Another 2000 meter bus, switchback climb with J's head in G's chest. It went on for way too long. What's the big deal? Mt Etna is a live volcano, actually there are many live volcanoes in this area and G has chosen to head on up a further 1120 meters to the top to walk along and see two of the smok'in suckers live. They weren't allowed near the real thing, as it is always falling in or spitting stuff out.
G had to take a cable car up to the top of one place and then continue on in large jeep, along a scary volcanic surface, to the top where they actually then walked along in the clouds to the burning holes. The temps up there were 5 degrees, where I was at 2000 was 11 and down in the town it was 26.
I had, what else, coffees, walked through all the tourists' shops and walked the two smaller volcanoes on my own. One was very high but not too rough to walk and the other was a cute smaller one where I went down into the crater and with lava rocks I wrote a message. After about 2 1/2 hours, G was due but he missed the cable car by one person and so he was 15 min late, and the last person, getting down. Everyone was worried about him cuz they saw him but then he was gone. He took films with his camera of the smoke and the red hot lava reflected off the sides of the volcano. He also took a movie of the clouds rolling across his feet. On his way down, the clouds rolled right over the jeep and put them into a whiteout and going straight down blind scared him goodly. Nice to know that it's not only me who can get scared.
After this we were taken to a castle where a family makes jewelry and our group was being invited, a set up ;), to view and buy if desired. Along with this special ;) opportunity was a free snacking lunch and refreshments for the group. The lunch was lovely actually and it was my first taste of prickly pears, which are those beautiful blossoms that grow on the end of those fat cacti. Never knew we could eat them but they are delicious. Did I buy jewelry? Does water run uphill?
Early in the afternoon we arrived in Syracuse and G went off to Ortigia, an island that was its own city and is famous for baroque architecture. I thought it best to let him go on his own as he has the bigger interest and each of the optional excursions are so expensive that we think very carefully before we head out on them. I went around the city of Syracuse on my own which the others, who go on the trips, don't get to do.
Sometimes I just like to get away from all the people who we need to be living with for each bus tour. You do tend to get peopled-out and some away time is nice.
