Mt. Etna is erupting again. Roberto Luigi posted about it, complete with fiery photos, and it made me think about my visit there several years ago.
Here's a current photo, from the internet:
When my friend and I were on the mountain, it was being quiet. I would like to claim ominous smoke in my pictures, but it was only fog.
Driving to the top of the world
Fields of cinders
Intrepid Sicilian road-builders constructed right through the mess.
Old farmhouse with caved-in roof. New white farmhouse - wonder how it's faring tonight
Etna in background, heap o' cinders in foreground.
Closer view. Just beyond the slag in the foreground, you can make out green supports for a chair-lift. No, we didn't take it. It was late and cold. And who takes a chair-lift over an active volcano anyway...
My friend holding big cinders. No, those aren't live coals in the foreground - just the sun (such as it was) shining off the shiny hard coal.
At the top of Etna is a whole little village of eateries and souvenir shops. And, for the brave, a hotel to overnight in.
Bathroom and cappuccino stop (wine later)
My friend found a touque, which was very welcome - note snow in background, which had been bulldozed off the parking lot.
Back down the mountain, looking quite sober ... and glad I'm not a virgin. Or is that only in Hawaii where you have to worry?
Near the foot of the mountain foliage is retaking the landscape - tho you can see some wasted areas in the background.
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Clay ball and Scarlett - we were in Sicily in early spring and the temp was perfect as far as I was concerned. Spring flowers were blooming. And no signs of snow. But up on that not-very-high mountain there was snow and it was quite chilly.
http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1747/597/Scientists_Warn_Supervolcano_Will_Destroy_U.S..html
Interesting pics. I love your hat.
Nana - I thought of Sicily as a dark, scary place full of old guys with shotguns. I was very mistaken (or they keep those guys outta sight).
Frank - I gotta check those Google Earth pix. Sounds like the best way to peer down into a volcano.
Greenheron - yeah, the landscape was black and white. Different these days!
AKA - yeah! (There were a couple of times we thought we wouldn't be able to proceed...)
Jack - I'll check out that link...but maybe not just before bedtime.
Desnee - yup, the eruption is happening right now. My trip there when it was quiet was three years ago. Italy is wonderful... Do you still speak the language? My friend that I went with, the guy in the touque, was born there, came to Canada young, but has retained the language due to family. It came in handy in our travels! (Tho Sicilian is a variant, my friend said - however, most of the people also speak regular Italian.)
ccdarling - on that trip, we visited Naples on the way to Sicily and, of course, Pompeii. Including the (reproductions of) the people who got caught in the ash... Really scary. (And all those Neapolitans living right there...) I've also been to the Mt. St. Helen's museum of that blast and saw the still ravaged landscape...
A. Walrond - yeah, crazy is the proper term. I wonder what the occupancy rate is at the moment? Thanks - I loved that hat, but it was responsible for the hotel person there (in the town at the foot of the mountain, but away at the FAAAAAR end of town) from referring to me as La Contessa.
Also, on a much more frivolous note, I have almost the same hat as you do! The next time you come to Paris, or if we're ever able to meet somewhere else, we should both totally wear our wide-brimmed black hats and take a picture!