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admin on October 25th, 2011
Greece is not only the islands and the white marble of classical monuments, and if you wish for an adventure nothing could be better than taking the small narrow gauge train inland from the coastal city of Volos to the Meteora monasteries, high on stone pinnacles left over when the softer ground eroded. Meteora means “in the middle of the sky” and that is exactly where these medieval churches and cloisters are situated. Of course you can go by coach tour – any tourist office in a larger city can book you on one, and if you are on a charter tour you may even book this excursion from home. But then you will miss out on the adventure part, which starts with boarding a train much smaller than usual and rattling along together with local people travelling between small towns and villages! There is nothing like a train journey to get talking with hands and feet if your Greek isn’t what it should be, and most likely you’ll make some new friends and get to taste some local food on the way – either from what your fellow travelers share, or buying something while you lean out from a window and a vendor of sesame buns or small spits with grilled meats runs along the train carriages at a stop. The train stops in Kalambaka, and today there is no difficulty in finding a hotel or a room for rent there on your own, at least if you don’t go in the main tourist season. This is a bad idea anyway, since the heat will detract from your enjoyment of long walks and hikes in a lovely nature.
