Day 5: Meteora
Meteora: "suspended in air" because monasteries are high up on rock mountains. Initially these monks were fleeing from Ottoman raids. In the past there were 24 monasteries, but now only 6 remain. Monks literally carried rocks by hand to build these.
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| Monastery of St. Nicholas, lift for items. |
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| View from the Monastery of St. Nicholas |
Great Meteoron Monastery
Oldest and largest founded 14th century by Saint Athanasios:
Monastery of Varlaam:
Ascended 373m in 1350 by Varlaam, the first hermit. It remained uninhabited after his death for about 200 years, until it was revived by 2 brother monks. It took about 100 years to build everything. Before modern day stairs were built in 1921, it was accessed through wooden rope ladders and a net lift. It currently has an interesting museum with treasures, manuscripts, and info about the monk life.
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| Monastery of Varlaam |
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| Courtyard at Monastary of Varlaam |
Every monk makes 3 vows to God: obedience, chastity (unconditional love towards God), and poverty (no material possessions).
Coenobatic monk lifestyle:
Monks don't keep money but there is a common bursary for everyone. They have to ask the abbot for permission for each activity.
Monastery of Rousanou: convent of 16 nuns. Much of the place is blocked off.
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| Monastery of Rousanou |
Panorama points on the drive to next monastery. So beautiful!
Monastery of St Stephen: easiest access by walking right across a bridge, finally no stairs to climb! But alas Alan couldn't go in because no shorts allowed. It was weird all the other ones allowed him to go in. They had 1 euro pants for sale.
Monastery dates back to 12th c. They ran an orphanage in 1970s. In 1961 it became a convent.
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| Monastery of St Stephen |
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One Monastery is closed each day, so when we went, the Holy Trinity Monastery was closed (supposedly the hardest to get to):
Day 6: Drive to Athens
Next day we got breakfast at Oct Cafe where some retirees were chatting and drinking coffee and police came by to get coffee to go. We happened across a busy Friday morning market. We got some fresh fruit and it was so cheap! (1 euro for bag of cherries, one guy gave us 2 apples to taste).
Thermopylae:
Battle of 300, where 300 Greeks tried to bravely fend of thousands of Persians (legend says 2 million).
Athens: Rick Steves City walk:
Parliament:
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| Changing of the guards at the Parlaiment |
Cathedral, Archbishop Domiskenos statue in front:
Church of Agios Eleftherios: archbishop of Parthenon moved here when Ottoman empire turned it into mosque.
Adrianou street, the Plaka: souvenir shops.
Hadrian's Arch (Roman): used to be white, now pollution stains. Corinthian columns. Area designated as Hadrianopolis (his neighborhood).
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| Hadrian's Arch |
Temple Olympian Zeus remains: largest temple in ancient Greece (2x Parthenon). Started building in 600 BC, took 700 years. left unfinished many centuries until Hadrian finished it. 56' high. 104 Corinthian columns, only 15 columns remain. Had 2 large statues in the past: Zeus and Hadrian.
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| Temple of Olympian Zeus |
Lysicrates monument: Dionysus turn pirates into dolphins. Held trophies of ancient "Oscars." Honors theatrical performances at nearby theater.
Anafiotika: village of white washed homes of previous Islanders.
Roman Forum:
150BC, stayed for centuries. Columns supported a covered porch. Open air piazza, where Romans hung out.
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| Roman Forum |
Tower of the winds: Clock (sun and water clock), weather station, and guide to the planets. Relief of 8 winds of the world (bring weather).
Library of Hadrian (Greek loving emperor): culture center, lecture hall, art gallery, library.
Monistaraki square: used to be part of a big monestary, now torn down to small portion, giving square its. name.
Watched changing of the guards at the Tomb of the unknown soldier in front of the Greek Parliament.
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| Monistaraki Square |
Day 7: Athens Acropolis
Acropolis museum:
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| Underground ancient homes found during building of the museum |
Slopes of acropolis: Sanctuary of the Nymphs: many ceremonial nuptial bath aka "bridal shower."
Sanctuary of Asklepios, god of medicine: brought over statue of him from Epidaurus.
