Xenos Kalambaka

... an incredibly rugged valley until we reached Kalambaka.<br><br>The rocky outcrops that the Metéora Monasteries are built on look completely different then the surrounding countryside. It was cool to see them get closer and closer as we approached. We flew over the region and then landed in Kalambaka where a driver and guide met us.<br><br>We went to Great Metéoroan first, which is the largest and the tallest ...

... we only had gyros for tea not sure if I have explained gyros before but Ian is so addicted to it, its pitta bread with chicken or pork in it tomatoes, tziki and chips!!!! All rolled up it is tasty but some places are better than others Ian has had it so much I said he is going to be massive if he carrys on eating it. Its the Greek equivalent to fast food. We also had some candy floss from one of the street sellers at the rally and then went off to bed.<br><br>

... land train from there to Kallambaka which took 5 hours but went through the most beautiful scenery and countryside hills, mountains little villages. Sat and gazed out the window most of the time and dozed off to sleep and finally got here at 2. We again had no where to stay so for punishment for last night Ian left me to have a cold chocolate milk and he went off looking for somewhere but he is so good at it anyways he came back finding a lovely ...

... outside rather than enter. Know we are missing some rare religious artefacts, but this is reckoned to be one of the most visited sites in all Greece, and there is certainly no let-up in coach traffic!<br>Lazy day in the camping afterwards. Brit couple in their 60's pass by with all the gear for climbing dangling from their belts: very impressive.<br>Weather shuts in somewhat... so, noses in books time.

This morning we were picked up by our bus at the hotel, and taken to a central city redistribution point, where the various half-day, full-day &amp; 2 &amp; 3-day tours commenced from. Once on the right bus for our 2-day trip to see Delphi ruins, &amp; Meteora monasteries, we made our way out of the sprawling Athens &amp; into the countryside littered with cotton fields (7th largest producer in the world!) and olive plantations, amidst large &amp; seemingly ...

... to buy the bus tickets for the next day (we found out that Matt and I were on the same bus to begin with, but he just got off an hour or so before I did). After we had taken care of that, we said goodbye to our friends and headed back up to the hostel (with a bottle of water to put in the freezer in the kitchen!- maybe you would have had to have been there to understand how great the idea of frozen water was). After some relaxing, using the internet, and ...

... a very narrow staircase cut in the rocks. Inside it is very small, with a tiny church all painted in frescos. Behind the building, from the edge of the rocks, there is an impressive view of the valey where the city of Kalambaka spreads between the huge rocks. Next stop was St.Stephan, which used to be a women's monastery, and was much more spacious and well-preserved. There was a beautiful ...

Still no luck with the photos folks - but I keep trying....the current computer is a Windows 2003 OS and it can't find the cameras..... we tried to find an internet cafe that was a little more advanced - but so far no luck. There has to be somewhere or someone out there that can help!! Pictures may be the last thing you see! Yesterday after we arrived we relaxed in the lobby bar. no surprise there for this ...

... the towns of Karpitsi and Trikala, I must have fallen asleep all three times, because nothing looked even a bit familiar. I became tired and overwhelmed, so Karen took over the wheel and, as usual, her amazing sense of direction got us through! We arrived in Kalambaka at sunset and discovered that we'd decided to crack a few extra Euros to stay at a hotel with a pool, which made Karen's day. I'm not so big a fan of cool water and was too ...

... ear-popping ascents, hairpin switchbacks and the like. We motored through these like we were late for a wake. We threaded our way through the small town of Arakhova at times with less than six inches of room on either side of the bus, peeping, re luctantly and with embarrassment, into the second-story windows of the stores and homes along the street. The driver never blinked an eye but the residents into whose homes we were peering did. This bravado performance ended ...