KEMBARA BALKAN - GREECE | 10 KALAMBAKA : Meteora

Masih lagi di The Great Meteoron Monastery

View Varlaam Monastery dari Great Meteoron Monastery.

The Great Meteoron Monastery is the biggest and oldest one of all. It was called the monastery that was “suspended in the air” (meteoro), because of the formation of the gigantic rock on top of which it was built.

The Great Meteoro Monastery was founded by Saint Athanasios the Meteorite who was the first founder of the monastery and the organizer of the systematic koenovion. For this reason, the foundation of this monastery is considered to be a turning point, or even better, the beginning of the organized monastisicm in Holy Meteora. Hosios Athanasios was born around 1302 in the medieval town of New Patras, today’s Hypati and his lay name was Andronikos.

Menuju entrance

Kaunter tiket. Nak masuk kena bayar 3 Euro

Dinding

Salah satu kawasan dalam monastery ni

Barangan lama yang pernah di gunapakai

Lorong dan kawasan

Tengkorak

Salah satu bangunan yang terdapat di monastery ni adalah main cathedral.

The main cathedral in the central courtyard is embellished with beautiful 16th century frescoes.

Take time to gaze at the artistic details of some of the best samples of Greek Byzantine art and then rush to the museum, where historical codices and religious icons of high value are on display. Once you’ve reached the summit, a rewarding view awaits you and the monastery calls for exploration.

Dalam cathedral

Main cathedral

Laluan

View

View

View Kalambaka

Dan ada jugak macam muzium.

In the monastery the visitor can still visit and admire the Sacristy as well as the manuscript and the New-martyrs halls (previously a nursing home and hospital) and the hall of Coloured Historical Lithographies of the years 1913-23 and 1940-41.

Take a look inside the old refectory of the monks, where part of an original 16th century table is preserved, with the original cutleries on it. Don’t forget to take a glance at the monastery’s old kitchen on your way out, still black with smoke, with the original bread oven and soup hearth.

Sambil layan view...

View monastery di sebelah iaitu The Holy Monastery of Varlaam.


View ke arah parking.

Kami tak singgah ke Varlaam Moneastry. Cuma lihat dari jauh je. Ni lah monastery paling glamer di antara monastery yang ada di sini disebabkan view dia.

The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second biggest monastery. It is located opposite of the Great Meteoro Monastery and it was founded in the mid 14th century by the exercitant Hosios Varlaam.

The elegant monastery Catholicon was built in the honour of Agioi Pantes in 1541-42, by two brothers from Ioannina, the priest-monks Hosioi Theophanes and Nectarios the Apsarades. The main church was decorated in 1548. Based on stylistic criteria, this magnificent wall-painting is attributed to the famous hagiographer from Thebes, Frago Catelano.

This is the monastery where you can visit the tower of the old preserved net, used by the first monks for their ascent and descent from the rock, until it was “God’s will to have it replaced”!

A very large and impressive 16th century oak barrel for water storage is also not to be missed. The old refectory has been turned into a museum, where visitors can admire the excellence of religious painted icons – mostly contemporary to the Renaissance period – and precious holy vestments of the priests. Other old buildings in the Monastery are the kitchen and the hospital. The bibliographic workshop and the workshop of gold-embroidery of the Monastery were excellent.

Turun dari Great Meteoron Monastery


View ke arah Varlaam

Kembali ke parking area


Ramai je yang naik basikal


Menunggu ahli jemaah yang lain tiba

Masa semua dah naik van, kami di bekalkan dengan sandwich dan air minuman. Sebab aku pun booking last minit aku ambik je apa yang di beri. Sandwich ayam, so aku simpan je tak makan. Walhal perut boleh tahan keroncong.

Kami bergerak meninggalkan Great Meteoron Monastery menuju ke destinasi berikutnya.

Melintasi Varlaam Monastery


Dan tak lama lepas tu kami berhenti tepi jalan. Tour guide tu dengan rela hati jadi photohrapher semua orang. Siap paksa paksa lagi suruh berposing.... *gapoever !!!!

View

Dan layan view Roussanou Monastery (Santa Barbara)

Close up

The Holy Monastery of Roussanou has received the name of the first probable hermit who settled on the rock. The main cathedral was founded at the end of the 16th century and was decorated thirty years later.

Compared to other rocks where monasteries were built, the one of Roussanou has a lower elevation, which makes it more accessible. The monastery was initially founded by monks and it suffered severe damage during World War II. It became a convent in 1988.

The beautiful wall-paintings of the Catholicon were executed in 1560, when the priest-monk Arsenios was the abbot of the monastery. The unknown hagiographer seems to have been a very skilful artist and successfully follows the Cretan School style.

Visit Roussanou for a different view of the surrounding rocks and adjacent monasteries. Follow the pathway from this monastery to the upper main road and discover an off-the-road spot that allows you to walk on bear rocks! Don’t miss out on this photo opportunity!

Dua monastery yang aku dah lalui tadi. Great Meteoron dan Varlaam Monastries.


Roussanou Monastery . Layan view dari tepi jalan jer


Nampak menarik juga. Dan area ni lah dia orang shooting Game of Thrones

Dari situ kami bergerak lagi. Kali ni ke view yang lebih luas dan nampak hampri keseluruhan kawasan Meteora ni. Van berhenti dan kami semua turun untuk menikmati view dari sini.

Dan dari sudut sini lah jugak view paling lawa untuk usha sunset di Meteora ni.