Sanctuaries if other deities: Aphrodite, Apollo, Pan, Artemis Brauronia (expectant mothers), Athena Nike (victory), etc.
Pediment of old Temple of Athena:
Hercules fights Triton and the 3-bodied demon. 2 lions devour a bull.
Athena won territory of Attica over Poseidon because she gave the people the olive tree.
Caryatids (tomb), part of the Erechtheion (replacement temple to Athena).
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| Caryatids |
Parthenon:
White marble
Columns slight curve, side columns a little wider than middle ones.
Pediments:
East: Birth if goddess Athena
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| East Pediment of the Parthenon |
West: Birth of Athena and Olympian Gods. (Above is Olympians fighting Giants metrope.)
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Metopes:
East: Gigantomacy (Olympians fight against the giants).
West: Athenians + Theseus king fight against Amazon's.
South: Thesaly men struggle with Centaurs who are stealing the women.
North: Fall of Troy
Frieze: procession of Great Panathenaia festival (q4 yrs), celebrate birth of Athena.
The Parthenon underwent many forms of destruction: arson, Christians destroyed statues of deities, turned into mosque (added minaret), explosion during war (Venetian war), looting (Lord Elgin).
We then went to the Acropolis....
Odeon Herodes Attica built 161 AD 5k seat: used today. 1950's reconstructed:
Propylaea: covered entrance to Acropolis.
Beautiful marble steps and columns. Previously colorful with statues.
Left side: art. Triangular Pediment.
Right high up: temple of Athena Nike 425 BC. Ionic scroll top columns. Celebrate victory. Wingless Athena so she has to stay in Athens.
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| Temple of Athena Nike |
Left pedestal: Monument of Aggripa. On top stood many different statues at different times: Olympic winner, ruler of Athens, Mark Anthony/Cleopatra
Bruele Gate: entrance. Made from rubble of barbarians.
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| Looking back at the entrance to the Acropolis |
Acropolis:
Left side: large 30' statue of Athena (taken to Constantinople, destroyed there).
Parthenon:
It was very cleverly designed to make it look better:
* Columns lean inwards a bit (so doesn't look leaning outward if completely straight).
* Corner columns thicker than others
* Bulge in columns half way up
*Steps curve up slightly in the middle so it doesn't look like it's sagging in the middle.
In the past it contained a 40' statue of Athena
Erechtheion:
3 entrances: porch of Caryatids (6 lady).
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| View of Athens from the Acropolis |
The Ancient Agora: "downtown"
Stoa of Attalos: reconstructed building of red roof, ancient shopping mall. Middle stoa with Corinthian column displayed
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| Stoa of Attalos |
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| Museum in the Stoa: commode from 6 century BC (left). Early voting, bronze ballots (right) |
Tholos: official weights and measures. Temple to democratic rule. Always burning flame. Democracy governed here. All laws had to be approved by entire assembly (males).
Temple of Hephaistos:
Odeon of Aggripa: ancient theater. Had 6 colossal statue columns built by Romans. 1k spectators.
Alter of Twelve gods.
Church of Holy Apostles: 1000 AD during Byzantine rule. Commemorate st Paul.
Panathenaic Stadium: where first Olympics was held, also where a soldier ran 26 miles (first marathon) to declare that Greece had won at the Battle of Marathon:
Day 8: Athens
Archeological Museum:
Cycladic figurines (3200-2800 BC): from Greek islands. Crude, stiff marble figures.
Mycenaean treasures (1600-1200BC):
"Mask of Agamemnon": not real, fictional character, 1550 BC:
Fall of Troy (actual event that was embellished).
Vapheio cups: Minoin cups (peace loving before Mycenaean).
Both cultures disappeared mysteriously.
750BC: geometric period, Dypilon vase.
Archaic: Kore and Kourous: female and male figures. Increasingly more natural and realistic statues. Geometric ideal (7 heads tall, placid smile, almond eyes, braided hair, oversized muscle), Egyptian influence. Idealized young version of dead man/woman.
500-450 BC Severe period (serious bc during Persian Wars).
Bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon: not sure who this is a statue of because don't know which weapon was held. . Perfectly poised and symmetric (1 foot head, 1 fathom tall).
450-400 BC: Golden Age, Parthenon and Athena statue. Also time of philosophers (Socrates, Sophocles, Pericles, Plato, Aristophanes, Pheidias).
More emotion, capture reality, but still idealistic.
Bronze statue of Paris. Contropostal stance. Different directions of arms/legs, but perfect balance:
323 BC Hellenistic Era (Alexander the Great time): philosopher with untamed hair, personality of distinct person with their eccentricities and realism (baldness, saggy boobs, wrinkles, etc). Motion, unbalanced, 3D. Cynic philosophers (Diogenese).
Fighting Gaul.
Aphrodite, Pan, and Eros: sexually harassed by Pan, raised sandal to strike him.
The Roman Era. Romans loved realism of Greek sculptures, copied many sculptures.
Statue of Emperor Augustus.
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| Emperor Augustus Asklepios (god of medicine) Emperor Hadrian |
Horse and Jockey Bronze 140 BC
Mars Hill: crowded hill where Paul preached to early Greeks:
Surprising things: can't throw tp in toilet, so many cats, so many olives and oranges on the ground.
Greek Food:
Souvlaki: meat on stick
Glatobuliko galatopita: philo dough, cream, soaked in syrup. Plus ice cream.
Meat with eggplant potato
Olives
Yogurt with honey and nuts
Taverna Simos: grilled tuna (a bit salty but till very yummy and tender), lamb in the oven: so tender and yummy! Fries were perfect. The Greek salad was also super fresh. "Havon" (don't know real spelling), complementary dessert! Made of simolena (sp?) And cinnamon.
PitoGyros: traditional grill house in Oia. So yummy! We had the pork gyro and chicken souvlaki pita wrap.
Falafeland: vegetarian. Had the special (slightly sweet/sour spicy sauce, eggplant) and Greek falafel wraps (feta and olives and eggplant). They were 4.5 euros each! So cheap for a really yummy meal!
Svoronos bakery: open 24 hrs! Yummy pastries, baclava ice cream, galatopita
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| baklava ice cream |
Jim Tavern in Nafpaktos: exohiko: pork wrapped with lamb, Tzatziki sauce
Fortounis Tsipouradiko near Meteora: Spetzofai (tradition stew with sausage, tomato, pepper), grilled mushrooms, kebab "politico" (pork, lamb, cream cheese).
Oct cafe: feta omelet and chocolate biscuit praline pancakes. So sweet but yummy! Crunchy bits made for good texture.
Maiandros (Athens): grilled octopus, house special pork, eggplant spread:
Aspro alogo (Athens): whole grilled fish, calamari, cheese spread, fried zucchini. And complementary havla dessert with mango juice and shot of mastika.
Stou Mamma: Stou Mamma salad (phylo, lettuce, parsley, spinach, feta), pork stew (really good), and really delicious freshly cooked moustaka. Also complementary mastika liquor at the end. Nextdoor restaurant had live music so we got to enjoy that too.
Greek History:
11th c BC: Decline of Mycenaean Empire
1200-800c BC: Dark Ages
7c BC: Establish Olympic games, increase religious significance. Prospering and colonizing surrounding Italy, Turkey.
5c BC: Athenian Hegemony
5c BC: Persian Wars (burned Acropolis).
450 BC: Golden age
447 BC: Parthenon
431-404 BC: Peloponnesian War (Athens vs Sparta).
405 BC: Sparta defeats Athenians at Aegospotami
338 BC: Athens lost to Macedonians (Alexander the Great)
86 BC: Roman rule, end of democracy
150 AD: Hadrian: loved Greek culture so kept many features but did bigger).
267 AD: Invasion of barbarians (Herulians), destroyed all of Athens but Acropolis.
Byzantine empire
1393 to 1881: Ottoman rule
1500: Renaissance revival of Greek culture.
1700: Venice control some parts
1821: Start of Greek revolution
1881: Modern Greek state.
1945: Nazi occupation.
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