Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

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sury
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Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

I skipped the order of my trip by mistake. Before arriving back in Rome (after disembarking in Rome from our cruise we went straight to Sicily), we took a 3 day holiday in Sicily. We climbed Vesuvius in 2010 and Mt. Etna this time around.

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aster
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by aster »

sury wrote:We climbed Vesuvius in 2010 and Mt. Etna this time around.
The feel of the climb must have been grand as the volcano and the lava soil came closer in view and touch. Definitely a great yet unpredictable lookin volcano there.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz
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sury
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

Yildiz,
Indeed it was. To know that you are barely 500 (vertical) meters away from the top of the Etna still spewing and can blow up anytime is quite exhilarating.

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Catania and surrounding areas from atop near Mt. Etna.

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Walk/Hike around the craters below Mt. Etna.

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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by aster »

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A little, lingering excitement in the moment is good for the spirit. :)
The first and second photos are great and the third provides a perspective on human scale against the lava-laden dark landscape.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz
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sury
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

There are about 3-4 craters at the top area. You can walk around them. To be there is indescribable. You are part of the nature, in awe of its beauty and scared that any moment it can unleash tremendous destruction. The enormity of the place soon lulls you into an emotional detachment (temporary nirvana?) and you say to yourself c'est la vie.

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View from across a crater.

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Injecting a dollop of personal element.

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sury
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

Few more...

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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by aster »

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I love how enigmatic the terrain looks. I'm pretty sure that some movies of extra-terrestrial genre must have been shot here. :D We live on a wonderful and generously informative planet.

That very mundane-looking small bus, meandering on a curvy track looks very out of place in my opinion; I would have liked to see a flying saucer or other spatial craft hovering/gliding over this terrain. :)

Thanks for sharing, Sury.
Yildiz
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sury
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

So very true Yildiz. :)

The "clouds" you see at the peak of Mt. Etna are actually flumes of smoke coming out of the active Volcano. It is at once thrilling and scary that you are that close to an active volcano.

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How could I not take a Panorama? 6 Images stitched in MS ICE.

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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by aster »

.

That is just enigmatically enticing!
Great that we see the actual fumes, Sury. :) A living Volcano! Like smoke-signalling an unknown from the depths of the Earth.

Thank you for sharing,
Yildiz
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sury
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

Thank you Yildiz. Moving on to Taormina. A beautiful hill top town with a fantastic beach. They actually have gondolas going back and forth from the city center to beach. I believe a portion of Godfather movie is shot in Taormina.

Sury

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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by aster »

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Very beautiful corner of the Earth! :) Love the water colour and the curving beach. The transparency of the water is making this cove especially attractive. Reaching here from other locations must be an exciting and nostalgic little trip on Gondolas. :D
Great scenery all around.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz
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sury
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

The city center.

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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by ValeryD »

Nice!
Everything in the life unusual!
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by aster »

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Love the market plaza and the scenic funfair overlooking the sea, Sury.
It's wintery here now and looking at your sun-filled summer shots feels good. :D

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz
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sury
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Re: Mt. Etna, Taormina and Aggregento, Sicily

Unread post by sury »

Thank you Valery and Yildiz. Happy to provide some virtual warmth through photography, Yildiz. :)

Sury

Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily
http://www.villaromanadelcasale.it/

The whole complex has mosaics filled rooms, one of the longest floor with mosiacs and even the early beach ball bikini clad women in mural.

On the way to Piazza Armerina
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Entrance to Villa Romana del Casale
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