Wednesday 28th August 2013 – Kastraki, Greece

With the clocks put forward another hour, we were up at 05:30 and only half awake when we disembarked at Igoumenista just after 06:00. We wanted to take the old road rather than the new motorway to Yannina but they don't signpost it. We guessed the direction and were able to get further directions when we filled up with fuel. If you want to do it, turn left out of the port and head north along the coast, past the archaeological museum and eventually a road sign confirms the E90/E92 to Yannina. It is a very pretty route and in good condition. We were able to find a spot with a lovely mountain view to have breakfast and watch the sun gradually light the scene as it rose over the mountain behind us.

After a quick supermarket stop in Yannina, we again took the old road (E90/E92) towards Trikala. This was not such a good idea. The motorway has been open for some years now and the maintenance of the windy old road has been sadly neglected. We called in very briefly at Metsovo, a very traditional Greek mountain village that has always been a tourist resort but has become much more visited since the new motorway made access much easier. It is popular in the Summer as a cool (temperature) resort and in the Winter as a cool (temperature and fashion-wise) skiing resort. It was in Metsovo many years ago that we saw a traditional wood-fired bakers (Fournos) still in operation. Once the bread had been cooked, the villagers arrived with all sorts of food prepared in traditional large round open tins covered with a cloth. They carried the tins balanced on their heads and passed them over to the baker who placed them in the oven to cook using the heat remaining from the bake. A very green, ecologically-sound method of energy conservation practised well before this became fashionable. Now, I know what you are thinking, Martin but be approaching 100 years old, but I can assure you that we saw this less than 30 years ago. It was this that inspired me, many years later, to build a wood-fired oven in my back garden and to start baking bread for friends. I often use the residual heat to cook food, sometimes in one of those traditional round Greek tins. We have been back to Metsovo a number of times since and on the first return visit the traditional Fournos had closed. Now it is a tourist gift shop but it still retains its, rather faded, 'Fournos' sign.

Returning to the old road we continued towards Trikala and the road was in an even poorer state of repair with a landslip blocking two-thirds of the road at one point and no attempt had been made to clear it. By the time we approached Korydallos we had only seen one car travelling in the opposite direction and nobody followed us and then we saw why. Across the opposite carriageway was a road block showing 'STOP' and a no-entry sign! There certainly wasn't anything indicating a road closure at the Metsovo end, honest officer! At this point there is a T-junction with the motorway in one direction and Trikala/Kalambaka in the other direction. We took the latter and soon arrived at our destination – Kastraki and the fascinating Meteora one of our favourite places in Greece. Here giant rock formations, some over 400m high, thrust out of the plain and in the 10^th Century these attracted hermits who built cells in caves or on the tops of the peaks. By the 14^th Century this had developed into monastic communities with monasteries perched on the rocks and only accessible by using rope nets winched up the cliffs. This is a beautiful area with a wealth of history and architecture and well worth a visit if you can make it. For more details and photographs, see earlier entries in the Henrietta Hobby Blog - 21^st April 2011(Greek Easter) and 20^th May 2008 (part of our 14-month Odyssey).

We found a well-shaded pitch (it was 35°C when we arrived) and had a late lunch. We then discovered that the Italian weather pattern was repeated here – cloud building in the afternoon followed by a thunderstorm although we found out later that it was their first rain since July. The barbecue is cancelled, it is courgette omelette for dinner!

I wasn't going to include any photos of Meteora because I have put them in before but I went for a walk and the light was so good after the storm that I had to include some.

P.S. If you are travelling this route, I would suggest travelling on the old road to Yannina and then using the motorway until the junction for Trikala/Kalambaka(/Korydallos?).

Photos: Rocks tower over the village of Kastraki – there are three monasteries in the picture but you will find it difficult to spot them; A long view of one of the rocks with hermits' caves and monastery (recently restored) below; A closer view of the hermits caves and monastery – note the ladders used for access to and between the caves; One of the two tortoises that I encountered on the walk.