Dan dari kedudukan ni kelihatan view The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas

St. Nikolaos Anapafsas Monastery, Meteora

The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Anapafsas is the first Monastery that we encounter on our way to the Holy Meteora and was founded at the end of the 14th century.

For the name Anapafsas there are numerous interpretations two of which are the most popular. The first one is that the name Anapafsas was attributed by one of the monastery’s benefactors, while the second explanation has to do with the monastery’s position being the first to be encountered on the way up and probably served to the pilgrims and other visitors as a resting place before continuing on. Resting translates into Greek anapafsys, so Saint Nicholas of Anapafsas literally means Saint Nicholas the one who rests you.

The limited surface of the rock forced the building of the monastery to be built vertically on floors, one level on top of the other. Access to all the different floors is achieved through an inbuilt staircase. At the entrance of the Monastery lies the Church of St. Anthony and the crypt where the codes and the monastery’s heirlooms were previously stored. On the walls, paintings of the 14th Century can be seen.

The Catholicon, where St. Nicholas is honored, is on the second floor and it is elongated and stuck on to the south side of the wall of the monastery. The dome of the church is low and has no windows. The Holy Table rests on the third floor, decorated with murals. The Table, recently restored, is used as a reception area for the visitors. There is even the ossuary, the cells of the monks and the chapel of St. John Prodromos. Since the space is restricted and there is no courtyard, the monks could only gather in the narthex, which was roomy, when there were no liturgies in the nave.

Di sebelah kiri pula kelihatan sebuah lagi monastery iaitu St. Stephen's Monastery

St. Stephen's Monastery

This is the most accessible monastery, where instead of steps you simply cross a small bridge to reach the entrance. It is ideal for visitors who cannot use the steps and yet they wish to have a real experience of a Meteora monastery.

The beginning of monastic life on the rock of Agios Stephanos dates back to early in the 12th century. Hosios Antonios, in the first half of the 15th century, and Hosios Philotheos, who renovated or rather rebuilt from its foundations the old small and elegant Catholicon, the present church of Agios Stephanos, in 1545 are mentioned as its founders.

St. Stephen’s Monastery includes two cathedrals; the old 16th century chapel which was severely damaged during WWII and the consequent Greek Civil War, and the 18th century main cathedral that is dedicated to Saint Charalambos and includes his holy relics.

Most monasteries, such as this one, include the holy relics of their saints or founders in their main cathedrals. Visit this convent for the spectacular view towards the vast valley of Thessaly, the river Pinios and the Pindos mountain range across the plain, but also because of the old cathedral, where the marks of bullets on religious icons witness the dark chapters of the Modern Greek history.

Kami pegi dekat dekat... dan ada pilihan sesiapa yang nak masuk ke dalam.

View St. Stephen's Monastery dan Kalambaka.

Katanya dalam ni boleh jumpa nun.

Entrance

Masuk tiket 3 Euro jugak

Kena tutup aurat. Tak leh seksi seksi

Sebab orang ramai beratur aku jadi malas nak masuk

Lepak layan view je

Ada orang jual jualan juga

Menarik gak monastery ni

Pastu kembali ke van untuk bergerak ke tempat seterusnya....

Dari situ St. Stephen's Monastery kami bergerak ke lokasi terakhir di Meteora ni.

Perjalanan

Singgah tepi jalan

Dan layan view dari sini.

Dari hentian ini, kelihatan Holy Trinity Monastery. 

The Monastery of Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) is the most difficult to reach, but once you get to the very top the panoramic view of the surroundings is simply captivating!

Holy Trinity Monastery. 

View. James bond ke apa shooting kat area ni jugak dulu.

Kalambaka

The Monastery of Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) is the most difficult to reach, but once you get to the very top the panoramic view of the surroundings is simply captivating!

This Monastery is very close to the Saint Stephen’s Nunnery and it is perched on a steep and magnificent rock. It had already been organized Monastery since the year 1362 as indicated in a document by Symeon Uressis Palaeologos. Visitors have to follow a pathway that directs them initially to the foot of the rock, before they start walking up about 140 steps.

The monastery’s main cathedral was constructed in the 15th century and decorated with frescoes in 1741 by two monks. The wall-paintings surviving today are the work of the hagiographers Antonios the priest and his brother Nicolaos.

The chapel of Timios Prodromos (St John the Forerunner), a small circular church with a cupola, rock-hewn, decorated all over with wall-paintings of fine art dating from 1682, is of great interest.

Melayan view

Cable car tu bawak barang dan jugak transport Monk dalam tu.

Lepas layan view di situ, kami bergerak turun...

Overall aku puas hati jugak dengan trip ni walaupun sekejap je. Tak sampai pun setengah hari. Berbaloi dengan 35 Euro yang aku laburkan hari ni.

Boleh riki riki website mereka : Meteora Thrones

Sebaik je book in advance. Ada banyak jenis tours yang ada. Kalau lebih masa di sini boleh lah explore lagi kawasan sekitarnya. Lagi bagus explore sendiri.

Kembali ke Kalambaka

Van berhenti dan buang dulu sesapa yang kejar train. Ramai yang sebenarnya kembali ke Athens naik train time tu.

Semua turun dan tinggal aku sorang. Aku bagitau mamat tu mintak dia tolong hantar ke station bas.

"Bus? To Athens?"

"No..... I dont know yet"

Dia separuh percaya je dengan jawapan aku. 

Memang ! Sebab aku sendiri pun tak tau ke mana nak aku tuju selepas ni !

bersambung.....................