We drove to Taormina, the most visited city in Sicily. We stopped at Mount Etna en route. On the way, Andrea gave us some insight about Sicily.
Three refineries nearby are called the Triangle of Death due to the health problems of nearby residents such as cancer.
Sicilian immigrants don’t want to leave. They eventually come back. When they start buying basil in the supermarket, they know that it is time to return.
Sundays or celebrations mean huge meals. Sicilians love mama unconditionally. And daughters have a strong bond with their fathers. When they marry, they have a home nearby where they can help each other. It has been found that proximity to family is a factor in longevity.
Both parents work until a baby is born. Mom quits to raise children. It is considered a life choice.
Often, friends can be treated as family, sometimes even closer. One can’t choose family, but one can choose friends.
Divorce Italian Style is a 1961 movie. Divorce was not allowed until the 1980’s so the man would make plans to kill his wife. Today monogamy is rarely expected and is considered old fashioned. How sad!!
Mussolini’s trains were everywhere but were dismantled to make room for cars.
Last night Mount Etna erupted. We missed it by one night. We met by chance, David and Claudia from Australia, who we shared drinks and stories with earlier in Palermo. They had arrived at Taormina yesterday and showed us their photos and videos. It was a clear night and one could see the fiery red flame erupting at the top. And the next morning (before the steam covered it up), one could see white ash which looked like snow on the mountain.
They said that they were out on a walk and a man in a motorcycle yelled “Etna, Etna” and was pointing up. Otherwise, they might have missed it as well.
Mount Etna is a UNESCO site. It is the biggest volcano in Europe and consists of several craters.
Mount Etna is the most active volcano in the world yet individual activity depends on the day. It can be seen from space.
The landscape changes as you near the volcano.
Old trees means an old lava flow. The broom tree is the first to grow. It breaks the ground for other trees to grow.
Craters will never open again. However, the summit continuously erupts.
Volcanos are actually a crack in the ground not mountains. Some people build their homes nearby. It is a gamble.
Basalt is extracted for building material and roads. Lava contains rich minerals. The ash fertilizes the soil.
Here is how to build a home seismograph: Stack two beer bottles on top of each other on a shelf. If one topples down, it registers as a 2.1 on the Richter scale.
As we drive up the volcano, it is like driving in a storm as it is white with fog and then becomes dark with basalt.
The summit measured 11,755 feet and is the highest point in Sicily. It was VERY cold, foggy, and misty.
Bus loads of people are here as well as school field trips.
Mama Etna is grumpy and passing her time in the kitchen. She has lots of children – 309 craters or miniature volcanos at lower elevation. The last dramatic eruption was in 1892.
Craters are named in memory of a volcanologist. The Sylvester crater is the most visited. It was filmed in the movie, The Bible, by John Huston.
There are 200 monitoring stations. They are very sensitive. Footsteps are recorded as sound vibration.
Can an eruption be predicted:
- Frequency of seismic activity
- Intensity increasing exponentially
- Swelling observed by GPS
- Increased gas output
- Amplitude increases
- Drones are used around the rim and even inside the crater.
It takes about six hours to evacuate. Eruptions rarely kill anyone. They are always in touch with Civil Defense. The last evacuation was 40 years ago in 1981.
The eruption 356 years ago resulted in more land. It lasted weeks and went all the way to Catania. The city walls there helped to divert the lava.
They have more tools today, and education and outreach is their main goal. Families need to have a plan. Take only what is absolutely necessary in one little suitcase and in one hour a bus will arrive to take you to safety. Communication is paramount. What would you take?
There have been 13 times in the last two months that Mt Etna erupted, and it has occurred mostly during the night.
The eastern side of Mount Etna has more rain and humidity. Vineyards are here. It never gets muddy. The basalt is a great fertilizer.
If I were to come back to Mount Etna, I would make sure to see the Hundred-Horse Chestnut. It is the largest and oldest chestnut tree in the world, estimated between 2,000 and 4,000 years old, located in the wood of Carpineto on the eastern slope.
The tree’s name originated from a legend in which a queen of Aragon and her company of 100 knights, during a trip to Mount Etna, were caught in a severe thunderstorm. The entire company is said to have taken shelter under the tree.
The southern side is the warmest and good for growing fruit.
The western side is the driest and has the least rain. It is best for growing pistachios. Bronte is a type of flavorful pistachio that grows best on volcanic soil and the humidity from the sea.
The Bronte pistachio is smaller, more deep green, with purple skins, and more concentrated flavor.
The northern side has snow and more chestnut trees.
With all of these climate differences, one can ski in the morning and swim in the sea in the afternoon on some days.
Ladybugs and birds of prey are found on Mount Etna.
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