Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     
   
 
 
 
 

Mount Etna & Catania
(no Taormina visit because of G7 meeting)
Sunday 21st May 2017
 
 
Arriving in Catania - security was tight!
 
Mount Etna, from Catania
 
The excursion to Taormina got cancelled because the town was effectively barred to tourists before the start of the G7 Summit. Instead, Bruce chose a different summit; a trip up Mount Etna, followed by a visit to the 1939-1945 Commonwealth war cemetery in Catania. Geoff chose to do the walking tour of Catania instead.
 
Geoff waves to Bruce and he goes off to Mount Etna (complete with packed lunch!)
 
Getting closer to Mount Etna
 
 
This house got caught in a lava flow!
 
Fellow passengers (Neil's Dad on the right) in the cable car as we went up part of the mountain.
 
 
Our tour manager, Judith
 
From the cable car station, we got on a bus for the rest of the journey
 
 
We scrambled across what looked like a lunar landscape for about 45 minutes
 
 
 
Finally we got to the rim of the crater, but there wasn't a lot to see because clouds had come over.
Oh yes... and it was cold there!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After descending from Mount Etna, we were driven to the war cemetry in Catania, where our cruise director, Neil, was waiting for us. Below is a direct copy of his account of the visit. I'm sure he won't mind me sharing his words on what was, for me, a thought-provoking visit.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meanwhile, Geoff went on the walking tour of Catania.
 
Cathedral Square
 
The Cathedral, Catania
 
 
 
 
 
Inside the Cathedral
 
 
 
 
 
 
A break at a cafe in Catania
 
 
Almond granita
 
 
 
 
 
Back on the ship in time for tea!
 
Next stop - Syracuse
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble