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Walking up a volcano: The Etna
I've been to Sicily several times and typically choose to explore
independently, but on our September trip, our Etna tour proved to be a
highlight of our vacation. We spent the day exploring Etna (amazing!) and
the surrounding villages by way of the area's "red wine route." Our trip of
the area also included a stop and tasting at the Murgo winery (one of
Sicily's best known producers) -- a real treat. We headed up the
snow-covered mountain to 1400 meters until where the road was destroyed by a
massive lava flow. It was fun to climb the flow – you need good shoes and
pants, some of the rocks were still warm from six months earlier. British
Airways in Spring 2004 started direct flights to Sicily, making the Etna far
more accessible from other parts of Europe. You can view the sea from the
top of the volcano. Whilst on top of the Etna, you can walk around the old
crater and you can also grab a bottle of 'Fire Water'.
Taormina
- The beach, village and the Greek theatre
Taormina, one of the most beautiful cities in all of Sicily and for that
matter, Italy. Concert venues don't come much more dramatic than the Greek
theatre in Taormina, on the east coast of Sicily. Set on a cliff, and open
to the night sky, the ancient arena offers imperial views over the Gulf of
Naxos and the crumbling columns and arches of the back wall frame Mount
Etna. In addition, Taormina has a beautiful village with plenty of shops and
restaurants. The small village is built on top of the hill, a gondola or bus
transporting people who wish not to walk, to the beach at the bottom. This
is a must visit area and is a favourite of the rich and famous.
Two thousand years ago, audiences sat in these terraced seats carved out of
the hillside and bayed for the blood of a gladiator in the stage area where
Krall now launches into a rendition of Almost Blue, penned by her current
partner Elvis Costello. The crowd gives her the concert-goers' equivalent of
the thumbs up by lighting candles that were handed out at the entrance to
the theatre.
This year, the Taormina Arte - a summer-long festival of concerts, theatre,
dance and film - intends to mark its 50th anniversary with a bang, but it's
keeping its powder dry and not naming names until February (check
taormina-arte.com for updates). Alongside Diana Krall, the star turns in
2003 included Elton John and Robert Duvall.
Stromboli - the volcano island
As well as being one of the most spectacular of the Aeolian Islands off the
north coast of Sicily, Stromboli is one of the best known active volcanoes
in Europe. A trip to Stromboli is more or less obligatory for visitors to
the Aeolians, and we highly recommend making the climb to the rim of the
crater - where the volcano's regular plumes of fire and smoke can be
observed from close quarters. Nothing about the Aeolian chain is ordinary.
It acted as a lighthouse for the Greeks and Romans and here Odysseus was
given a fair wind to blow him back on course. Getting to the islands is
fairly easy, with ferries going from Milazzo, near Messina on the mainland.
The star attraction of the Aeolians is undoubtedly Stromboli, the only
continuously active volcano in Europe. You can take the €24 boat trip from
Lipari which allows you to circle the island by night, watching the lava
flow, the “Sciara del Fuoco”, surging in a fiery cascade down the western
face of the volcano into the sea. Alternatively, you can climb the volcano
on a guided tour and the lava closer up.
Mud Baths
in Vulcano
The Laghetto di Fanghi mud
baths are situated on the island of Vulcano, ten minutes away from Lipari,
the largest of the Aeolian Islands. A soak in the baths is extremely
relaxing and therapeutic - although it can be quite smelly! Afterwards you
can wash yourself in the sea, where underwater springs have created a
natural hot jacuzzi.
Originally, the crater
spurted out dangerously hot lava and smelly gas so often that no one could
possibly get near it, let alone settle down on the island that it forms. Now
that Vulcano has calmed down (since 1890), people think very differently
about spending time there. There are now scores of villas, bungalows,
houses, flats and hotels popping up, servicing the now famed fanghi - or mud
bath. You can't miss it - not least because of the pungent smell that goes
with it.
Many visit Vulcano to seek a
cure. The mineral properties of the mud have been claimed to alleviate skin
complaints and even arthritic disorders. The radioactivity of the mud means
that dips should be short, and that the elderly, young or pregnant should
avoid mucking in. The fun continues with a rinse off in the nearby bubbling
hot sea water. Most visitors then return to nearby Sicily - moments away by
hydrofoil. If the mud hasn't exhausted you, it's worth dragging yourself up
to the crater's summit (about an hour's walk). Once there you can see inside
the crater and all its smoke holes, covered with a layer of bright yellow
sulphur.
