For the past five nights, we’ve been staying at a quaint guesthouse overlooking the mystical Meteora rock formations in northern Greece. Six mighty monasteries sit atop the unusual rocks. Some of the structures date back to the 14th century.
As if things couldn’t get any better, our hostess and Greek mother for the week has been surprising us with culinary treats from her kitchen: salads drizzled with olive oil, homemade French fries, omelets with slices of traditional sausage, candied figs, milk custard pie, and, drumroll… the spinach and feta cheese pie known in Greek as spanakopita.
Whenever Mama Marina brings these Greek dishes to our terrace, she wears a mischievous smile. Her Greek food samplings are not officially part of our hotel stay; Marina’s brought them to us well – just because. It is an example of culinary diplomacy at its best!
No wonder Marina’s son, Dimitrios, described her as the “typical Greek mother.”
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
- Meteora is about 4 hours northwest of Athens. To get there, we traveled by bus from Skopje, Macedonia. (We departed Skopje before sunrise, then journeyed to Thessaloniki, Trikala, and Kalambaka, all in one day. We bought separate bus tickets for the various legs of the journey.)
- Marina and her husband own the cozy Guesthouse Patavalis (affiliate link) in the village of Kastraki. In total, we spent about a week at the Guesthouse Patavalis, staying in its ‘Purple Room’. We enjoyed its terrace views of the surrounding rock formations, and its convenient location. It made a great hub for hiking to, and exploring some of Meteora’s monasteries!
- It can be easy to get lost when hiking in the more remote wooded areas around the Meteora Monasteries. Be sure you have a good map, or consider hiring a guide to find those less-trodden paths, which are well worth exploring.
- The weather was sizzling during our springtime visit, and we were happy to have packed ample water and snacks. It’s possible to purchase refreshments near some of the more popular monasteries, but because the hike can be long, I recommend bringing your own for the ascent.
- Be sure to check the opening hours for the monasteries that you’re hoping to visit on a particular day. A different monastery is closed each day to allow the monks a workday without visitors. Visit Meteora is a useful planning resource, and we also enjoyed stopping by the agency’s office in Kalambaka. With a helpful team of staff members on hand, free Wifi, great reading material about the local attractions, and cozy chairs available to the public, it’s a one-stop shop.
- Visit the Kalambaka Tourist Center website for information about the monasteries, as well as other activities that you can do in Meteora.
- Need more inspiration? This link contains an index of all my posts from Greece.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
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