Delphi and Meteora

So we were picked up from the port of Athens by our driver Vasilis and our guide Eleni. They are very nice Greeks!

We drove out of Athens to a little place called Delphi. It is the Switzerland of Greece.  Over the hill behind us is a ski resort, in front of us are heaps and heaps of olive trees and can you see the port way off in the distance?

So why do people want to come to Delphi? Because they want to visit the oracle of Delphi.

Delphi was an important ancient Greek religious sanctuary sacred to the god Apollo. He would give cryptic predictions and guidance. So if you had a question about something you would come here, make an offering and then ask the oracle your question and hopefully they would give you the answer.

The next morning we travelled two and a half hours to Kalambaka, the town that sits at the foot of Meteora. 

Check these rock formations out.

Vasilis held me up high so I could see over the trees. There are monasteries perched at the top.

This monastery is the Holy Trinity Monastery and is the hardest to get to. Can you spot the bridge to it on the left hand side?

A long time ago there were monks who came here to get away from things they weren’t happy with. They wanted to live in solitude so the first monk stayed in a cave.  Then monasteries were built in the 1400BC. It took about 70-100 years to build a monastery. Only monks live there except there is now one for the nuns. We climbed in to two of the monasteries.

Time for a sleep, I’m exhausted from all those steps, then we must have pizza for our last dinner in Greece. 

Our last day and Vasilis said we must go and watch a movie. The movie was about the Spartans and how they were brave. I have bought Te Whare Kiwi a special book about the battle. If you are brave and courageous you are like a Spartan.

Tomorrow we fly to Singapore and home on Saturday morning. I hope you all have a lovely Labour Weekend and I can't wait to hug you on Tuesday. 

Love Sammie G