Sunday, 13 June 2021: Istanbul, Turkey to Kastraki, Greece

I had only a few hours in the morning, not enough to wander far since I had to be back to catch a taxi to the airport.

First went back through Hagia Sophia. 

Ceiling of Entrance to Hagia Sophia

Next I went to Hagia Eirene. It is one of the few churches that was not converted into a mosque. Instead they used it as an armory. It was under construction when I was there. I didn't see any plaster on any walls, but enough of the beautiful ceilings remained to get a feel for how beautiful it once was. 

After that I walked through the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art and the Istanbul Archeological Museums.

Alexander Sarcophagus, named because Alexander the Great is depicted in one of the Frescoes

Then I took a taxi to the airport and flew to Athens where my friends Mark and Denise were waiting for me. We drove several hours to Kastraki, a town just outside Meteora. 

We stayed at the Pyrgos Adrachti Hotel. It was right at the base of the cliffs, really a remarkable hotel. The rooms were clean and beautiful, each decorated differently and tastefully. Some of them had balconies with fabulous views of the cliffs.