A Greek Orthodox icon is drenched in sunlight in the Greek village of Kastraki, not far from the famous Meteora monasteries.
Spring is in full swing in this beautiful part of southeastern Europe, with a bounty of roses, mint, mulberries, and (almost-ripe) cherries awaiting a picker. In the image, you’ll also notice the flags of Greece, as well as the Byzantine Empire.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
Tricia A. Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. Born in Europe but raised in the United States, she has lived in Valletta, Malta; Heidelberg, Germany; and Split, Croatia. An avid globetrotter who has visited more than 65 countries, she has a penchant for off-season travel. Tricia has learned that travel’s greatest gift is not sightseeing, rather it is the interactions with people. Some of her most memorable experiences have been sharing a bottle of champagne with distant French cousins in Lorraine, learning how to milk goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village, and ringing in the Vietnamese New Year with a Hanoi family. She welcomes any opportunity to practice French and German, and she loves delving into a place’s history and artisanal food scene. A former education administrator and training specialist, Tricia has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in international relations. She and her husband, Shawn, married in the ruins of a snowy German castle. They’ve been known to escape winter by basing themselves in coastal Croatia or Southeast Asia. Her writing has appeared in Fodor’s Travel, Frommer’s, and International Living. View more posts
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Travels With Tricia
Saw very similar sights in Kavala, very nice Tricia.
How long ago were you in Greece, Mark? I’m amazed by how much you globetrot!
It was a few years ago now.
Roses (growing with thorns) and a hornet’s nest – wondering what the implications are?
Annette, I was so struck by the beauty of the scene and the roses abound in the village (Kastraki) that I hadn’t even considered any deeper meanings. Guess I must be more pensive! :)
I love the Orthodox relics, they are such an interesting mixture of east meets west.
I wholeheartedly agree, Andy! We were lucky enough to happen upon a small artist’s workshop as he worked on icons. In addition to those he pained, he had quite a vast collection of antique family icons (some dating back to the 1700s) as well as those he’s picked up in places like Russia and Istanbul. Just fascinating.
hornet’s nest? that’s capture :D
AH I have never been to Kastraki yet, but this summer perhaps. :)
Meteora is a dream! We debated whether to stay in Kastraki or Kalambaka, and were so pleased that we went to Kastraki. It’s so calm and less commercialized than the more bustling Kalambaka and it also offered us great access to hiking up to the monasteries.
I hope you’ll make it here this summer, Nessy!
Hi,
I just found your blog yesterday. We are in Croatia now and planning where to go next. I see you went to Montenegro and then Albania. How did you travel from Albania to Greece? Thanks! I’ll probably have more questions later. I like your posts and your photos.
Merrill
Hi Merrill, glad to hear you’re enjoying Croatia! We spent about 5 months in Dalmatia, and it feels like home in many ways. :) As for our route, in 2013, we worked our way down Croatia, spent time in Montenegro, then Albania, then Macedonia, and finally Greece. We traveled via bus to get from country to country. Feel free to send more questions via the blog posts (that way, everyone can see the information) or even via email. Wish you happy travels.