17th May

We rise for breakfast to be greeted by the bouncing cheerful Rosanna. 

We join a young Israeli mum-to-be at the breakfast table - "divorced" she says - "traveling with a friend - just a friend" says she - she looks confident - "I hope she has the support she needs" thinks I - she talks a little about Israel - I sense she is not entirely happy.

We are all joined by a bouncing retired Australian gentleman - I'm Peter says he - we talk - he is an pastel artist from Castlemaine - in Siscily with a group of friends to capture the landscape - I like pastel says he - "there is no bit of wood with a hairy end between you and your work!" - he rushes down his meal - "I have to meet a friend at the umbrellas in 10 minutes time" says he.

Bernie retires to our room - she is determined to rest up for the rest of the trip. 

I head out to meet the guide for a trip to Mt Etna.

Sami bounces up - cheerful - you are Mike - where is your wife? - He bundles me into his hybrid van and we head of the gather up the rest of the group - first an American of Japanese heritage - we park illegally looking for him - the police are not happy - Sami jumps out and they discuss the situation - both sets of arms wave about - I photograph - soon Sami turns away from the confrontation - he walks over to a seat and collects my fellow traveller .

Soon we are off - Sami waves good naturedly to the police man - any angst, if indeed there was ever any at all, has now dissipated.

We move on and gather three fins and head to a meeting point for the various group where we acquired two English speaking Germans - I smile a little - the English speaking group made up of an Australian, an American, there fins and two Germans!

We head into the mountains - Sami sits, his window down - his elbow resting on the door - his arm supporting his face as he drives the van in an almost side-saddle position looking out the side window more often than the windscreen.

"I swear that was a red light" thinks I - "never mind we didn't hit anything".

"Cloudy up there - mother etna - she is shy" says Sami - he chats away - talks about this and that - asks about everyone's travel plans - discovers the fins don't have any fixed plans - he starts work on getting him to join his tour to Ortiga tomorrow.

We climb and climb through lush, dense, low forest on smooth, twisty roads past vineyards and lemon trees.

We climb and climb past houses and farms and more lush, dense, low forest

Into Solicchiata - home of the Russo family - past the family's winery. I ask ChatGtp about it: 

 The winery produces traditional Etna DOC wines like Etna Bianco and Etna Rosso, utilizing indigenous grape varieties such as Nerello Mascalese and Carricante.  Today, the estate is managed by Francesco and Gina Russo, continuing the family's winemaking tradition.  

Past a tiny church - Sami tells it's story - the papacy gave the Siscilians a large amount of money on the condition that they build lots of churches - so they did - lots of tiny churches - in the Siscilian way the pocketed the funds that remained! 

Still Sami sits side-saddle - now there is some distinct advantage in good posture - the roads so twisty that looking out the side window is a necessity. 

In spite of the nature of the road he holds up his phone to show his passengers Mother Etna being angry.

He pauses at a 1960s lava stream - it looks like a relatively narrow river of rock winding through the lush green landscape.

Sami gathers us around him - "Siscily is a triangle" says he - he scratches a triangle in the jet black, organic free, course volcanic sand with his trekking poles. He points to the north⬆️ - "the Italian plate" says he - he scratchs a line in the sand! - he points to the south of his triangle - "the north African plate" says he - another scratch in the sand - he points out Catania on his triangle -  "an eruption in the sea - the volcano  erupts and erupts and erupts - it migrates to the current position - changes height - over 600,000 years" says he all the time scratching, piling up and brushing aside the sand. As good a geological explanation as I have ever heard! - Sami should give up this guiding lurk and become a teacher!

We look back at the lava stream - we look at the little church across the road - the lava stream has diverted around it - a miracle for the faithful!

We move onwards and upwards - we plateau - the forest understory disappears - the trees still dense - pines and birch - a patch of sunshine! - "look there is mother etna" - she is gone in a flash..

We pull up - "we will walk up to the lava fields and see the peak - after 50m of incline I realize this is not for this 77 year old - I fear being a severe anchor on the progress of the group - I stop - sit - i watch group after group head up and return.

I enjoy the sun and the atmosphere - too soon the others return.

Onwards - "we will enter a lava tube" says Sami - helmets are issued - instructions to be careful issued  - steep steps down 4m - into the tube - crouch - gather - receive a lesson from Sami about the ice making operation in the tubes from the 1700s.

Outside we meet a honey man - we sample his wares - "the eucalyptus is my favorite" said Sami.

Back in the van we head to a restaurant on the lower slopes - as I sit at an outside table under the pine trees I feel like I am back in Yosemite

Back home - the day? - enjoyable! - not the Etna experience I had hoped for - not the particular tour we should have booked. 

We rest and head for drinks and dinner - it is Saturday night - the locals are out - kids play soccer in the streets - they play at their parents feet - they sit on their parents laps - we sip out gin and tonics and we watch.

Time for dinner - Bernie tests her sense of direction - "down there - turn right - second left" say she - we set out - we find it! - it is in the same narrow, one way street as our b&b - in fact it is directly across the lane from our entry door!

Her directions might have been astray but her selection was perfect - "a fish fry up" for her - anchovies, sardines, squid, calamari - she smiles and smiles and retires hurt at the 75m mark.

I watch two 25 year old girls wander past and then wander back and take the table next to us.

Their attire? - the briefest of white dresses for both - 76.3% of their upper bodies exposed to the fading sunlight - 86.2% of their lower bodies subject to the ravages of mosquito bite should such insects decide that now is the time to harvest. 

They order their wine - they insist on taste testing - they have seen some influencer do it so they must! - I  smile - the young male waiter stands looking down  trying his best to maintain eye contact during their conversation - he is largely but not entirely successful! - as he walks away past me he smiles.

 I smile again - he is summons back - they say something to him - he disappears and then reappears with blankets which they drape over their shoulders - I wonder how they are going to keep warm later in the evening as the temperature drops and the blankets are left behind in the restaurant.

We retire happy with Catania.