Exploring Kalabaka – Day 3 & 4

It’s been a fantastic couple of days spent in Kalabaka and the Meteora area.  Fresh air, mountains, beautiful scenery and friendly people makes for a memorable visit.

Last night I rented an e-bike and made my up to the sunset viewing spot to await the evening glow that a clear day promised.  It was my first time on a e-bike and I have to say I could get used to how easy it is to peddle up a mountain!  Why had I been killing myself on my Tarmac and grinding the gears to go a snail’s pace up Seymour when I could zip up to the top in half the time on a trusty e-bike?

Today I decided to hike the ascent trail to the Holy Trinity Monastery on the recommendation of Konstantina who was my guide for the photography tour the previous day.  

I reached the point on the trail where Konstantina had mentioned that you could access some caves if you were willing to scramble up the sandstone boulders and get some bloody legs from the prickly oak leaves.  I hid my 30+ lb camera backpack to lighten the load and began pulling myself up the mountainside.  I passed some caves and decided it was too sketchy of a trail to go inside so I continued up the cleft.  I reached the top and saw stone stairs and a pathway leading past a cave to end at a metal door with a cross etched into it.  I had inadvertently discovered a monastery!

After making my way back down from the monastery I continued along the trail in search of the ascent trail to the Holy Trinity Monastery.  The trail opened up onto a brick road with a small church where I met a young Greek guy, Nick.  Although Nick’s English was limited and my Greek nonexistent, we managed a conversation using Google translate and some sign language.  He had previously traveled to Jasper for three months with his cousin and “loved Canada and Canadians”.   Why thank you Nick!  He asked to take a photo of us for his Facebook so he could say he had met a Canadian today.

I said goodbye to Nick and continued along the trail.  After reaching a massive boulder I aborted the mission realizing that I must’ve taken a wrong turn.  This couldn’t be the right trail unless Konstantina thought I carried rappelling gear in my pack.  I went back to the church and decided to wander the streets and try to figure out where I went wrong.  I looked at the map and continued along until I came across a sign with Holy Trinity written on it and an arrow.  I’m on the right track.  Thank you Google maps.

Just before the actual trail, I meet Andras and Rafael who are looking for the same trail.  We combine our efforts and find the stone pathway leading up to the monastery.  They’re visiting from Belgium for two weeks and have been in Kalabaka for two days like myself.  Rafael is Belgian and can speak four languages and Andras is  originally from Hungary and can also speak multiple languages.  I’m acutely embarrassed that I only speak one.

Rafael makes a comment that I’m brave for traveling and hiking by myself and he says he likens me to Lara Croft from Tomb Raider which makes me giggle.  Within minutes of meeting I have a nickname.  I learn that “kishi baba” means small baby in Hungarian which is Rafael’s nickname for Andras.  Andras cringes every time Rafael yells it out to him when he gets too far ahead on the trail.  I ask them if they mind me joining them and I get a resounding “Yes!”.  They’ve been working from home together through Covid and apparently are starved for new people.  

We make it to the Holy Trinity Monastery and enjoy the view from the top.  Andras wants to explore a different trail to make our way back to Kalabaka and I’m game.  Rafael isn’t so sure about Andras’s navigational skills and repeatedly asks if Andras knows where he’s going.  We’re picking our way through prickly oak leaves and loose gravel.  I’m wearing proper hiking shoes but they’re in sneakers and Rafael is not a happy camper.  We reach a steep decent and Rafael has had enough with Andras’s bright idea of getting off the beaten path.  We retrace our steps back to the road and descend to Kalabaka on the same trail we came up.

Lunch is proposed and they take me to a restaurant they had scouted out earlier.  A bottle of white wine is ordered along with Greek salad, tzatziki, orzo pasta with mushrooms and chicken.  There’s much toasting to the luck that we happened to meet and laughter throughout the meal.  They invite me to visit them in Belgium and promise to take me to Bruges even though Andras has taken so many visitors there that he would prefer to never go back.  I warn them that they shouldn’t offer the invitation lightly as I’m the type of person that will be showing up on their door step in the near future.  

The check is dropped on the table and before I can figure out my portion of the bill, Andras has grabbed it from my hands and run inside to pay despite my numerous protests.  Even after I attempt to give him money, they both refuse and say they’re thrilled to have met me and it’s their treat.  I will return the favour when I visit them in Belgium.  We part ways as I have to get back to the hotel to pick up my bag and get to the train station.

I’ve run out of time to meet again with Konstantina which I’m bummed about but we’ve agreed to keep in touch and who knows?  Perhaps we will meet again.

I’m now on the evening train headed back to Athens in order to catch my early morning ferry to Mykonos.  Most of the seats are full but I’ve lucked out and have a seat to myself.  I chat with two young Italian girls that I recognize from where I viewed the sunset last night and again at the top of the Holy Trinity Monastery.  I find when I’m traveling I can often run into the same people throughout my travels as we are all hunting for interesting experiences and attempting to soak up all a country has to offer.  At the hotel I met a young, newly married couple from Boston that will also be visiting the island of Milos so we may meet again.  It’s a small world despite it’s size.