Day 13 - April 24, 2017 (Olivia)

Today was a day for sleeping in, and I really think we all needed it. Taking our time in the morning and those extra few hours of sleep made us more energized and happy. We got all our stuff together because we were going to the monastery complex today. The extra morning time was a trade-off, I realized as I looked at the itenerary. We had a fairly busy day ahead and it didnt appear as though we would see the hotel again until well after midnight.
On the way to the monasteries, we asked our cab driver if he knew any restaurants in the area that were good. He told us about an outdoor restaurant that a five minute walk from the Great Meteoron monastery. It was called Taverna Gardenia.

Wood items in museum

Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron (Culture)
As we entered the place where the monastery was, the main sign read, "the monastery suspended in the air," because it was right on the edge of Meteora, a huge high rock. We learned that there were six monasteries on Meteora, and this one was the highest, largest. and oldest of them all. Jay told us that it was established in 1304, and the rock it is built on rises about 2000 feet above sea level. As the tour started, we also got to see that they had a museum within the monastery. It featured wood-carved crosses and sculptures, and manuscripts. It was so cool to see how all this stuff had been preserved and was kept in such good condition. We also learned that the exquisite paintings on the wall were called frescoes, and were very common in art. It was so cool to explore this big monastery and see everything it has to offer.
The walk definitely did not disappoint in terms of looks. It was so pretty and trees shaded our path. It was a beautiful 65 degrees temperature, and everyone was enjoying themselves.

Greek Salad I ate from the tavern 

Taverna Gardenia (Food)
The tavern was beautiful, and the weather was perfect to eat outside. It convinced me that everyday was as pretty as this, and it made me want to stay in Greece. I got a greek salad, and so did Abby. The rest of the group got grilled sardines or anchovies. It was a really relaxing meal, and it had been such a gorgeous day so far.
After seeing the first monastery, we were so excited to see another one in the same complex. Now that we had an idea of what they entailed, we were more excited to see how the monastery of Varlaam compared.
Monastery of Varlaam (Culture)
We were going to the monastery of Varlaam next, To get there, we had to go on a narrow bridge from the main road. Inside, it is similar to the other monastery, with a lot of old wood and relics from back then. Their courtyards had lots of places to look out and see the other monasteries and the rest of Meteoron. It was another beautiful temple.
We were all so excited to fly to Athens now, because it was the capital of Greece. I still think that no matter how many flights we take on this trip, I will never get used to the excitement and how busy they always are.
Everyone was so excited about traveling to Athens next. It was the capital, and we knew it was going to be one of the most exciting and pretty destinations. We boarded the plane and found our seats around 6:10.

Flight to Athens
The flight was short and really pretty. The sun was just about finished setting, and the sky was starry and cloudy. It was so pretty here, and I would never get tired of these views.

View from Mount Lycabettus 

The flight went by pretty fast, even though it was only one hour. Every time I looked out the window, the view of Greece still astonished me and I never wanted to leave. Hailey and Abby were sound asleep, and I was sort of surprised, since they were so energetic when getting to the airport. The drive to the hotel gave us a feel for how Athens lives, and it was very bright in the night sky. Abby and Hailey were drifting into sleep, as the rest of us were too taken aback by the view to even blink. It was a lot later than we all thought. We had all had a pretty relaxing day, and it had flown by. Gladdie and Hailey threw their bags onto the bed and rushed out to see the view from our hotel. We were right on the outside of Athens, and could see all the city lights in the distance. We all looked up on our phones Mount Lycabettus, and particularly photos of the view. This only made us more excited to see in a little while. This trip has really made me enjoy the little things in life that are beautiful and that everyone should appreciate. Jay found out that it was over 900 feet above sea level. It was also a legend that the hill was dropped by Athena, and the acropolis of Athens would be built right there in her honor,

Mt Funicular (Natural Environment)
We were going to Mount Lycabettus tonight to see the stars and beautiful view it had to offer. It was a huge limestone hill that overlooked the city of Athens, and it was an amazing thing to see. All the building and streets were lit up in the night, and the sight took my breath away. It was a really great thing to see our first night at Athens, and it made me so excited for tomorrow. We all loved how high up we were and how it allowed us to see so far into the city. Hailey was worried whenever one of us neared the edge of the rock, in fear of us falling, even though it wasn't a complete drop. We did this a few times to mess with her. I will never forget this gorgeous view and how happy it made all of us. 

Arrive at 11:45 and get ready for bed: We were all quieter during the walk back, and I could feel my heavy eyelids starting to close after all the walking and traveling we've done today.

12:15 Sleep