20 Things I Learned About Browsers & the Web

The web site called 20 Things I Learned About Browsers & the Web contains a very nice introduction about the things you should/want to know about the Internet. Starting with the Internet, and explaining things like HTML5, plug-ins it gives a nice overview of the state of the web. The text is easily readable and the layout is gorgeous. It’s like you are reading an actual book. Recommended reading!

How to drive your car in (non-)slippery conditions

Winter falls in Holland, it is raining heavily and temperatures are dropping below zero degrees celcius. Roads will be very slippery and and black ice will make it very dangerously. You really need special winter tires to get some grip. These conditions reminded me of the following video by Ken Block. Even though it isn’t winter in the video, you get a good idea what you might encounter when you do not have any grip left on the road.

I am just wondering one thing: how many tire changes were needed for this video?

Visiting the Great Meteora Monastery

The monasteries of Meteora are one of the most unique sites I have ever seen. Strange pointy cliffs thrust upward from the earth, while ‘normal hills’ surround the area. Meteora means “hanging from the air”, which is a real understatement.

A neighbor of the Great Meteora Monastery seen through the cliffs

It’s not known how the cliffs are formed. The locals tell me that this area was once a sea, but it still does not explain why the cliffs rise so steeply. It’s also not known how the first monks got to the top. Hermits climbed the steep cliffs to be closer to God. One of the monks called Athanasius founded the Church of Transfiguration and built the monastery Megalo Meteoro. It is now known as Great Meteora Monastery.

 
Great Meteora Monastery

You can visit about six monasteries. We stayed near Kalambaka to arrive early. You drive up to a parking place nearby, walk down to the base of the cliff and then climb up the stairs carved out of the side of the cliff. You will need at least a whole day to visit all the monasteries.

 
Entrance to Great Meteora Monastery

Small shrine halfway the stairs up to Great Meteora Monastery

Outside the Great Meteora Monastery 

The Great Meteora Monastery is one of the largest. You can still visit the various rooms like the authentic kitchen, wine cellar and the church.

Meteora Monastery Wine Cellar

 
Entrance to the Great Meteora Church

 
Kitchen

The view from the monasteries is breathtaking!

View from the Great Meteora Monastery

In the old days food, other supplies and even monks were hoisted up with a windlass, rope and baskets. The stairs, which the tourists use, were only made recently. That is the reason every monastery has a dedicated ‘transport room’.

Transportation Room Great Meteora Monastery

Compact Calendars for 2011

David Seah has released his 2011 versions of the Compact Calendar. I have written about the usage of these handy calendars in an earlier blog post.

You can download my Dutch versions of the Compact Calendar 2011 on http://www.changspace.com/CompactCalendar2011/CompactCalendar2011NL.zip

Many thanks to David Seah for creating these handy calendars!

----

David Seah heeft de Compact Calendars voor 2011 uitgebracht. Ik heb reeds geschreven over deze handige kalenders in deze blog post.

Mijn Nederlandse versies van de Compact Calendar 2011 kan je downloaden vanaf http://www.changspace.com/CompactCalendar2011/CompactCalendar2011NL.zip

David: hartelijk bedankt voor het maken van deze kalenders!

Eating Trout at Restaurant Neromylos, Greece

Near the villages of Kastraki, Meteora and Dhavia there is a special restaurant named Neromylos. You have to drive towards Dhavia, over the bridge and look for signs which direct you to the restaurant. It is best to drive before the sun sets!

The restaurant is well known for its trout which they breed by themselves in large ponds at the back of the restaurant. The waiter was so kind to give us a tour of the facility.

The breeding area is very old. Water comes from a spring up the hill and cascades over the various basins. The youngest fish are in the upper basins. After a few weeks they are put in the lower basins. The oldest fish swim in the lower basin.

Of course the entire breeding area is fenced off to keep out birds and other animals.

Fresh trout

Fresh trout

Outside the basins

After the tour, we ordered their signature dish: trout! It was delicious!

Driving from Delphi to Meteora

After our visit to Delphi (A), we drove to Kastraki (B). Kastraki is a little village near Meteora – our next stop. The trip was about 314 km and took about 6 hours. We drove over the toll routes and skipped the scenic route. This way we avoided the Greek style of driving on the smaller roads, and we were sure we would arrive on time.
We stayed at Doupiani House which has a wonderful view of the rock towers of Meteora.


View of the rock towers of Meteora from Doupiani House


Doupiani House