Meteors and the Pelion Peninsula

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Another short but intense interlude with Ryan Air.
The name of the city of Volos at the beginning I did not say anything, but after a while 'searched the internet, I find that little fingers just 150 km from the famous Orthodox monasteries known as the Meteor and organize viaggio.Noi we rented a car to use the time to even the best and Unirea visit, the opportunity to do some 'of the sea area around Volos, but there are buses that bring the airport to Volos and then here in Trikala Kalambaka and Kastraki, the 2 countries around the foot of the mighty meteor rocks. So, if you wish, you can avoid taking the car, but I do not recommend it highly, because then, even if the 6 visited monasteries, are close together, still extend over an area of ??about ten km of roads, however, more or less in the mountains, so we want to taxi or bus to get from one to another.
We stayed at the Hotel Meteoritis Kastraki, booked through booking.com, very nice, good value for money and excellent starting point for monasteri.Kastraki Kalambaka is smaller, but nicer in my opinion, the premises have to eat too many and it is difficult to choose. The monasteries are 6, have different closing times, but basically the weekend are all open, if contacted, via e-mail, the greek tourist office in Rome, will give you all the time.
We have visited them all in one day, but it must be said that not everyone, because almost always there to sudarsi to reach the summit, and sometimes, instead of rising, we must first get e. .. back to back.
The guides recommend a visit especially at least 2 of the largest monasteries: the Monastery of the Metamorphosis or Megalo Meteoro and Varlaam. It 'true, especially the former is much larger, so also has a small museum and other places to visit besides the "usual" 2 rooms that make up the Byzantine Church, but there seemed to be in a circus, because there was too much chiasso.No people and, in our opinion it is worth to visit them all, each has something special, all from the perspective of the landscape is different and each is an achievement! But, if you were to give it one more beautiful than the others, for us was that of the Holy Trinity, Agia Triada, while the less beautiful, even for the location and the ease of "win" was that of Holy Stefano.Le two other, smaller, and are called Agios Nikolaos Anapafsà Russanou.
These monasteries are something incredible for their position, perched on giant granite monoliths, and the way in which the centuries have been shaped almost complete, quite naturally, these rocce.I views are amazing and always different, sometimes seemed designed to observe a scene in a movie, so great and were interspersed bellissimi.Le rocks and are also embedded in a lush vegetation and powerful, which makes it possible to tackle the climb in the month of July, why, when there is, offers an immediate refreshing than hot greek. The chapels are another Byzantine splendor, not so much for me, for the wealth of objects within them, candlesticks, chairs and more valuable, but because they are all fully painted and want to study all the paintings, you should spend giorni.L 'entrance to the monasteries costs 2 € per person and women must have a long skirt: for those who do not have it, there are baskets full of skirts like sarongs, fantasies most unlikely that you wear and then return exit. In short, these monasteries, UNESCO and reachable only by stairs built by 20 of the 900 years (the first, the monks were hoisted and lowered in baskets and lift) are amazing and beautiful.
Regarding the sea just want to say that the beaches (it is an understatement, they all pebbles) that we have seen, are all-clear sea, but that beautiful and what advice, if you have the time to cross the mountainous Pelion, is to Milopotamos . So, if you go in summer, 3 days are enough for being a bit 'of sea bathing, or, in other seasons, 2 days too.