Seeing the Sites of Sicily (not so easy thru the fog)

---

We had a bit of a lazy morning and opted for breakfast in the formal dining room which we enjoyed with another couple from Southern California. As we boarded the bus we were glad we had both opted to follow the advice of the tour guide and brought a jacket with us. Some (foolish) people were wearing shorts. The port was blanketed in a heavy fog which we hoped/assumed would dissipate by the time we reached the top of Mt. Etna. Starting in the port city of Cantania, our heavily accented but understandable guide started telling us stories of “his” volcano. Over the course of his discussions we discerned that he was a geologist, had studied with and was friends with the chief geologist at Yellowstone, and had been featured on CNN during the 2001 eruption of Etna. Yes, Mt. Etna is an active volcano, with its largest eruption in 1680 which had created most of the land now comprising Cantania. Recent eruptions of 1983 and 2001 destroyed many buildings and homes on the volcano.
On the drive up we could not see the many sites he assured us were there, the craters of the various eruptions, the differences in the lava of the different lava flows, and the spectacular view. At just over 2,000 meters we reached the ski resort of Mt. Etna. He informed us that this is one of the few places in the world where you can go snow skiing in the morning and swim at the beach in the afternoon. I know from my college roommate Miles that the Big Island of Hawaii is another such place. Speaking of Hawaii, our guide noted that these lava flows, of the various eruptions, offered a wonderful natural setting to study the mechanics of volcanoes and their lava flows, as are done on the Big Island in Hawaii. Unfortunately, for economic reasons, opening the sites up for tourists and the dollars they bring to the island, reconstruction through the lava flows has destroyed much of the natural history and value contained there.
The bus dropped us off at the summit of the 1983 volcanic eruption, and Sharon was ready for her morning Coke. The guide then took those on a brief foot tour for those who wanted a closer look. The fog was beginning to lift but the sun was only hinting that it might come out. And did I mention that it is very windy on top. I lost my “Dam Ship” hat that I’d won with Sharon in New Zealand during our one trivia challenge win. But I managed to stop it before the wind carried it over the rim. I got a picture of Sharon with that wind-blown look, but not as impressive as the one off Storm Coast in New Zealand. Needless to say we decided to return to the Café. The guide had mentioned that while it was okay to go down to see the crater up close on the right side of the trail we were on; on the left side he said it was dangerous, down where many people were walking casually around. I guess it is not a bad thing having a volcanologist as your guide. Back at the café Sharon and I shared a dark chocolate crème filled pastry tort and a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream. Bot hit the spot exactly, especially with what the wind chill factor must have been outside. It did appear that the sun was coming out or trying too. We were amazed at some people who ventured up the steep and loose volcanic rock across the street. It was very reminiscent of ascending Acton Crater near Kelso in Southern California. It just wasn’t something Sharon or I wanted to do.
On the trip down we did see the effects of the various volcanic eruptions, the house that was destroyed, the church that was invaded by lava up to the alter and is still in use today, the two houses standing just 30 meters apart, one devastated by the lava flow and one spared in a green oasis or island. Back in town the bus made its way back to the port down one-way streets, going the wrong way, because buses and taxis are allowed to go against traffic on these streets (on these very narrow streets). Our 4 hour tour of Mt. Etna meant we were too late to dine for lunch in the dining room, so we ate in the Lido. Sharon had chicken and meatloaf that she didn’t much care for. John had a grilled chicken wrap (very good), some sushi with wasabi and a dumpling soup.

Unfortunately we found that our cabin had not been made up when we got back. After lunch and Sudoku it appeared our bed was made but the bathroom was still not done so we headed up to the Ocean Bar to write this and hopefully post some more photos.

So while I have a bit of time will add a few comments about the ship. Service has been very good (other than our room today) though a few of our passengers are not the friendliest when on tours. The internet service has been terrible though. It was down most of one day and very slow. I know it’s always slow on the ship but this has been really bad. From the cabin I can sometimes get connected but it doesn’t usually last for very long. It seems to go between 4 and 1 bar of strength. A few other assorted comments: The Day of the Week Rugs are back! I really missed those on the Eurodam. The dispensers in the Shower are really nice and convenient (unless you have someone who can’t read what is what without his glasses) . I was a bit concerned about them from some earlier posts but they aren’t the type they fill up over and over they replace the larger bottles when they get low. Much easier than trying to find the small bottles in the shower with your eyes wet. Our biggest gripe is the Daily Sudoku. We enjoy challenging each other on these each day. However, 2 days they didn’t have one out. We thought they’d run out but yesterday I noticed it was labeled #5 so appears they just skipped 2 days. And then today it was still #5 so we had to redo yesterdays. We’ve enjoyed all the food even our room service breakfasts which were still hot when delivered on time. The laundry is also working out ok. I’m still a few days short of a 4 star so don’t get the free service so we ordered the unlimited service for about $100.They told us it didn’t include pressing and we knew John’s tux needed that (since he wore it for the wedding) so we ordered that for another $60. They also said it would be 72 hrs with the package but we’ve been getting it back quicker than that. Much nicer than taking a sea day to do it ourselves (especially with only 1 sea day). We also like the new drink cards. We bought a soda card for $25 which gives us $50 worth of sodas. And you get the can (1/4 liter) now instead of just a glass so that works better for us I’m sure we’ll have more comments when we get back.

---

Photos

Crater on Mt Etna
Trust me it's there behind the fog

Comments

[Janet]

PS. I forgot to mention we loved pictures. Thanks for sharing them, hope to see more soon. Janet