Sicilia in August

The flurry of travel blogposts continues as I try to catch up with myself. The summer’s passing in a metaphorical whirlwind, and the way the weather’s been at times I’m half expecting a literal one! After  Chamonix I spent a couple of weeks with my family and then headed off to Sicily. It was supposed to be Amalfi for 4 weeks but I found myself unexpectedly unemployed for the first week. Having booked flights Dianne and I decided that we could recce Sicily as a potential future walking tour venue.

Etna

We used our flight to Naples as a staging point, catching a short flight from there to Catania Airport, a mere 55 minute hop. Dianne had found an Agriturismo, not far from Taormina in the Alcantara valley, called Fondo Cipollate (http://www.agriturismofondocipollate.it/en/index.html). It was an inspired choice. Gabriella, the owner was exceptionally welcoming and the place was both beautiful and practical – we loved everything from the room opening direct to the outdoors through the olive grove hammocks and the airy breakfast room to the swimming pool. It was work, (Jim), but not as we know it.

Dianne and hammock

It was no surprise that the heat was extreme for walking – I won’t be taking a group in August, you can fry on the hot black slopes of Etna, even without the assistance of molten lava.

The north crater of Etna from near Piano Provencano

Before 6:00am we went up the north side to Piana Provencano, the former ski resort at 1900m asl., now buried under a lava flow since an eruption in 2002. As dawn broke over the Straits of Messina below it revealed rough, peat-coloured lava cutting through the pine forests with the bones of scorched white, bark-less trees broken and carried down by the coarse flow. A few, at the edges, still standing on their charred bases.

Pine trees at the edge of a lava flow

Walking NW around the mountain, we traversed up over the cone of Monte Nero to Rifugio Timparossa and from there (once I’d finally found the path) down to Grotta dei Lamponi, a lava tube, created during an eruption when the surface of a lava flow cools and sets leaving the molten lava flowing underneath. The tunnel created then empties of lava when the eruption ceases. Roof collapses allow access. This tunnel is about 4 metres wide and 3 metres high and from the opening you can walk a few hundreds of metres up the tube if you've the foresight to be carrying a torch.

Lava tube

On my birthday Dianne took me on a boat trip to the Aeolian Islands –a big deal for a woman who gets seasick, but she knew I really wanted to go. We drove to Milazzo (not relaxing, especially the parking!) where we joined a tour visiting Panerea (beautiful, and we found somewhere to swim) and then powered on to Stromboli.

Houses on Panerea

After waiting for sunset these tours then circle the island to show you the lava streams, constantly pouring from a vent on the north side.

Stromboli erupting

 These streams course down in bright orange streamers in the gloom of the evening, but are difficult to photograph from a boat tossing on the Mediterranean swell.

Lava streams from the vent

We also visited the Alcantara gorge; the Alcantara river cutting through basalt strata which is cooled into curving columns of cliffs. This is a favoured tourist destination and was rather spoiled by the sheer number of visitors.

In the Alcantara Gorge

Another short walk took up to and around the ruined medieval castello that stands above Francavilla. The short but vicious climb up was followed by a circular walk that led down by the river past the Gurna dell’Alcantara. The Gurna are wide and deep pools worn in the basalt by rocks tumbling and spinning in the river when it floods.

Gurna

We swam in the cold, green water, battered by the waterfalling current.

Apart from this we also found an amazing hotel near Randazzo – an old Masseria used for wine making by the family that has owned it for 200 years. Paolo the present incumbent opened the upper floor as a hotel around 2000. We enjoyed his welcome when we called in while passing. He showed us round, including the ground floor which still has in place the old, massive wine press and barrels. They still make wine, but nearby, in a modern winery.

It was a good recce and I look forward to taking a group there. There’s potential both for walking and for a painting holiday in the bright Sicilian sunshine.