Greece, Part 5

The Monastery of the Great Meteoron was in some ways the opposite of Holy Trinity Monastery, described below.  As the biggest of the 6 monasteries that remain occupied at Meteora, this one is the most commercialized with a gift shop, souvenir vendors, a museum, a parking lot, and a huge complex.  

The whole family accompanied me to this place, which was entirely accessible by car--parked along a narrow mountain roadway because the parking lot was more than full.

Great Meteoron was crowded with tourists, unlike Holy Trinity.  Our visit did not entail any hikes or climbs, and it did not feel like a pilgrimage.  More like a field trip.

Admittedly, it was a beautiful place.

Somehow I failed to see the sign outside the oratory and chapel that read "No Photography."  I didn't notice it until after I'd already disobeyed its commands.

Although the Great Meteoron is built for a large community of religious brothers, there are only three monks left here, the same number that remains at Holy Trinity.  But really, doesn't it defeat the purpose of monastic life if your monastery is a tourist attraction?

The chapel here is a much loftier space than the one at Holy Trinity.  But it lacks the somber sacredness of the latter.  Maybe it was just the crowds that made this one feel somehow less holy to me.  During the German occupation of Greece, the Nazis intentionally destroyed and defaced some of the monasteries at Meteora.

The view from a monastery terrace.