Meteora, Greece

We arrived Meteora in the dark.  But the iconic single pinnacle was clearly identifiable among other rocks

:We checked in the hotel with our windows facing the rocks.

Quickly we went to dinner with syrtaki dancers entertained us in lovely customs.

The following morning, one can see the rocks in brighter light:

Meteora is a UNESCO site known for its unique geology and the famous monasteries built dated back to the 14th century.  Meteora actually means "suspended in the air".  These monasteries perched atop pinnacles that rise 1000 ft from the valley floor.  These monasteries served as Christian redoubts while the Ottoman Turks rules Greece.

We drove around and saw all five monasteries in a distance.  Then we visited two of them where the bus can get close to.

Get close to visit the inside:

 

We then took a little hike to walk from the monastery to a nearby town (Kalambaka?):

 The rope hanging from the top is for monks to transport people and goods up and down.

 Some beautiful flowers:

 The eggs laid on the leaf:

 The ruin of an once upon a time a monastery:

 A legend of San Giorgio:  Each year, people will hike up on the cliff and hang a new scarf to replace the one from last year.  The wife of an Otterman officer prayed to San Gorgio to save her injured husband, in return, she offered her scarf to San Gorgio.  Her husband was saved.  One would ask "Is it not the term of "Tama" means a life for a life?  How would a scarf equal to a life?  No, the scarf meant that she gave up her religion!!  Hence the tradition of to tie the scarf on the cliff every year.

At the town center, we had a wonderful lunch of lamb chop and lamb stew.  Jill, Carolle, Amy and I shared the dishes.  Bonnie skipped lunch:

 Our dinner was memorable as I really enjoyed the music played with Bouzouki! Our chef not only cooked us a nice meal, he and his family entertained us with music and singing.  Our driver Tassos played accordion.

The restaurant's name means "dawn"