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Kalambaka, Greece: Meteora — Between the sky and the land Meteora is almost on the border of the Thessalian plain in the east, and the Pindos mountains in the west. These “towers of rocks” stand up to a height of 300 meters (984 feet) above sea level. The plain is crossed by the river Pinios. Thirty million years ago the river flowed into a lake (the existing valley) and when the lake disappeared due to earthquakes, the sedimentary rocks of sandstone and tertiary conglomerates at the river delta remained there as eveidence of the tremendous geological changes. History: In the 9th c AD, monks abandoning Mount Athos due to hostile incursions of the nearby people sought refuge in the caves of Meteora, as the solitude and the “closeness to heaven” favored their way of life. They gradually grouped together in monastic communities and during the 15th and 16th centuries many magnificent monasteries were built on top of the rocks. Renowned painters were called upon to create the frescoes with which they are covered. The hermits devoted themselves to the copying of ancient manuscripts, to manufacturing wooden carved crosses, portable icons, and other objects of the ecclesiastical life. Out of 24 monasteries, only 6 exist and are open to the public today. Megalo Meteoro, Varlaam, Agios Nikolaos, Anapafsas, Roussanou, Agios Stefanos, and Agia Triada. A restoration of these monasteries started in the 1960s, funded by the Greek state. Until the 20th c AD, access to the monasteries was only possible by means of a long ladder or a basket, or a net suspended on ropes from a winch which was mounted in a winching tower over the void. Travelers claimed the ropes were not replaced until they broke. The library of Megalo Meteoro houses 640 manuscripts. Of special interest is the pocket gospel of the Emperor Konstantinos Porphyrogenitos in Varlaam (9th c AD).