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We drove practically to the big toe of Italy where we got straight on the ferry to Sicily, a mere 20 minute crossing, and then drove down the coast to Taormina. This was near Mount Etna which we explored the next day. It was pretty cloudy so we weren't sure how much we'd get to see, but the thunderous sound coming from deep inside the earth surprised us as we walked up and got closer to the crater.
Due to the weather there were not many people around, and we couldn't see the crater when we were only a few hundred meters away. I was about ready to give up after about four hours walking and nice blisters developing, but with a little determination, I was relieved and excited when the mist started to blow over. The crater was revealed and the rumblings continued, only this time we could see huge molten rocks being spewed out high into the air. As they descended, they rolled hit the crater shell and broke off revealing the red lava and steam. It really was an incredible site and it transfixed us until we couldn't feel our fingers and had to start moving again!
We had a lovely two evenings in Taormina but the weather didn't really improve so we decided to head to the North Coast for a couple of days and see if it was any better.
We found a great spot right on the beach to park with showers and a bar just over the road. After we'd cooked dinner and had a couple of drinks we settled in for the night. It was slightly risky but as it was such a warm night and a quiet spot we kept the doors open. The heat kept us awake anyway, until suddenly the curtains blew in and the sky lit up with constant lightning for about 15 minutes. Exhausted and hot we were relieved that the weather was breaking, but as the rain came down and the wind picked up, we started to wonder whether parking this close to the sea and in a fairly exposed spot was such a good idea. It was the first time Chris and I had been worried about the weather actually moving the van as the wind was so strong it was shaking! Gradually it calmed and cooled down and finally we got some sleep.
It was still nice and warm so we had a fairly relaxing day there and decided we couldn't face the potential threats in Palermo (we'd been warned about the high crime rates).
We headed instead to the port at Messina and over to Stromboli on a three hour rough crossing. The island houses only 500 people on one side as the other is still prone to constant eruptions.
We joined a group for a night walk 3.5 hours up to the summit where you can look down on the craters on the North face. Again the noise was amazing and made us jump on several occasions. At times you could see nothing but smoke, but when it blew over we were treated to fireworks like you've never seen before. Lava shot up and ran down beneath us and lit up the dark sky beautifully. I'm sure my photos won't do it justice but it's a must-see in my book!
After an amazing week experiencing nature working it's magic first hand, it's hard to say we were excited about the prospect of cities and museums, but there were still lots of treats in store. We went to Rome for two days and had one full day of walking around the city. When we got to the centre, we decided to take a look at the Vatican as it was closest. There was security I hadn't remembered being there before, and once we were inside the vast structure we remembered the news saying the Pope was making a speech today. We saw his face on big TV screens inside before we realised the man himself was actually there! A large crowd gathered to watch and cheer, and it was impressive even though we didn't have a clue what he was saying!
We enjoyed more amazing pasta and seafood, and the heaviest tastiest ice-cream we've ever had!
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