Mount Etna Sleeps Awhile

The drive from the port city of Messina to Taormina on Sicily’s eastern coastline is picturesque, even in the pouring rain. Messina on the island of Sicily is akin to a football on the toe of the Italian mainland, just two miles away at its narrowest point and yet Sicily has a completely different feel from the rest of Italy.

Medieval Taormina is lined with jagged cactus-covered cliffs and on clear days the snow capped peaks of Mount Etna are visible with white puffs of smoke rising against the blue sky - a sight we had to imagine on a rainy day with thunder and lightning performing above us as we stood on the grounds of Teatro Greco.

The ancient Greeks were well known for seeking out spectacular locations to stage their performances and the site they selected on Taormina’s hillside was no exception. Built in 300 BC, the acoustics are so good that a whisper on what was the stage can be heard in the last rows of the terraces. A music and arts festival takes place at the site today with such luminaries as Elton John and Jose Carreras having performed there.

The winding cobblestoned alleyways of Taormina are fun to wander and as a marzipan devotee the almond based specialties sold in the bakeries are not to be missed - or the chocolate and ricotta filled cannoli. That, and a hearty cappuccino in a sidewalk café, and who cares about the inclement weather.

Driving up the lower slopes of Mount Etna, we stopped at the mountainside village of Zafferana and enjoyed a Sicilian lunch of bruscetta, pasta and cassata, pondering why our pasta just doesn’t taste as good as that.

The striking thing about Mount Etna is the number of communities nestled on its hillsides with old lava flows all around them. Life goes on normally, the citrus and olive groves flourishing in the rich soil - normally that is until the giant roars. One of the world’s major active volcanoes, Mount Etna is the largest and highest in Europe at almost 11,000 feet, erupting 12 times in the last thirty years, most recently in 2006.

The rings of vegetation change markedly as one ventures up the mountainside. Vineyards and citrus groves give way to pines and then to broom and lichen, the latter having made its home on the ancient lava rock. The road snakes it way upward through the lava fields until eventually a series of dormant craters at the 6000 foot mark of Crateri Silvestri is reached.

The experience of walking the lava dunes and what appears as a moonscape of dead craters is a little eerie as one considers fleetingly whether or not Mount Etna plans to make some kind of statement in the very near future.

Fortunately for us, today would not be the day.

Postcards from Sorrento

The drive along the winding Amalfi coast towards Sorrento in Neapolitan Italy is both spectacular and heart stopping.

The views speak for themselves but what defeats logic is the vigour with which the locals take to their vehicles.

For the uninitiated, cars appear to shrink as they pass one another without skipping a beat. Occasionally a bus driver will stop his vehicle in the middle of a melee of stalled vehicles on a hairpin, all vying to pass and refusing to give way. He will direct traffic, ordering cars to back up so that larger vehicles can maneuver the bend without losing too much paint or ego.

Taking one’s eyes off the road and looking out to sea is almost a contradiction in terms. Bougainvillea tumbles lazily over the pastel coloured buildings, fishing boats bob in the water while the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea lap over the black volcanic beaches. In the distance across the Bay of Naples lies Mount Vesuvius and it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to consider the reality of living in a volcanic region.

Take the town of Pompeii for instance which lies directly beneath Mount Vesuvius. People were likely going about their business as usual that sunny August morning in 79 AD when the top of the mountain erupted in a massive explosion, drowning the town in twenty feet of ash and killing 6000 of the town’s residents either by asphyxiation or falling buildings.

The ash had the effect of preserving Roman life intact for over 2000 years and when the archaeologists began work in 1748 they were amazed at the story that unfolded of everyday life in Pompeii. We too were amazed and it’s impossible not to be moved at what one sees.

Pompeii’s roadways with carved indentations to guide chariots so that they wouldn’t collide with massive stepping stones placed for pedestrians. The stones were placed at intersections so that people would not dirty their feet in the mire that collected from man and beast. The street grid of homes and businesses all aligned perfectly, the brothels with their colourful paintings leaving nothing to the imagination, the amphitheatre and the forum, all with Mount Vesuvius looking down on the remains of the town, seemingly inert yet potentially menacing.

While only two thirds of the town has been excavated, the poignancy of what we saw was not without its impact as we imagined those early Romans and that instant when all hell broke loose changing their lives forever.

This brings us back to the present day and all those modern day gladiators in their Fiat chariots barreling down the Amalfi coast road. Perhaps they should rein in the horses and take a moment to ponder on Mount Vesuvius, what might have been and what could be.

Siena and San Gimignano - Golden Moments

It had been 18 years since I had walked in awe of the medieval buildings of Siena - today, as then, the city felt untouched by time - yet somehow thriving in a bustling confluence of residents and visitors. The bakeries, gelaterias and coffee shops were brimming with patrons, the hustle and bustle of the crowded, narrow walkways adding to the atmosphere.

The October sun slowly travelled its way across the buildings making “burnt Siena” the colour of the moment. All augmented by the ironwork, coloured shutters, flower boxes and gargoyles of the town’s architecture - and of course Siena's magnificent unfinished cathedral.

Piazza del Campo, site of the biannual horserace and the central part of the city was full of people enjoying the sunshine and watching the comings and goings in the piazza’s cafes and restaurants.

