SICILY: Mount Etna and Taormina, Guest Post by Tom Scheaffer

Hiking to the top of Mount Etna, Sicily

My brother Tom loves to travel and Italy is one of his (and my) favorite places. Here is his report from his most recent trip, in December 2015 and January 2016. 

Tom near the top of  Mount Etna; Mount Etna is a World Heritage Site

I recently visited Sicily, Italy for one month. I climbed Mount Etna with a group of friends after taking a cable car up the first steep stretch. Mount Etna, 10,922 feet, is the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. In fact, it erupted just a few weeks before I arrived in Catania.

House buried by ash from earlier eruptions of Mount Etna

One can see houses that have been buried by the volcanic ash on the lower slopes of the volcano.

The view from near the summit of the blue Mediterranean Sea are breathtaking, and fortunately there was not too much snow so we were able to hike easily. 

Taormina, Sicily

Taormina is a charming coastal town just north of Catania at the base of Mount Etna. My friend and I visited the Greek Theater which is just a few blocks from the Old Town. It overlooks the sea and Mt. Etna in the background and is still used for concerts and is the site of the annual Taormina Film Festival.

Ancient Greek Theater at Toarmina

Famous actors like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor have received awards in this spectacular open air theater. It was built by the Romans upon the foundations of an older theater of the Greek period. What remains today dates from the second century A.D.

For our visit to Taormina and Mount Etna we stayed in Sciacca at the Torre Del Barone Resort.