Meteora and its Monasteries... Nature at work and its Formation of rocks...

Meteora is an area in Thessaly (Central Greece) and Kalampaka is the city under the rock towers of Meteora. The thing that makes Meteora so special is the monasteries on the top of the rock towers. The monasteries, the amount of peaks to climb and the paths for hiking, brings many tourists to Meteora.

High up in the mountains, spruced out monasteries (look a little bit like mushrooms... hee...) Quite a lovely sight of nature... and one can't help but wonder how did they built the monasteries on the mountain top... The rock formation on the mountains was also an amazing sight, looks like big sponges! Check it out!

A lovely flower on the way...

Driving past a Spartan war memorial site...

Kevin and Hanin (as Hanin only had one day before her flight out of Athens, Kevin specially drove for 4 hours to bring her to Meteora... hehehe...)

Check out the rock and the monastery on the top...

Kevin attempting to embrace the rock...

Kevin and me...


The Grand Meteoron Monastery



Kevin posing with the signage... hehehe...



Ya-Ya Papaya Couple... hahaha...



Solemn now... upon entering the monastery...



See how the monastery seems to have sprout out from the rock itself...



Harnessing special powers... hee... Hanin and me...


Attaining nirvana...



Making donations...


Walking up the long flight of stairs...



Check out the natural patterns on the rock...


Still climbing... Whew...


View from the Grand Meteoron Monastery... Overlooking at Varlaam Monastery...


Finally there...


For women, you are not allowed to enter the monastery in pants... so got to put on a skirt (sarong) provided...

Close up on the Varlaam Monastery...


Strike a pose!


Act cute no. 1


Me and Hanin... Cheezzzzeee~


The interior of the monastery... with a church...

Sitting down at the entrance...


Looking out at the beautiful view...


An old kitchen in the monastery... not in use anymore... just for display...


Walking down...


Into a storage chamber of tools...

Greek name of the Monastery...


Heading back down...


A little cave with an altar on the way down...


More natural rock mountains...


Funny shapes of the rocks...

Varlaam Monastery... (we visited Meteora a second time, when Kevin's friend, Jingjing and gang came to Greece)... Another long drive of 4 hours just to get there... Whew... Poor Kevin...


Climb again... hehehe...


Kevin and his winning smile... hehehe...


Entering the Varlaam Monastery...


The view from the inside...

Looking over towards the Grand Meteoron...


Picture together!


Other small monasteries...


Kevin and the flags...


Heading down again...

Can't help but find the rocks really interesting... hehehe... the works of nature... Amazing...


And don't ask me why i was posing but looking away... hahahhaa... The usual kay poh me was distracted by some action going on (some kid throwing tantrum)... hahhaha...


Ok, a proper one! And Kevin decides that the rocks deserves more focus than me.. hahha...

Entering the Holy Monastery of Saint Stephen... It is a nunnery (to be exact)... As the sisters and nuns stay there...




Interior... with the round-shaped church...


The courtyard area...


Well-maintained garden...

Looking down...


Check out the sight..


The St Stephen is the second most visited monastery in Meteora, after the Grand Meteoron...


Rocks that look like sponges...


Nice mountain view...

More rocks... Hahaha, in different formation... Imagination...


Close up... really looks like holes on a sponge yah??


And that's all for now... Kevin takes another 4 hours drive back to Athens... and by then, he was utterly exhausted... Usually people won't do Meteora as a day trip... it is too long a drive... and you need to stay overnight at least... hahhaha... but we were crazy lah... hee... However, sweet Kevin can go the extra mile for friends... and that's why... i faithfully married him... hee...