Wayside: Under the Volcano

We joined a small group of people from north Italy, and a (we think) newly married couple from Gothenburg, on a bit of a trip around part of Etna today. We visited a volcanic cave, a basalt quarry, and a crater or two. We also had our first arancini - delicious.

Mount Etna is high (3290m), and one of the world's most active, and monitored, volcanoes. The main crater at the top smokes away, and occasionally spews ash. Lower down are over 200 smaller craters. Ancient ones low down are distinctive - green and fertile, with vines growing up the very steep slopes. The most recent one we saw, higher up, was very black, lots more are grey or russet. Everywhere signs of past lava flows, either black or grey depending on the age, incongruous in the otherwise verdant landscape. It takes 40 years for mosses and lichens to colonise the lava, another 40 for the Etna broom to colonise, and 400 years for trees - apparently.

Our two guides - Fabio and Sebastiano - had parked the vehicles by the side of the road, and we had walked up the side of the adjacent crater, for a view back up the mountain and more craters. So this is a Wayside view, Etna style.

Apart from the lava flows, the vegetation is lush. Everywhere broom and valerian are in flower, and the fruit orchards and viniculture much in evidence. It's all rather wonderful.