Cooking in the Monastery, Meteora, Greece (1996)

Meteora is a spectacular scenic and architectural treasure in Thessaly, central Greece. A remarkable collection of vertical plugs of sandstone and conglomerate rise up from the plain. Starting around 1000, hermits moved into caves on the rock pinnacles. In the second half of the 14th century, monks established Eastern Orthodox monasteries on these remarkable rock pillars. The monks sought isolation from the mortal world, a bridge between the mortal and the divine. The precipitous rock pillars also provided safety from bandits and marauding Turkish troops. At its peak, Meteora had 24 monasteries, but only six are active now. 

Ecclesiastically, this complex of monasteries is second in importance to the remarkable ones on Mount Athos in northern Greece. I visited Athos in 1995, a memorable trek.

The Meteora region and the architecture are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

My stepdad and I visited central Greece in mid-1996. We stayed in a hotel in Kalabaka, the major town nearby. Then we spent two days exploring the monasteries that were open for tourists. Some are now ruins and dangerous to access.

Village of Kastraki

Holy Monastery of Rousanou and the village of Kastraki

Evening in Kastraki

Grand Meteoron

The Holy Imperial Monastery of the Holy and Great Meteoron is a spectacular architectural treasure.  "In 1340 St. Athanasios of Meteora occupied the ‘Platylithos’, the rock which he was to name ‘the Meteoron’ (i.e. the rock suspended between heaven and earth), and went on to lay the solid foundations of cenobitic monasticism at the Meteora." Their web page provides history and visiting information. 

The ancient buildings house chapels, libraries, storage rooms, workshops, and kitchens. 700-year-old kitchens? Smoke-darkened pots and hearths? What could be better? 

Food Preparation

Sure, these old utensils have been staged. But some penitent monks used them years and centuries ago to prepare food for the members of the monastery. 

Storage

Food storage was always an issue. The monks needed supplies for the harsh winter months. They also needed to protect their supplies from marauding bandits. In times of war or banditry, villagers may have taken refuge in the monastery. 

Sewing and Farm Equipment

Meteora is a gem. Go there as a life goal! But the area is now grossly over-touristed, so visit in the off season. 

I took these photographs with a Rolleiflex 3.5E twin lens reflex (TLR) camera with a 75mm ƒ/3.5 Xenotar lens. These are long exposures (1/2 sec and more). I braced the camera on railings or shelves. The Rolleiflex is well-suited for this type of work because you can place it on a shelf, look down into the viewfinder, and use a cable release or the self-timer to trigger the long exposure. The camera does not have a moving mirror and is almost vibration free, so it is perfect for long exposures. The film was Tri-X professional 320 film, exposed at EI=250. I developed it in Rodinal (the genuine Agfa product) at 1:25. I measured the light with a Gossen Luna Pro Digital meter.

ΔHMOKPATIA - 50 Years Later (a Post for Independence Day in USA)

In 2024, Greece marked the 50 year anniversary of the Metapolitefsi period, the regime change when the nation restored democratic government after the ignoble collapse of the seven year military dictatorship. The dictatorship was a brutal period for Greece. The Colonels repressed newspapers, killed university students, and banned political parties. Readers may wonder why I am bringing up this subject. In years to come, restoring honest democracy will be a critical political issue for the USA considering this administration's:

• abrupt turn to autocracy;
• Kakistocracy*;
• the attempt to destroy knowledge;
• purging of history;
• attempting to supplant artistic endeavors in favor of censorship and propaganda;
• and gross kleptocracy. 

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* "Kakistocracy (/ˌkækɪˈstɒkrəsi/ KAK-ist-OK-rə-see) is government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people" (from Wikipedia) As usual, the Greeks had a term for incompetent and corrupt governance. But they may have never envisioned what we see in USA in 2025.

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To honor the 50-year anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece, the National Gallery Alexandros Soutsos Museum in Athens mounted a collection of works by international artists who faced similar repression, hopes, and challenges. "We experience the liberating force unleashed on the collective body by the demand for democratic rights and investigate how the trauma of dictatorship was handled in the visual arts." (Text by Syrago Tsiara, Director / Exhibition Curator)

The following figures are some pages from the exhibit catalog.

Murdering Freedom

 

When will we face the enemy here in USA? Will we be brave enough put the corrupt on trial and honest enough to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission? In five or ten decades, will museums host works by American artists who spoke out?

On the Waterfront - Chalcis, Greece (Nov. 2024)

Euripus Strait, Chalcis, with lift bridge linking Euboea to the mainland

Chalcis (also called Chalkida or Halkida) is an ancient city on the Evrípou Strait, which separates mainland Greece from the island of Euboea (Evia). The weather in late November was still sunny and warm, so we thought, "Let's go to Chalcis, look around, and eat by the sea." A typical Greek outing. 

An unusual phenomena of the Evrípou is an irregular tidal current, which changes direction six to seven times a day.

Ice cream time

Nap time

The municipality has cleaned up the waterfront and added benches and recreation areas. 

