward toward town centre.
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| View from Rex hotel of Meteora |
As we dragged ourselves along, we couldn't help but to notice the ghostly nature of Kalambaka. Businesses appeared shut, there were very few people on the street, locals or tourists, and cafes were vacant. There were even very few scooters or cars along the street. We quickly concluded it was a ghost town! After a quick stop at the info centre (lady clearly didn't want to be there either as she poked a fist full of photocopied information and some free postcards in my hand then turned away!) we were equipped with all we needed to know and then some! Hotel close by which was greatly appreciated!
So what does one do in a ghost town when it's boiling hot? Manda had a siesta and I went exploring! Words can not describe the exhaustion of scrambling up the pinnacles nor the view from the top. Needless to say Manda got a few hours sleep! My sleeping beauty! After a quick shower we headed back to the ghost town hoping to find some dinner (as lunch was a non event...) and were taken by surprise; there were children, parents, older men and women, all out enjoying dusk (now 8pm)! Men playing backgammon, smoking, drinking and telling animated stories along the street while the women were shopping and watching the kids. The odd tourist was out too. Shops were now open and the town was alive! Even the water fountain was on! Like Manda, it appeared Kalambaka's residents were smart enough to take a siesta most of the afternoon! Smart thinking! Evidently finding a cheap (€1.70), 100% real chicken breast souvlaki wasn't too hard!! Will go back again tonight I'm sure!
Spent this morning together exploring and marveling over the 6 remaining monasteries perched precariously, yet very robustly and precisely, atop the giant rock pinnacles in Meteora (meaning suspended from the air which they certainly were!). We visited only 3 of the 6 along the walk as each cost 2€pp and generally had similar things to look at. Manda in her shorts was made to wear a long flowing tie up skirt (simply stunning) at each monastery much to my delight and I stupidly took jeans to put on while visiting (SO hot!). As usual photos don't do the scenery justice but will include some photos when we are able to!
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| View of Kalambaka from Meteora |
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| Meteora small monastery atop rock with cliff views! |
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| Largest Grand Monastery complete with museums and winehouse! Oh the life of a monk! |
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| Wouldn't be the same without a pic of me!! Great view! |
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| Yes, this is how they now get into the monastery |
Now, mid afternoon, sun beating down, Kalambaka is again quiet. I've gone for the siesta option with Manda and thought it best to blog while the memory was fresh and time allowed! Now done, I'll work on the travel journal I've neglected since Turkey and see if I can't get this Manda monkey off my back, even of temporarily!!!
Next stop hot, sunny, relaxing Greek Islands! Can't hardly wait!
Monastery waste disposal: picture will do it justice!
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| The approach |
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| The tip! |
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| The result! WOW! |
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