As part of our Senior Couples "Seminar" we took a trip to Meteora.  Meteora is area north of Athens with many tall isolated pinnacles with about 18 monasteries on top of some.  It required a 5 hour bus trip.  We stayed overnight and visited the area and returned to Athens.

We arrive at Meteora

We arrive at our hotel after 5 hour bus ride north from Athens.

Missionaries in front of a hotel mural of the pinnacles of Meteora.

First view of some of the pinnacles from our Hotel.

White dots are mountain goats.  ( See next picture)

Mountain goats on the side of one of the cliffs

We had a nice outdoor dinner before going to bed

When we woke up it was raining cats and dogs and rained hard all day.  It was difficult to see everything, but we had a good time

This is St. Stephens Monastery.  It is one of the largest and the hardest to get to.  It stands on top of a pinnacle about 2000 feet high.  From here we had to walk down to a narrow part of the crevice, cross a bridge and walk up through tunnels and 170 stairs to get there.  The wooden part on the top right is where they used to lower a basket to bring up supplies and people.

Entrance into monastery and carpenter shop of St. Stephens.

This how they called the Monks to prayers.  They would swing the large, heavy wooden log to hit the metal bell.

One of several very large (about six feet) wine storage barrels.  Wine is big here!

This is the room of the "skulls".  They were monks that lived  here.  They said when the room smells sweet it means their spirit is there. ( I think the incense helped also)

Inside St. Stephens.  It is about 1500 years old.

View of valley from Meteora.

Nun's Monastary

The gardens of Nun's Monastary.

The peaks of Meteora

This is a shop in the Plaka.  It is on a narrow little street with shops on both sides.  Mom says that it reminds her of the Alley in Harry Potter.

This is one of moms favorite store in the Plaka.  She says that I had to put it on blog!