You know that saying about famine and feast, and similar about waiting for busses. You scratch around for weeks looking for blog photos then you have so many you can't decide what to leave out.
It's all rocks and trees to be sure but it is not every day you see rocks that look like humans had been making brick walls, or canyons reported to be the deepest in Europe, or mountains that must have inspired a Barbara Hepworth sculpture.
Yesterday we left a rainsoaked Metsovo and took some long and devious route, devised by a demented algorithm in F's phone, to destination Monodendri. A couple of tunnels into the trip we had left a mountain ridge and all the cloud and rain behind us.
Bathed in sunshine we enjoyed our extended tour (which went via Metsovouni - I reckon the route planner just got stuck on the name similarity) and 50km later deposited us in Monodendri, after some 'words' and a bit of prodding, late enough that we could check-in to our next hotel.....
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| Near Metsovouni |
....but still early enough in the day for all of us to go on a little walk to a monastry of Agia Paraskevi (retired monastry now occupied by artists who paint religious icons) and get our first view of the Vikos Gorge
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| Alleys/paths through this village |
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| Can you read the sign? |
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| Over the rooftops at Agia Paraskevi |
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| Terrace at Agia Paraskevi |
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| Part of the Vikos Gorge |
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteI am gobsmacked, even from the photographs, Tigger... so it must be truly (and this is the true use of the word) AWESOME to see for real!!! Yes, I read the sign and they are clearly proud of their genuine artworks over the average tourist 'pasted photocopies' and rightly so, if the examples below are as good as the seem through this screen. My word, but you are having a true adventure, the three of you! Hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx
Dear YAM-aunty, we didn't go all indoors in case the objected to me being there, but one of the open workshops had sketches and draftings that showed how the pictures are designed and proportioned etc there were also little scenery paintings of the monastry itself. Perhaps we should have tested the boundaries and seen more indoors. xxx Mr T
DeleteMy word. That looks stunning. Well worth the tortuous drive.
ReplyDeleteWe love North Greece.
Deletefirst Who IS that CAT? ha ha... love you Tigger... that gorge is magnifcent and you should see it on my giant screen when I pinched it huge, i could see every detail.. I am gobsmacked with Yam for sure. I bet the hike felt good after all that riding.... and yes, i could read the sign, of course handpainted is better, and for the same price. love it. the first photo is awe inspiring. I pinched it so bid i had to scroll 4 times to see each part of it, wow and wow again
ReplyDeleteMr B spied that hole through the bluff. I was too busy looking away. Xxx Mr T
DeleteI have visited canyons like that in America. They are so thrillingly awesome - and looking down does my vertigo no good at all :))
ReplyDeleteI heard my humans discussing how standing on the edge made their leg nerves twitchy when we visited the viewing point I will report on next. xxx Mr T
DeleteLovely photos. We have a cousin who runs a hotel up there in Aristi. We have been twice. Love the scenery, the air, those mountains
ReplyDeleteOur demented route to here took us through Aristi. We might go back that way today - F saw some things she wanted to visit.
DeleteFantastic pictures
ReplyDeleteYes I read the sign they’re very good at selling
What a wonderful adventure your having