October 11 Mt Etna

We awoke to a clear morning with not a cloud in the sky and I could see Mt. Etna from the campsite. We left the campsite at around 8:30 so that we could avoid the lineups and be one of the first on Mt. Etna today.

The drive from the campsite was about 10 km of swichbacks, going up, up and up. When we got to Rifugio Sapienza (the farthest you can drive) we bought our tickets and go aboard a cable car which took us up to 2500 m. The cable car ride was at least 20 minutes so you can imagine the climb. Next we boarded a Mercedes Benz truck to take us the rest of the way up. The truck drove on lava dust switchbacks to about 3,000 m. Both rides were exhilirating.

The view alone was spectacular but we got to hike, with a guide (mandatory) for 45 minutes to an active crater that was spilling steam out of its mouth. This was the crator that erupted in 2002, 2003 wiping out the gondolas and a restaurant below. The guide pointed out the trail that the lava took and we could clearly see the difference between old lava and new lava. Steam was cming out of, not only the crater, but in various spots around its rim. At times, it was as if you were walking through fog, although it was warm steam. We could also smell sulfur that was coming out of another crater.

Mt. Etna was so spectacular that we bought t shirts.

The rest of the day went downhill from there, both literally and figuratively. The drive on the autostrada to Messina to get to the ferry was a good ride, but it was getting on the wrong ferry that proved to be a costly mistake. The sign clearly directed us to the ferry that would take us to Villa San Giovanni and so we thought that we were on the right vessel. We were no the only ones to board the wrong ferry. However, we were the biggest and the most challenging to turn around.

Imagine four or five Sicilain men directing me and all yelling in Italian. I did manage to get turned around but negotiating the turn to get to the gangwas awa done without Sicilian direction, or rather, should I say, with directions to "go, go" and so I did, leaving a piece of Gracie behind, namely a piece of the side and rear bumper. Michelle hurriedly picked up the pieces, jumped in the van and we abandoned ship as quickly as possible, as the boat seemed to be pulling away from the pier.

Sicilian drivers are crazy. To them, red lights mean do not stop. Really, at one stoplight in Messina, I was the only one to stop. To a Sicilian, horns are meant to be blown. To a Sicilian, driving on your scooter, while smoking a cigarete and talking on your cell phone is just fine. To a Sicilian, lane lines are to be ignored, especially in a round about. Sicilians like to decide, on their own, what the rules of the road should be..it is whatever suits them a the time.

Two kilometers down the street and we were in line for the correct ferry and relieved to get to the other side and say, "arrivedercchi Sicily!"

After settling in at our Palma campsite we walked to Europa market to get some groceries. We then hiked down the hill and I went for a swim in the sea, while Michelle did some beachcombing for beach glass. Dinner at the the campsite restaurant was pizza. The pizza here is much different from the pizza a home. I has a very thin crust and very little sauce. It is baked in an open wood oven. I have come to believe that whenever we smell the hardwood burning at a ristorante, we will get excellent pizza.

We made small talk with the campsite owner (mostly hand gestures...he spoke very little English) and then headed back to Gracie for a well deserved sleep.