Out of Time

Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you. There are buildings atop those tall, craggy pillars of rock. Almost a thousand years ago, Greek Orthodox monks escaping the Turks, came to the planes of Thessaly to build sanctuaries where they could not only worship, but preserve Greek heritage and a spirit of Greek nationalism. Inside the libraries of these monasteries, the works of Aristotle, Aristophanes, Plato, Socrates and Sophocles were preserved for future generations. Conspiracies and plots against the Ottoman empire were hatched. And yet, the seven monasteries (and now two nunneries--one, Rossanou is pictured above) of the Meteora, seem to be suspended in time. When you ascend the steep stairs or cross the bridges spanning steep, rocky gorges and enter these quiet refuges, there is a sense of stillness, of peace that takes you away from the chaos of the outside world.