pics

Without breaking the habit, I'm posting another Greece photo.This time, form Meteora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring six hand-built Greek Orthodox monasteries sitting on natural rock formations.

The experience is not for the faint of heart, however. You'll face some step climbs, endless steps and seas of tourists. But finally, at the top, you'll get a truly unique sight.

From the inside, these still-functioning buildings hold all that is required to stow away from war and other inconveniences of 16th century priest life. You'll explore how a system of cables transported building materials, food, and everything else across the complex. And you'll see a bunch of religious stuff.

After a long walk-around, with feet numb and brain marinated in history, theology, and architecture, I paused to look out. You can see the next monastery (pictured) sitting on a natural pedestal with an inviting sun beam washing over it. I couldn't help but wonder what makes this place special. Is it the hard work building these monasteries? The beauty of the natural landscape? Is it synergistic? Or did humans actually ruin perfectly beautiful natural rock formations to worship a god who presumably built them?

Meteora poses the dilemma between human-made and nature-given beauty in such crystal clear terms. Without the monasteries, there would be no reason to lead stairs up the rocks. Without the rocks, the monasteries would be indistinguishable from thousands of others scattered around the world. Without monasteries the scale of the rocks would be lost. And so on, and fractally into the depths of philosophy.

With my photo, and your replies, we can contemplate together. And maybe, despite the terrible puns, I'll still feel like Lemmy is somewhere I belong.