Climbing Staircases, crossing seas to soak in as much of greece as possible
Greece had long been on our list of "must-see" destinations, and we were eagerly anticipating our trip there. After spending a couple of days in Athens, we headed north by bus to the city of Kalambaka; a full day's ride. Once past the hills that surround Athens, we entered the long Plain of Thessaly with the Pindos mountains to the west.

The scenery was tranquil as we passed through the fertile valley hosting farms, small towns and occasional light industry. We were headed to the area of Meteora to see the "hanging monasteries."

The geology is unique with a cluster of rock columns that quickly rise hundreds of feet from the valley floor. More than 400 years ago, a group of monks wished to isolate themselves and be closer to heaven. They accomplished both by building monasteries at the top of the Meteora cliffs. Originally there were 24 sites, but only six remain. One achieved fame in the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only." As the filming was about to start, the monks staged a protest over how money to permit the filming was being distributed. The monks hung out sheets to spoil the scenes of the monasteries.

Eventually the issue was resolved, and the film nicely captures the feeling of the area.
Before the 1900s, the only access to the monasteries was via a basket at the end of a long rope. Lore has it that the ropes were changed only when they broke. Fortunately, there are now much less intimidating stairways that lead up. But during our visit, one of the rope lifts was still being used to haul stones and cement for repairs.

Austin American-Statesman (subscription), TX