Baths of
Venus
The striking and unique baths of Venus lie in a large volcanic basin in the
north of the island of Pantelleria. Legend has it that the goddess used the
lake here as a mirror, pampering herself before romantic meetings with
Bacchus, and indeed the mirror effect portrays perfectly the surrounding
mountains at sunset and sunrise. A jump in the lake and a good exfoliating
scrub with its sulphuric mud will also rejuvenate your skin in no time. The
lake, characterised by strong smells of sulphur, is in touch with the sea
through a submarine cave formed by ancient lava streams. The thermal springs
that supply the lake are all concentrated on the southern shore and their
temperature varies between 40 and 50 degrees.
The Baths of Venus (also called Bagno dell'Aqua) are 4 miles from
Pantelleria town, about 10 minutes' drive.
Tourist Office: Name Pantelleria Tourist Office, Address Piazza Cavour,
Phone +39 0923 911 838
Diving
in Pantelleria
Scuba-diving in Pantelleria is a definite must - the volcanic sea beds
surrounding the island are spectacular.
Many diving schools and centres offer trips around the island to discover
different sub-aquatic landscapes. Places such as Cala Levante, Cala Gadir,
Cala Tramontana, Punta Tracino and Punta Limarsi are all good spots, and
there are many others.
The schools all offer
different packages, from single immersions to the PADI licence and Open
Water Diver courses. Check the specials each centre has to offer - some have
sub-aquatic photography courses, night dives and even archaeological dives.
The local waters offer a wide range of subaquatic wonders including corals,
sponges, madrepores, parrot fish and lobsters. All along the island's
shores, the sandy sea-bed suddenly turns an intense dark-green due to the
posidonia, a marine plant known as the Mediterranean lung because it
releases oxygen in the water.
There are many diving schools
in Lampedusa, and most have an office in the town centre or by the sea. All
of them offer a range of possibilities, from one dive to the PADI licence.
They will take you to the best diving spots of the island, through the best
caves and creeks.
Schools include:
Tortuga Diving, located on the Lungomare (+39 0922 971 690); Pelago Diving
Center (+39 0335 660 9443) and Lo Verde Diving Center, on via Sbarcatoio
(+39 0922 970181) and the Blue dolphins centre (www.bluedolphins.it).
Duomo
Hours Daily 7am-noon and 4:30-7pm
Address Via Vittorio Emanuele II 163, Piazza Duomo
Transportation Bus: 448, 449, 457, 722, or 733
Phone 095-320044
Prices Free admission
In the centre of the city, the cathedral of Catania is dedicated to the
memory of the martyred St. Agatha. Originally, the Duomo was ordered built
by Roger I, the Norman king, but it was destroyed in the earthquake of 1693
and had to be reconstructed. Its facade is its most enduring architectural
legacy, the work of Gian Battista Vaccarini (1702-68), who redesigned the
city after the earthquake. For the granite columns of the facade, the
architect "removed" them from the city's Roman amphitheater. Only the
lovingly crafted medieval apses, each made from lava, survived the
devastation of that earthquake.
Many opera fans come here to
pay their respects at Bellini's tomb, guarded by a life-size angel in
marble. It's to the right as you enter the Duomo through its right door. The
words above the tomb are from Sonnambula and in translation read, "Ah, I
didn't think I'd see you wilt so soon, flower."
In the Norman Cappella della
Madonna, also on the right, precious metals envelop a magnificent Roman
sarcophagus and a statue of the Virgin Mary carved in the 1400s. This chapel
also contains the ashes of the Aragonese kings -- Frederick II, Louis, and
Frederick III. To the right of the choir is the Cappella di Sant'Agata, to
whom the cathedral is dedicated. In the sacristy is a fresco depicting the
horrendous eruption of Mount Etna in 1669. The fresco is said to have been
created in 1774.
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CAUTION:
Any suggested itinerary or route
and information provided are not substitute for pilot books and marine
charts. We refuse to accept any responsibility for any loss or damage caused
by holding on suggested routes or information provided.
If you have
difficulty accessing any material on this site because of a disability,
please contact us and we
will work with you to make the information available.
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