New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
Monasteries in Midair
MoNAsTERIEs IN M1DAIR

The MeJeora, or midair mouasteries. are SO
Easily accessible from Athens that II is strange
= md them still uEfreq Uented by tourists.
TWO days journey by sea and rail brings one
- kzIahaka. which al respectful distance ap-
pears attractive village, with its cluster OF
tiled roofs nesting artlStlcally IN the southern
shelter OF The sheer Maiden Rock, whose dark
cone towering high In1o the upper brightness
has never been scaled by man goat From
-ne Maiden semicircle Of disjoined cliffs
rms eastward The Naiden's nearest neighbOr
Is d5sta1Ced by the Gate. mere fssure into
zzhica thin wedse OF blue sky forces itself be-
Sueeu Jhs fanhing blackness. while on the top
G yhe precip3ce further east can be discerned
some kind OF hsbi1a1iOn- This Is the first
monastery Of the Meteora-St- Stephens.
A visit by al-ship would be direct and speedy
ru- a. mules were the niublest mode of loco
-7o-ion available II took US an hours steady
-s--h 10 wind around the back Of The hill and
reach The monastery gate. where, with pleasing
-0,-e- nv we found an environment of things
medieval. delecing The last SIX hundred years
Before Us 6rawaridge over dire chasm
suitable for the hurting 10 destruction Of all
s.-n-elcone visitors, and the studded iron gate
7-sraC-1Eiy barred, lowered upon Us as forbid
=f-rzv as the windo-vIess walls. with their ivy
ea-h Our cavalcaGe presented the ulildest ap-
E7ea7G1ce- with NJ more warl1ze weapon than a
SUI umbrella vet when MirsO our mulereer.
v1-h his vIisrling vells evoked no response
son within. I pleased rs in ory- a-do- for
local color 70 guess that the medieval guardians
of -he keep were holding p hurried council Of
var. 6ol131Z their coats o1 mail or perform
Ode a-6 we thus cousoIed ourselves for any
Isck q modern st-enuousness about our vel
c9rns
From St STEPHENS hill can be seen the other
ofsreo-a Conasteres- di-ninutive in the midst Of
2 ~--es- 4 rocks whose fantastic shapes sug-
ras- coh-f1s. ewes and fairies. n reality they
s-a 5-La bL-eE hv countless eagles, which ren6
rhe a-- win piercing cries and prey upon the
T0rzs. regardless Of the owners .sa1CCiry- The
smallest of The now extanr monasteries. Holy
-T-5-f--. 3 aTp-na cheG ny the bride path from
= S-e-he-s- 7 IS built the TOD Of mag
-tEe5 -Ei--rLe with about three hundred feet Of
shee- r-a-lr-Ce. and the ascent may he made by
8 covered ladder. -ollS0C1e and u-7Stahle Much
more romantic Is the alternative mode Of eleva-
lev -0-es from above Loud believing brings
c-e -- the r-o1asric Grones 70 the window
rance and after deliberate inspection Of the
v-~--=-re aSce-6a--s he lets dCw-1 the necessary
INSTRUMENTS As Ile rope desCen6s. one IS glad
Il remember that 10 accident has ever been re
corded The net was spread or the ground.
s1E with TIE fearful interest Of 3 novel expert
e7-a. ---0 n rs c-Cuche5 Cross legged upon Il.
while The ends were gathered together IN bag
T--- overhead and lO0ped on 70 4 great hook
A ---ea-5CE shout from ALitsO sent Us into the
g. and F7- a few minutes our sensations. like
-r-- bodies. were somewhat tangled We were
s'-1Es heads upward more than that did
-0- know The -ViTli1g motion OF the bag made
rs ----Ele6 mass, while continual. though gen
--= r-----1E against the edge Of the cliff added
zrs- p Re expedition The really awful no
--=-r comes when the puIlevs stop and the
window meanwhile the visitor swings n mid
z'- -uI 0f f0-ehoCi-g as 20 the security Of his
scar But a another minute he H-ds himself
ing ---fusedlv cu -he Hoor Of Holy Trinity,
surrounded ny nCrchslan- old men. who receive
H.- with -7e welcoming formula. We'll. have
--a- usual Wen. have We found you?'--BIaCk-
woods