Mount Etna (Volcano) Tour - Sicily, Italy - (Day 4)

We had done a little research on our destination today, Mount Etna, prior to the excursion. We discovered that Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in the European Continent. Only two others follow. Mount Etna grows each year in height, because of the constant lava flow. It is constantly smoking, which is good, because it is releasing pressure within itself... preventing a massive eruption from occurring. The last recorded activity was January through June of this year. So, we just missed smoke rings and lava flow... shortly before we arrived. Mount Etna is located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy.

We woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel. We departed the hotel at 07:30 am on a shuttle to Mount Etna. Again, our tour guide was Syrah... She was the best tour guide (so energetic and peppy). We drove about an hour to our destination. We entered Mount Etna towards the bottom of the volcano. We had to take a gondola more than halfway up the volcano... only to get in to a Unimog (military, fire-resistant, jeep-type 4x4 vehicle) and travel the rest of the intense climb to the peak of Mount Etna.

As we got out of the Unimog, we were taken back by where we were. We were standing atop the largest active volcano in all of the European Continent. We were captivated by the view... we couldn't grasp the fact that we were walked on cooled lava rocks. They were black and unusually porous. The lava rocks weighed nothing and the texture was interesting to the touch. It was very hard to believe that most of the lava rocks we were walking on were actually flowing lava just a few short months ago. The entire Mount Etna is one big mountain created by lava... everywhere we looked it was black and smoking. Below our feet, you saw smoke coming out of the ground. Hot rocks below the cooled rocks... the pressure brewing below. We dug down into the lava rocks with our hands and only a few inches below, we could feel the intense heat pushing through the ground. You could boil water if you poured water into the burrow... and I am not exaggerating when I say only INCHES into the rocks. It was the craziest thing. It was such a wonderful experience and we can actually say that we were on the largest active volcano in all of Europe (and one of three in the whole world).  It's not your daily outing. Ha!

As we departed Mount Etna, we were shuttled to a local Italian restaurant (near the bottom of Etna). It was nice to enjoy authentic Italian food with our friends, Patrick and Kristin... and some of our other friends we were on the trip with. The served us lasagna, bread, spaghetti, salad and dessert... as well as wine and beer. We filled our bellies and headed back to the hotel. We headed to Taormina for dinner, later that night.

We made certain we documented this experience... Here is our day on Etna:

Mount Etna was an experience (and adventure) that we will never forget. It is amazing that there are places like this in our world... and that you read about this volcano in history books, but we were there to see it in person. So surreal. Mount Etna is such an extravagant land mass... Wow!

Alcantara Gorges - Sicily, Italy - (Day 3)

We woke up this morning with excitement. We were going to visit the Alcantara Gorges (a natural phenomenon in Sicily). Just to give you a little history... The Alcantara Gorges are a result of ancient lava flow (from Mount Etna) flowing into the melted glaciers of the Alcantara River (freezing waters). The lava sculpted canyons of glorious mineral deposits. The canyons are as tall as 50 feet and are the most interesting shape... you are able to see the way the lava flowed and hardened into visible columns as it came in contact with the freezing Alcantara water (centuries ago). Over time the rivers current naturally eroded a tunnel/canal through the crystallized lava columns, creating these magnificent Alcantara Gorges!

We made friends with Pat and Kristin the first night of our trip to Sicily, so we were thrilled that they were on the excursion with us. We were shuttled from the hotel (with our favorite tour guide, Syrah) to the gorges. It was 35 minutes or so from the hotel. Again, it was a blazing hot day, but the cold waters were sure to cool us off. When we arrived at the Alcantara Gorges, we had to wear waders over our clothes (and those green waders were fashionable... not!). We had to wear the waders, because the water was unbearably cold... even though some of the locals gather here to swim in the water without any protective suits. Supposedly, the freezing waters were extremely good for your blood circulation and cellulite. It was beneficial to healthy, glowing skin, as well. We waded through the water as a group, exploring the beautiful gorges. It was pleasant.

We, also, hiked the trails when we got out of the water to explore the gorges from above. What an impressive scene. Wow! We were thrilled to see such an amazing natural land mass... Serene and unbelievable! Only the brave ones in the group endured the true revelation of the gorges... meaning, they took off their waders and bared all their skin to dive into the freezing waters within the gorges. There were areas of the gorges that you could only see by swimming to the secret areas within the gorges. Kevin, being the adventurist that he is, and our friend, Pat, were among the few who took the challenge. He was baffled by it's beauty!

Here are some pictures from our day's adventure at the Alcantara Gorges:

The Alcantara Gorges were simply amazing! If you are ever in Sicily, be sure to take some time to visit this place... a MUST SEE, for sure!!

Taormina Tour - Sicily, Italy - (Day 2)

We woke up this morning and caught the shuttle for the 8:00 am Taormina Tour. We had a Sicilian Tour Guide on the shuttle bus, as well as throughout the walking tour in Taormina. We couldn't hear anything she was saying... and it was blazing hot outside. She continued to stop our group in the direct sunlight, with no shading. Ugh. But, the tour was worth those minor annoyances! We had done our research, so we were vaguely familiar with the main tourist attractions.

Taormina is an exciting place for Sicilians... it is really their downtown Sicily. The district has tons of shopping and dining... and pretty much anything else you are looking to do. Nightlife doesn't happen here. In Taormina, the operating hours are rather odd. The shops open at 10:00 am and close at 13:00 (1:00 pm)... then reopen at 16:00 (4:00 pm) and close again at 21:30 (9:30 pm). For a country that is financially struggling, they refuse to work their lives away. LOL They are on military time in Italy. So, if you travel to this part of Europe, then be sure you are familiar with military time conversion. Taormina is in the Province of Messina and Catania. It has been a popular tourist attraction since the 19th Century.

Taormina, also, housed the Ancient Greek Theater built in the early 7th Century BC. Such amazing ruins left behind of the impressive Greek Theater... there are still live performances in the theater to this day. We were amazed at the cityscape of Sicily inside the Greek Theater... and the architectural brilliance behind the creation of the theater. Wow!

Kevin and I really enjoyed spending the entire day in Taormina. Such a serene place to enjoy. Beautiful cascading floral bushes everywhere, unbelievable monuments and buildings... so many churches. Tranquil. Visiting this district sure impressed us, yet left us extremely exhausted at the end of the day. We enjoyed a beautiful dinner at a lovely local Italian restaurant with some wonderful company. We made good friends early on with Pat and Kristin... and made a week out of spending time and dining with them in Sicily.

Here are more pictures of our Taormina experience... Such a charming place to visit!

So much absorbed from Day 2 of our Italian vacation... Taormina proved to be exquisite! We made sure to visit the district at least a dozen more times before heading on to the final leg (Rome) of our trip. We just couldn't get enough of this place.

(Read more about our trip to Italy in the next MANY posts... Caio !!)