Etna, where the views are lavaly! (Mount Etna)

Member Name: Picasso

Product:	Mount Etna
Date:	04/10/07 (277 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A fabulous experience and fabulous views

Disadvantages: None unless it erupts!!

A visit to Mount Etna has been on my "must see" list for years and so when hubby and I decided to take a two week break to Sicily last month, Etna was top of my list. Approaching Sicily by plane, the pilot announced that there was a terrific view of Etna for those sitting on the left-hand side. For once I had chosen the right side. There it was in all its glory, a fabulous sight in the Sicilian sunshine. I was awe struck.

Etna is the largest volcano in Europe and the second largest in the world after Mount Fujiyama in Japan. We were based in the eastern towns of Milazzo for our first week and Taormina for our second. Etna dominates most of this eastern landscape, its smoking summit a familiar feature in this area. There have been 135 recorded eruptions. Early ones devastated Catania and the lava flows reached the sea on several occasions. From 1981 - 2002(the last big one) local roads were destroyed, Catania airport closed and nearby villages threatened. About a week before our holiday I noticed that Catania airport had closed for a night because of billowing smoke as Etna gurgled away.

A couple of days into our holiday, I had waited long enough. An hour on the auto strada brought us to Giarre, our turn off. Before we started our assent, we drove through several villages including Etna itself. A somewhat run down looking place where house holders hadn't bothered to paint their homes and, unusual to elsewhere no plant pots adorned their steps, patios or balconies. I can only describe the place as grey, perhaps the residents had given up?

"The Mountain" as the locals call it has installed a great feeling of respect, mysticism and a love/hate relationship. Every eruption has ripped up cultivated land and farms. However, the minerals from the lava have made the soil extremely fertile, hence this is the greenest and most lush area of Sicily.

We drove up the public road, which ends, at 1900 metres at Rifugio Sapienza. By now the temperature had dropped from 30 degrees to 11. To get any further, a cable car was required. It was only at this point that I actually felt that I was on Etna itself. As the temperature dropped further, we passed over smouldering lava rocks below and could see its peak above. Moving on again, we took a 4x4 jeep, which took us over rugged terrain before meeting up with our guide for the next stage. I found this to be the most interesting and fascinating part of our trip. As we started our trek, my hands grew cold but my feet were like toast as I could feel the heat from the lava even through my sturdy walking shoes. We were walking on lava ejected in October 2002 when two extra craters were made referred to by our guide as "moon landscape". As we stood looking into the newest craters, he explained that the temperature only 20 metre below was a soaring 300 degrees. A feeling of fright mixed with excitement!

The tour was quite "hands on" in that we were encouraged to pick up small, hot lava rocks and pass them around the group. A bit like a hot potato, no one held on to them for long. By parting some of the earth with our feet, we formed small holes in which we crouched to feel the heat. This was the start of the "lavatorial" jokes. In smaller holes, we warmed our hands. Turning over some of the larger boulders, we found an abundance of ladybirds enjoying the heat during the summer months. Before they die off in the winter, they lay their eggs "lava" underneath to commence the cycle the following year. I was surprised that despite many eruptions and the freezing climate in the winter, many plants and trees have acclimatised themselves to grow in the lava. Rabbits, weasels and foxes can also be found. As we came to the end of out tour, we had panoramic views over Taormina and Catania. All to soon, we had to start our descent.

Back to Rifugio Sapienza we were ready for some hot food and a warming cup of coffee. There are several eateries and although the food is described as "fast-food", we enjoyed delicious home-made savoury pies and pastries and excellent quality coffee. There are shops too in this area selling some tat and some good souvenirs and photographs. I did succumb to buying an Etna tee-shirt.

Despite lots of advice about the clothing you need for the trip, people still turned up in flip-flops and short sleeves. You need either walking shoes or good trainers and warm clothes. You can hire shoes for two Euros and there are shops selling jumpers and fleece jackets.

Although we did our trip independently, there are organised excursions from Taormina if you don't have a car. There are also some evening excursions. The price doesn't include the cable car journey or the jeep. We paid 48 Euros per person for the cable, the jeep and the guided tour and although at first we thought this a little expensive, it was worth every penny.

My visit to Etna was without a doubt the highlight of my holiday. The Volcano remains a remarkable draw for travellers and locals and visiting Sicily would not be complete without a visit to this wonderful, awesome mountain. It lived up to all my expectations and one day I hope to return and do the trip by night.

Summary: Sicily's Volcano