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Monastery of Stephanos on the Meteora rocks, Kalambaka, Greece We went to several monasteries perched high in the Meteora rocks. When you first look at the rocks, which look like very steep karsts, you don’t even see the monasteries that are on top. The shape of the rocks is such that your eyes are fooled into thinking that the rocks are less high than they are, so you don’t see the monasteries, made small by the distance. Besides, it is impossible to think how anyone could build up on top of those steep mountains. How would you bring up the materials? Where is a source for water? How would you provision such a place? How would you even climb up the vertical cliffs? The monasteries have small dark churches with 2 domes, and are decorated with frescoes and icons, not with statues. The church is built in the form of an ark. It is tripartite, with a vestibule, a nave, and the sanctuary. The priests are the captains in the sanctuary. The frescoes are the same in all the churches. The artists have almost no freedom of expression, since the form is preordained. We went through the monasteries of Santa Barbara and Vardun.