Clock Tower and World Cup: Exciting Road Trip from Meteora to Trikala to Delphi

Author: Janice Vazquez | Last updated: August 20, 2023

In December 2022, I traveled with my family (mom, dad, and brother, Julius) to Greece. We spent a total of 20 days visiting different cities, sightseeing, eating Greek food, and learning about Greece’s history and culture. I n the morning, we visited the last two Meteora monasteries and took pictures from several viewpoints. In the afternoon, we drove from Meteora to Trikala and then to our final destination of the day: Delphi. Keep reading to learn what attractions we visited in Trikala and how we drove through the mountains of Moschokaria.

Trikala

After Meteora, we headed to Delphi, which was a 3-hour drive. We were a bit hungry, so we made a pitstop by Assos in Trikala for lunch. Assos is a fast-food restaurant that sells burgers, wraps and sandwiches. We ordered a big pancetta and big pita gyros. Both sandwiches cost 7,50 euros each and were massive!

The front entrance of Assos has a menu on a stand and Assos Sign shows a gyro. — *Assos front entrance*

*The Assos menu includes hot dogs, specials, salads, extras, and drinks*

We ordered our food to go so we could eat at The Byzantine Castle of Trikala, which was only a 5-minute drive from Assos. While we were driving up to the castle, we saw several “do not enter signs”, so we were worried we were driving in the wrong direction. However, a minute later we saw a parking lot and found parking. We entered through a gate and walked on a trail that led to the castle. Unfortunately, the door was locked, so we couldn’t go in. Also, we didn’t see any benches, so we leaned against a stone wall instead.

Assos Big Pancetta sandwich with the byzantine castle in the background — *Big Pancetta sandwich with the byzantine castle in the background*

Julius in front of Byzantine Castle's Main Gate — *Julius in front of Byzantine Castle’s Main Gate*

After eating our food, we went to the clock tower. We climbed three flights of stairs and a large spiral staircase for another floor* (total of four floors) to reach the top of the tower. Once I reached the top, I could see the Byzantine castle and Trikala. Once we finished taking pictures of the view, we walked back down and exited the park.

The trikala clock tower stands five stories tall with a flag of greece at the top — The Trikala clock tower

View of a church from the Trikala clock tower

Driving to Delphi

On our way to Delphi, my brother drove us through the mountains of Moschokaria. As we drove up the mountain, the roads started becoming more and more narrow. As we continued to drive, it became harder to see the road in front of us because of the rain and fog. We drove by several cars that stopped on the side of the road.

At one point, we drove through a small town that contained shops and a church. I didn’t see anyone outside. The area reminded me of a ghost town from a scary movie. I rolled down the windows and heard a spooky and eerie sound. All of a sudden, we descended down the mountain and the roads were still narrow, but the curves were sharp. I started to ask myself if this was really the only way to Delphi. I looked on Google maps and saw that we were on a “racetrack”. My brother was driving very slowly on this road without any barriers.

*View of solar panels on a cloudy day can be seen from the car*

*View of the mountain in the thick fog can be seen from the car*

After what felt like forever, we made it to the bottom of the mountain. Phew. We were fortunate that as we drove down the curvy road there weren’t any oncoming cars. It was a challenging drive. Overall, we encountered three toll booths, which cost a total of 5,70 euros.

Note: If you are afraid of driving on mountains with narrow roads and no barriers, consider taking the longer route, which adds 30 minutes to your drive.

Delphi: Cafe Apollon

When we reached Delphi, I was eager to watch the Fifa World Cup Final Match between Argentina and France. We checked into Pan Hotel, parked our car, and walked to Cafe Apollon. There were several other customers in the cafe watching the game as well. The server found us a spot in the back, so we were able to watch the soccer match. We ordered a Mythos Beer on draft (500 ml) and a Caramelo semi sweet white wine. Both drinks were very refreshing to accompany us while we watched the game. The drinks were accompanied by complimentary chips.

Cafe Apollon Main Entrance is decorated with lights and flowers — *Cafe Apollon Main Entrance*

*Cafe Apollon menu includes ice cream, desserts, beer, wine and cocktails*

A glass of wine, a bottle of wine, and a 16oz draft of Mythos beer served with a small bowl of potato chips — *A glass of white wine and a 16oz draft of Mythos beer served with a small bowl of potato chips*

People watching the fifa world cup game on tv in cafe apollon — *People watching the fifa world cup game on tv*

The atmosphere was filled with a tense air but with a lot of joy and excitement with each minute the game passed. People shouted in jubilation when there was a goal. When it got to the final penalty kicks, there was so much anticipation for each penalty kick. When the game finally ended, it felt like the trance was released and everyone was free. It was a nice way to enjoy a night in the city of Delphi. We paid 8,50 euros for both drinks.

The only downside of the cafe was the smell of smoke. Every time the server opened the door to serve food to the customers sitting in the patio, a bit of smoke came and lingered inside. During halftime, we stepped outside and saw another bar also showing the game. Though, I didn’t like the bar’s vibe since classical piano music was playing in the background. We decided to stay at Cafe Apollo for the ambiance.

Tavern Dion

After the game, we went to eat dinner at Tavern Dion. We ordered lemon chicken soup with shredded chicken as an appetizer. The server dropped off bread with dill and eggplant sauce. For entree we ate Bifteki, a popular dish made of ground beef filled with cheese, and moussaka, Greek lasagna.

Tavern Dion's restaurant's decoration depicts people eating and drinking — *Tavern Dion’s restaurant’s decoration*

Left corner is grilled bread, top center is lemon chicken soup, and bottom right are small bowls of dill and eggplant sauce — *Grilled bread served with dill and eggplant sauce and a bowl of lemon chicken soup*

Moussaka served on a white plate and with a metal spoon — *Moussaka served on a white plate*

The lemon chicken soup was thick and made with shredded chicken, lemon, diced carrots, and spices. The moussaka was layered with potato, eggplant, ground beef, and tomatoes. At the end of the meal, the waiter gave us a complimentary dessert of Greek cheese that had the consistency of yogurt and two baklavas drizzled with honey syrup, nuts, and raisins. The service was friendly, the tables were clean, and the bathrooms were great! Everything was delicious! As someone who traveled from America, this was very cheap for a family of four. The total for our meal was 31,50 euros.

bifteki - baked beef patties stuffed with cheese and served with sliced potatoes and lemon wedges — *Bifteki – Baked Beef Patties*

Greek cheese and two baklavas drizzled with honey syrup, nuts, and raisins served on a decorative clear plate — *Greek cheese and two baklavas drizzled with honey syrup, nuts, and raisins*

Pan Hotel

After a wonderful meal, we drove to the Pan Hotel. The hotel didn’t have a parking lot available, so we had to park on the street, which was challenging. The left hand side was filled with cars and the right hand side had a “no parking” sign. We temporarily park our car to take out the luggage, and then drove until we found an empty spot. The town is small, so it was only a minor inconvenience. We were able to find parking that was only a 3 minute walk from the hotel.

When checking-in, the manager asked for our name and number of people staying. Then he handed us the keys to our hotel room. I was surprised he didn’t ask for an identification card for proof or a credit card for incidentals.

We booked a family room, which sleeps 5. We were expecting two queen size beds and possibly a cot, but instead the room had four twin size beds and a sofa bed. Literally 5 beds. The beds were very comfortable and easy to sleep in. The room also had a tv, a desk, and several power outlets.

Janice and Julius standing in front of Meteora's surrounding landscape of rolling rock formation and Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron

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