Mt. Etna - volcano and vino

From Taormina, we took two excursions up Mt. Etna.  One to see the volcano, the other to taste the wine.

Il vulcano

Our first trip was to see the volcano that continues to erupt and occasionally disrupt flights all over Europe when it spews smoke and ash into the atmosphere.  We boarded a bus in the morning and made the trip from seaside up to the Silvestri craters.  From there we boarded the gondola used for skiing in the winter and then into 4x4 minibuses to get to the summit.

Some brave and hearty souls walked from the Silvestri craters but we weren't quite up to that.  As you can see, the minibuses were impressive vehicles and they had no trouble with the gravelly lava.  From the top they look so small weaving their way up and down the summit.

It was cold up top, but after some hot days in Taormina the brisk air was quite welcome.  Here we followed a guide around one of the two big craters at the top.  These were active in 2001 and 2002, sending lava flows down the mountain and ash into the skies.

The views are, of course, spectacular.

Etna is still very active and our guide pointed out new ruptures higher up the mountain from within the last year.  Even on this crater the warmth is not far away.  Dig a hole and the steam rolls out of it - enough to warm one's hands.

After walking the rim of the crater and enjoying the views we headed back down to the gondola.  Some folks are up for something in addition to the sites.  Maybe next year, instead of RAGBRAI, Dad and I will do some down-hill tandem riding!

At a lower elevation, we wandered around the Silvestri craters for a bit and had some food - arancini.  These are balls of rice with a filling of meat, cheese, eggplant, or just about anything, and then deep fried.  They're very tasty and Peggy is smitten by this life-sized one.

 Il vino

Our second trip had a different focus, less adventurous, more epicurean: a visit to a vineyard on the north slopes of Etna and then lunch.

 We got a tour of the vineyards ...

... the facilities ...

... a taste of the wine and the grapes.  The volcanic soil makes wines with good minerality (I've been told that this is a smart thing to say about wine) and the cool nights and hot days concentrate the sugars in the grapes to enhance the flavor (I've heard).   The Etna Rosso (Etna red) is usually from the Nero d'Avola, Nerello Cappuccio, and Nerello Mascalese grapes.  All delicious!  And ...

... saw the grapes coming in from the harvest (with some help from someone's son) ...

... and then headed off to lunch at a local restaurant, led by our guide, Fabio.  

Proscuitto wrapped figs, couscous, sweet onions, fresh ricotta cheese, and marinated zucchini were just a few of our starters.  Ricotta stuffed pasta with pistachios and plenty of Etna red and white wine rounded out the meal. 

~ Eric