From Vulcan to Thor

leaving Stromboli and the work of Vulcan the Roman god of fire behind us, we headed south to Lipari (the main island of the group) and Volcano, the other active volcano - not a very original name for a volcano! On the way we passed some pretty wacky rock pillars rising 100' or so above the sea. The ragged 'islands' are the volcanic cores of ancient volcanoes, born aeons before the current volcanoes. Over time the soft volcanic islands have eroded away leaving only the super hard solidified volcanoes core as evidence that they were ever there.

We anchored in the lee of Volcano - it was a bit smelly! Quite different from Stromboli, Volcano did not belch fire instead pouring out sulphurous gas which then left trails of yellow sulphur in its wake. Melanie is stood in front of sulphur deposits. Only a few hundred meters from where we were anchored gas bubbles to the surface; sadly the wind came in and we had to leave before we got the chance to swim in the nicely warmed water!












Its was an hours walk up the ash strewn slopes to the crater rim, oddly the gas was coming from the rim not the crater!









For the first time since the Atlantic coast of France I ALMOST had success fishing. This is tuna season so the big lures came out and we did get 2 BIG bites. I heard the reel buzz (the friction is set such that when you get a bite the line runs out both telling you that there is a fish and preventing the sudden strain breaking the line.) Just as I got to the rod on the first line the fish broke the surface then got off the hook. The second, determine that it would not get off, I yanked back on the rod to set the hook really well into the fish but pulled too hard and the line broke but not before then end of the rod bent almost double with the strain! Oh well, practise makes perfect. We did however find a more successful way of getting fish...   it is ironic that my rod is in the middle of the picture!

We struggled to find flat anchorages in the islands so having seen the volcanoes we headed for Sicily. We arrived at the entrance to the straits of Messina, the passage between the eastern end of Sicily and the mainland as dusk was falling behind an ominous looking sky. We would have to be quick or we would get very wet! We dropped anchor behind a headland on the mainland coast and were treated to the most fantastic lightening display. Thor was at work! Sheet lightening lit the night sky....




and forks of lightening jumped between the clouds; happily with a 60' long lightening conductor sat in the middle of our deck none of the lightening was coming to earth!











Passing through the straits the following day we were met by a huge swell. 3 to 4 metre high waves coming side on to the boat - it must have been very windy round here the day before! Our intended anchorage was completely closed down by the swell. The only safe stopping place was the first marina we could get to - at the foot of Mount Etna - where we arrived after darkness fell.

No matter, this would be a good place to see this side of Sicily from; we would go back up to our anchorage when the swell died down.

We have really struggled to see Italy by bike, our usual mode of transport because it is so mountainous so we hired a car for a few days to take us to the walks in land. Melanie needed a rest so I headed to the foot hills of mount Etna.

Etna is big. At 12000' the summit has at least a dusting of snow year round even this far south. It is one of the world's most active volcanoes and is in an almost constant state of activity. The most recent major eruption was in 1981, the rest of the time it pours out varying quantities of gas.

The 'foot hills' (I was walking at 3000'!) are very fertile with volcanic soil. Incredibly there were large areas of pretty little crocus like flowers growing in October! There was evidence of the '81 eruption everywhere. Great rivers of solidified lava poured down the mountain and into the valleys below. A large village in the valley had a narrow escape with the '81 lava stopping only 500 meters short of the village. It is extraordinary that with the whole of Sicily to choose from people have built settlements at the base of a volcano that has a major eruption every 50 years or so. All they had to do to be safe was build 200' up the other side of the valley - there's nowt queerer than folk!