Kalampaka (Kalambaka) and Meteora in Greece

  
 
 
 

Pension Arsenis Meteora near KalampakaAgain, we had not prebooked anywhere to stay. At this time of year there is plenty of accommodation available, the only disadvantage is that certain establishments are closed for the winter.

We were fortunate to take a right turning off the main road on entry to Kalampaka and follow the signs to Meteora where we encountered the Pension Arsenis, set a long way back from the road, surrounded by glorious countryside and with splendid views of the Meteora rocks. At this time of year, we were initially the only guests and our hosts could not have been more welcoming. After settling in and a short siesta, we decided to drive the 3 kilometres or so, back into the town of Kalampaka for lunch and a few essential supplies.

The town of Kalampaka with the rocks of Meteora behind
In the high street of Kalampaka overlooked by Meteora rocks

There were plenty of places to eat and drink in the centre of Kalampaka; hotels, bars, restaurants, and gift shops, line the main road through the town. Being Independence Day, Greek families crowded the bars and restaurants spilling out onto the chairs and tables on the pavement. It was lively and extremely busy.

We chose a restaurant at random and enjoyed a good lunch of lamb soup surrounding a large piece of lamb, the inevitable Greek salad, fresh bread and a jug of the local red wine. It was one of these establishments where the food was on display for customers to look at, and I must admit that there was a good choice of home-cooked meals including Moussaka, giant white beans in a tomato sauce, and a pasta dish called 'Pastichio'. The price of our meal with wine and as much 'free' bread as we wanted was about £9 each. A coach party of tourists from Moscow had also stopped for lunch. The staff spoke a smattering of a variety of languages and coped well with their international clientele.

You will see the name of the town Kalampaka shown in various forms. The actual letters 'm and p', when used together in Greek, are pronounced as 'b'. Therefore the town may be called Kalabaka (phonetic spelling), or even Kalambaka.