This is a cheerful waterfront on a sunny day. Summer will be much more busy.

Santa checking out Ice Cream Man

They still sell Fanta in Greece?

Oh oh, getting the Evil Eye next to the Citroen 2CV (Samsung phone digital file)

 Dear Reader, you know what comes next: LUNCH in Nea Lampsakos, a few km south of Chalcis.

It does not get much better than this. And, of course, this is followed with a Greek coffee and a baklava. Ahhh.... (but no nap??)

This ends our November 2024 visit to Greece. I hope you enjoyed the short tour. 

More Wandering around Athens (Nov. 2024)

We continue wandering through Athens. I never lose interest here. 

Uncontrolled late-20th century urban sprawl, northwest Athens. Mount Parnitha is in the distance. (Samsung phone digital frame)

Parts of Athens are a congested concrete jungle. City fathers failed grossly to not impose green space requirements, build parks, or lay out arterial highways after World War II. In the scene above, the land in the foreground had disputed ownership for over five decades but will be preserved as park land.

Scooters on Asklipiou Street, near the Politeia bookstore (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss ZM lens)

The Politeia bookstore has a good selection of books in many languages. In the past, we shopped at the famous Eleftheroudakis bookstore, but it closed in 2016 after 120 years of business.

Phones, Asklipiou Street

I am not a fan of graffiti, but it adds some color to the rather severe limestone walls. It does not do much for the phone booths. 

Lycabettus Hill from the National Museum (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Mrs. Poppy's store in the Plaka (35mm ƒ/2.8 Pentax-A lens)

Monasteraki Square (35mm ƒ/2.8 Pentax-A lens)

Deep thinking, Athenas Street

Most of these frames are from Kodak Portra 160 film. If you are interested in earlier visits, including the 1950s, please type "Athens" in the search box.

Athenas Street, Athens, with the 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss C Biogon Lens (Nov. 2024)

I've walked along Athinas Street tens of time over the decades, but I can't resist re-exploring each time I visit Athens (Greece). The noises, smells, colors, signs, tourists, merchants, and bustle make it fun if a bit intense. These vendors sell almost everything for the household except, possibly, large appliances. 

This last trip was in November of 2024. In the past, November in Athens could be cold, wet, and blustery. But 2024 smiled on us. It was dry and reasonably warm. My relatives tell me that more and more tourists linger in Athens later in the season than pre-pandemic. Greece as a winter destination?

This time, I wanted to try my 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss ZM Biogon lens. It is wide enough to let you grab big chunks of the scene, which is handy on crowded streets. I used Portra 160 film in my Leica M2 camera and measured the light with a Gossen Luna Pro digital light meter. 

These card phones still work?

Ah, some colorful grunge

Central Market

The Central Market is best early morning, when vendors and buyers haggle over octopus, fish, and other goodies. I have written about the market before. If you are interested, type "Central Market" in the search box.

The spice vendor. I always take bags of fresh oregano home to USA with me.

The nut vendor

Dear Readers, you know where this is going. What do you do after several tiring hours exploring the city? Why, you go eat fish, of course!

I suggest Attalos Restaurant at Adrian 9 in the Thissio area near the Flea Market. Don't forget some Horta (Χόρτα) for your greens, a glass of Retsina, and baklava for dessert.

This ends our short walk downtown. More Athens and Greece to come soon.

My Leica M2 with the 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss C Biogon lens, correct Zeiss hood, and a Leitz 21mm viewfinder. Note the finder is offset so as to not cover part of the shutter speed dial.

Kodak T400CN Film in Athens, Nov. 2024 (Abandoned Films 13c)

Here are some more examples of the long-discontinued Kodak T400CN black and white film in Athens, Greece (also see the previous article on using T400CN). Being long expired (the film, not me), I exposed it at Exposure Index 50 in my Leica M2 camera. It is a bit limiting in dark places, but I was careful to hold steadily, so even exposures of 1/30 or 1/60 of a second look fine.

Athenas Street with Monasteraki Square in the distance (Leica M2, 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon lens)

Mrs. Poppy's souvenir store in the Plaka (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon lens)

Anafiotika kitty (below the Acropolis) (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Kitties in the twisty winding alleys below the Acropolis are a thing. I saw two photographers with big lenses concentrating on cat portraits.

Anafiotika artwork (21mm Biogon lens)

Anafiotika artwork (21mm Biogon lens)

First Cemetery, Athens (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

First Cemetery is the resting place for generations of prominent Athenian citizens, including politicians, poets, authors, and even Heinrich Schliemann.

Seattle Sonics having a coffee at carpo, Psychico 

Beetle in front of traditional villa, Psychico

I remember when Psychico was a quiet town of traditional 2-floor villas. My parents rented one in the 1950s. But now, and quickly, Psychico is becoming a suburb of apartment buildings. 

Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine, processed the T400CN film in standard C-41 chemistry. I scanned the film with a Nikon Coolscan 5000ED scanner, controlled by NikonScan 4.03 software. The digital ICE system effectively cleans spots and blemishes.