Etna - The Young Volcano

We were staying on the northwest part of the island and this island is BIG.  So, the fact that I wanted to see Etna, both for myself and the boys, was rather inconvenient.  It's a 3 hour drive each way.  We had discussed getting a hotel for one night, but decided the logistics just weren't worth it.  But, how many times in a lifetime do you get to see an active volcano?  Not many - or any for some.  So, bright and early one morning, we loaded the car with fully-charged iPads, headphones and snacks, stopped at the awesome neighborhood panetteria, got cornetti (like croissants but typically filled with cream or jam) and hit the road.  It's mostly autostrada driving so no confusing diversions and a pretty straight shot to Catania on the southern side of the volcano.  

We had arranged for a 1/2 day 4WD tour of the volcano through Etna Adventure so we were met by our guide, Francesco.  Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, but is considered a relatively young volcano at only a half a million years old.  It sits atop the African and Eurasian continental plates which makes for some serious drama when those plates shift.  For the kids benefit, I asked Francesco to tell us his "credentials" and how he became a volcano tour guide.  He had grown up in the area, learned English and German in school and, because the economy made it so difficult to find work, especially in Sicily, a friend and he started this business.  They taught themselves about the volcano, its history and environs.  He was a great guide, very patient with the boys and took time to explain more than just the volcano, but how plants recover from eruptions, which grow first and how long it takes a flow area to reforest after an eruption.  

Etna has six distinct craters at the top and also more than 300 vents on its flanks or lateral craters.  While the eruptions from the top are more dramatic, the lateral craters create more threat to the population of the surrounding towns as they can occur quite low on the volcano.  We saw evidence of one of the most recent major eruptions in 2002-2003 which destroyed a small hotel and numerous other structures.  We were able to stand atop this flow and view the remains of the hotel. Most of the other structures were made of wood and were completely destroyed.  

The boys were a little disappointed not to see any red-hot lava. (!)  While we usually do a good job preparing them for new experiences, apparently they had a different idea of what to expect...  For me, I was awed by the volcano itself and glad to have the experience.  And I, for one, was GLAD to not see any red-hot lava!