Meteora - between heaven and earth

Michael Mitrovic, Michael Schuster

• Publisher: Books on Demand
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9783746081243
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9783749489350
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Poetry
• Index: Literature

The mountainous landscape of the Meteora monasteries between Kalabaka and Kastraki is part of the World Cultural Heritage. It is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year, from far and wide. Most of them climb the mountains to the monasteries by bus or by car.This little book wants to entertain the idea to explore offside the streets, deeply immersing oneself in the orthodox faith, contemplating and paying heed to the small things on the wayside. An ancient tree, majestic storks on a church dome or the ruins of bygone monasteries and hermitages - all these things want to tell us their stories!

Table of Contents

• Kalabaka
• Footpaths
• Kastraki
• The Spindel
• The Doupiani Chapel
• Ex oriente lux – from the east originates the light
• Exterior and interior truth
• Between heaven and earth
• Perpetual light
• The wisdom of nature
• The center of force
• On the path uphill
• Images of the saints
• Liturgy
• Reunion with Varlaam
• Varlaam
• The prison of the monks
• The Dragoncave
• Metamorfosis
• Agia Triada
• Eaglerock surmounting the village
• Clouds
• Roussanou
• Agios Nikolaos
• Agios Stefanos
• Daily routine
• The Organ Pipes
• The secluded monastery Ipapantis
• The figurine of the freedom fighter
• Ruins
• The River
• Ancient Trees
• The Icon
• Towards Heaven

Kalabaka

A microcosm at the feet of the Meteora cliffs,

though still young in years

in comparison to the ancient rocks,

it was already known to the Romans,

to the geographer Strabon

as Aiginion,

later it was called Stagoi,

finally rechristened as Kalabaka by the Turks.

The upper city is surmounted

by the byzantine chapel

the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

The lower city is bustling with activity,

all the time reverently watched over

by the monastery Agios Stefanos.

Footpaths

How can one approach

the monastic seclusion

of the Meteora?

Certainly not with the tourist bus

along the asphalt road

in all but ten minutes to the peak.

One has to humbly go step by step,

by way of Kalabaka or way of Kastraki.

With each step uphill one becomes calmer,

pious, amazed and foreboding...

On solitary mountain paths

piece by piece one leaves

the world behind oneself...

One immerses oneself

in God‘s Cradle

between heaven and earth...

Kastraki

Founded by a people

who were escaping from the Turks,

Kastraki evolved to becoming a place of transit

to the Meteora monasteries.

The cottages of the upper city

wistfully seem to nestle themselves

into the rocky cliffs,

as if to claim their part

of the monastic salvation.

Between the Spindel and the Doupiani chapel

as well as the ruins of the monastery of the Holy Ghost

and that of the Holy Nikolaos of Bandova

the village re...

Table of contents

• Notes
• Table of Contents
• Kalabaka
• Footpaths
• Kastraki
• The Spindel
• The Doupiani Chapel
• Ex oriente lux – from the east originates the light
• Exterior and interior truth
• Between heaven and earth
• Perpetual light
• The wisdom of nature
• The center of force
• On the path uphill
• Images of the saints
• Liturgy
• Reunion with Varlaam
• Varlaam
• The prison of the monks
• The Dragoncave
• Metamorfosis
• Agia Triada
• Eaglerock surmounting the village
• Clouds
• Roussanou
• Agios Nikolaos
• Agios Stefanos
• Daily routine
• The Organ Pipes
• The secluded monastery Ipapantis
• The figurine of the freedom fighter
• Ruins
• The River
• Ancient Trees
• The Icon
• Towards Heaven
• Further Information
• Copyright