There are going to be so many amazing things I am going to see while away. Although I know I will have a good time, regardless, I feel I will be able to appreciate everything more if I know the background and history of what I will be seeing. As a result of this conclusion, I am going to begin researching all the places I will be seeing!
First on the list: METEORA!!!!
Meteora is famous for these monastaries located on top of these giant rock structures. Originally there were around 20 structures erected; however only six remain today (Great Meteoron (or Transfiguration), Varlaam, St. Stephen, Holy Trinity, St. Nicholas Anapausas and Rousanou).
Orignially there were no steps to these monastaries; the only way to reach these structures was by rope and crank. Early in the 11th century, in an effort to escape the expanding Turkish empire, hermit monks lived in the caves in the giant rocks. As there were no stairs, the monks used ropes and baskets to lift the building material to the tops of the rocks in order to construct the buildings. In the 1920′s, there were stairs carved into the mountains in order to create easier access to the locations.
Today, five of the six monataries are occupied by maen and one by female (in Europe, monastaries can be occupied by either men or women – there is no separate word for the two).
Website with good informaiton on Meteora: http://www.greecetravel.com/meteora/monasteries.html
