Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-25
MONASTERIES IN THE AIR.

The wonderful monasteries of Meteora,
which crown the SUBMITS of vast rock
! pinnacles which rise from the plain OF
Thessaly, are described by a correspond
| ent of the Daily Graphic as follows:
BY what strange means the first cum
ming architects of these airy perches sue
ceeded in reaching the scene of their Ia
bors is a matter Wreathed in mystery. The
cliffs are far too smooth and p~erpendicu-
lar for any man to climb by hand and
foot, and history guards jealousy the Sc
cret of the monasteries. All that is known
about them is that the monks n wan
dering friars of the middle ages found
sanctuary here when first the crescent
and the scimitar ran red with Christian
blood. The monastery of st. S~tephano
is the largest of the seven blocks which
now remain of 20 of the rarest monu-
ments of human ingenuity, and entrance
to it is gained by a steep and winding
path among the rocks. All the rest are
absolutely devoid of access saw by the
net and rope or a swinging ladder. With
the exception of ST. %Stephano ladies are
vigorously excluded from mounting to the
mOnasteries. Visitors to the monks
abode announce their presence ~ shout
ing until someone far above looks out and
let's the net, which is worked by a wind
lass, come down. r,.
The sensation of the ascent, I found on
| visiting the place myself, was distinctly
novel. Seated on the ground in the CEN
ter of the net, the meShes were one by one
,ooped on to a large iron hook. AS the
| rope became taut the cords pressed I'M
comfortably hard upon various points of
ones body, and as there was a strong
wind blowing it swung to and fro and
bumped it's human a~ppendage against
the cliff. The rope, as it slowly wound on
the drum up in the monastery, kinked
occasionally, and the jerk ave one the
impression that the rickety concern was
/ giving way.
The journey through the air ended
safely, however, on a platform 40 feet
above the ground, and the monks
promptly eXtricated their visitor from the
entangling mesh. The place was distinct
ly dark and ~draughty, and there We're
many Winding passages and steps to
stumble over before the room was
reached in which the abbot sat and wait
ed the arrival of his visitor. His deli
cately cut features, his gentle voice and
stately bearing We're only what one would
expect of a man whose life had been spent
in a place so far above the world amid
such lofty surroundings. A young monk,
with bare feet, entered the room noise
lessly and handed round small cups of
Turkish coffee and a cigarette, and, seat
ed with these beside one on the diVan be-
meath the Windo one could enjoy to the
full the glorious view of the plain spread
out like a map below, with the cleaning
snowy peaks of the Pindos mountains in
the distance. Then followed a long ran
BILE through the WainscOted dormitories
/, of the m~onks-the rock-loored refectory
the richly decorated chapel, and the lit
i, tie graveyard which sloped away from i
down to the very edge of the %precipice
: 1t was with many a pleasant recollection
= of the monks of Meteora hat we finally
, babe them goodbye ere they pushed Us
a from their landing stage and launched III
!. once more into space.