Photoclubalpha

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.

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

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.



Catania and surrounding areas from atop near Mt. Etna.



Walk/Hike around the craters below Mt. Etna.

.

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

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.



View from across a crater.



Injecting a dollop of personal element.

Few more...

.

I love how enigmatic the terrain looks. I'm pretty sure that some movies of extra-terrestrial genre must have been shot here. 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

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.





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

.

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

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

.

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.
Great scenery all around.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

The city center.

Nice!

.

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.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

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


Entrance to Villa Romana del Casale