This is a late entry to a wonderful trip through Northern Greece & Turkey which began Wednesday, September 23rd & was completed on Monday, October 5th. I had wanted to write a little something about this experience before we started a three day trip to the Peloponnese which meant more ventures to record, but it didn't get done. So, here is Day 1 of our Northern Greece & Turkey trip.

We spent many hours on the bus, of course, but the scenery was beautiful & interesting: groves of olive trees, grape vineyards, cotton fields (a real surprise), many kinds of fruit trees, vegetable gardens, tobacco fields, herds of sheep &/or goats, bright blue bays, & mountains in every direction. The mountains at times were barren or sparsely vegetative & at other times forest-covered.

Our first stop was at the Pass of Thermopylae, where in 480 B.C. the small Grecian army of Spartans & Thebans fought a huge Persian army. The Greeks were defeated but their brave defense delayed the Persians on their way to war on Athens. A statue of the Spartan commander, Leonidas, & a small memorial to the Thebans marked the site. I've not seen the movie, but "300" commemorates this battle.

Next was an incredible drive to visit Meteora which means "suspended in air". Huge boulders rising 1000-1500 feet were the site for monasteries! They were initially built by Greek Orthodox monks in the 14th century & only accessible by ropes thrown from above. People were lifted up in baskets. Thankfully, steps are now available. There were 24 of these at one time, but only six have survivied. The scene of these beautiful structures perched precariously high above the ground is an amazing sight! They are still in use, but very few monks now live in them. They contain icons, mosaics, & frescoes. One was the setting for another movie I've not seen: James Bond's "For Your Eyes Only".

As we drove to Dion we caught sight of Mt. Olympas - visible for miles. It was a bit hazy, but we could get a few good photos. Dion (ancient name for Zeus) was a sanctuary city & the worship center for Zeus. It was at its peak during the time of Alexander the Great. The ruins were from Roman times: a small theatre & a large bath area with colorful mosaic floors. We made a quick run thru their museum where one of the oldest instruments ever discovered (uncovered?) was on display - a pipe organ, or at least a forerunner of the pipe organ.

We stayed in Berea that first night.