The surrounding Tuscan countryside was picture perfect - gently sloping hills scattered with vineyards, olive groves, cypress trees, farmlands and winding roads. The red clay roofs of the farmhouses and the yellow hues from the buildings’ walls positively glowing in the sunlight.

This couldn’t have been more so when we viewed the landscape from the walled hilltop village of San Gimignano. A golden glaze bathed the countryside in the late afternoon sun, church bells rang in the distance and we thought how wonderful to have shared those moments in time.

Portovenere – Not Quite Cinque Terre

As luck would have it Cinque Terre was not approachable by sea because of strong winds.

We were disappointed but the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of Portovenere, with a more sheltered harbor, provided an unexpected and pleasant alternative.

Sailing from La Spezia to Portovenere, multicoloured homes lined the hillside, giving way to impressive naval facilities. Turning the headland, the village of Portovenere with its castle and churches was a sight to behold.

One only had to imagine medieval times and life in this fortress village under ownership of the state of Genoa, its tall, sloping, colourful buildings - themselves acting as fortifications against regular marauders from lands held by the state of Pisa across the bay.

Its violent history in the past, today the village is considered less commercialized than its sister villages of Cinque Terre. The buildings are mostly occupied by locals whose families have lived there for generations, who are either farmers, fishers or workers in nearby La Spezia.

Stepping ashore we were greeted by fat felines who meandered aimlessly in the village square stopping periodically to roll lazily on the cobblestones that had been warming in the morning sun.

Stores along the main street welcomed us within to sample mouth watering pesto, tastings of olive oil and focaccia. A hole in the wall café along the way provided a fabulous view over the harbour from a small balcony while we enjoyed morning cappuccino.

The olive oil, the focaccia, the pesto and the cappuccino – now that’s Italian!

And we seem to be assimilating rather nicely.

Monte Carlo and Saint-Paul de Vance – Two Worlds

An hour’s drive from Monte Carlo in Monaco lies the medieval hilltop village of Saint-Paul de Vance in France.

With its Roman walls intact, Saint-Paul has endured remarkably well over its long history.

The narrow, winding, cobbled walkways snake their way through the village to the church of Saint-Paul and after the climb you are rewarded with stunning views over the Cote D’Azur and the Alps.

In its more recent history, Saint-Paul became a haven for artists with the village and its surrounding landscapes providing inspiration to the likes of Marc Chagall and his contemporaries – in fact Chagall is buried in the village churchyard.

Popular with visitors, the village is predominated by elegant art and antique shops as well as holiday rental homes but its ancient buildings are unspoiled by modern day trends.

Back in Monte Carlo we looked out over the Principality's unquestionably beautiful harbour and the concrete jungle of overpriced apartments crammed into every available inch of land. The green domes of the Casino – Monaco’s hallmark - appeared to have a defiant look. Who are you people it seemed to say.

In spite of the Bentleys, Ferraris and Aston Martins vying for position in Casino Square, the high priced real estate and the rarefied air taken in by the Monegasques, one unfortunate conclusion remained that day. No deep inhaling of that sea air recommended outside the Casino - the drains were making their presence felt. How awful for those poor people!

Portofino - La Dolce Vita

Portofino was eye popping in the early morning as the sun’s rays streamed across the multi-coloured buildings.

In times gone by fisherman painted their dwellings in bright colours so that they could identify their homes from the sea and be assured that all was well as they approached port. Today Portofino typifies lifestyles of the rich and famous on the Cote d’Azur.

As our tender approached the dock, a hodge podge of brightly coloured boats came into view, bobbing lazily in the harbour. The early morning sunshine created a luminescence over the water that seemed to dance in the swell. The town’s square was flanked with open air restaurants, temporarily empty of customers because of the hour.

Our adventure took us up to a steep cobbled walkway that followed the coastline out to a lighthouse on the point.

On the way we dodged the odd vehicle as we passed the heavily secured gates to mansions owned by the very wealthy - anonymous to our curious eyes. An aristocratic short-haired tabby strutted past us in indignation at the intrusion into his territory, his eyes fixed defiantly ahead.

In spite of Portofino’s buildings seeming to be a façade devoid of everyday life, somehow protecting the lives of those who can afford to live there, the colour palate that morning surpassed any picture. It was magic.

Busman's Holiday

A Busman's Holiday is defined as "A vacation during which one engages in activity similar to one's usual work".

We had our May train outing booked months ago in the long dark days of December when sunshine comes at a premium to Vancouver's dreary winter skies. The end of May would be sunny and warm and the longer hours of daylight would assure us views at their springtime best through our train seat's window.

As fortune would have it, spring in Vancouver had been cool and wet, but the weather did not dampen our spirits as heavy rain clouds hung over the city on the morning we took the Whistler Mountaineer. If anything, the ethereal aura the cloudiness created had the effect of deepening the colour and enhancing the vibrancy of the foliage in the treeline during the three hour trip from North Vancouver to Whistler.

The train company's dispatch had been efficient and friendly, and the train's on-board attendants impressed us with their knowledge and service, never missing a beat when it was time to point out something of interest, even though they were in the midst of meal service.

As part-time tour guides ourselves, it was music to our ears. During the usual commentary one offers on a day trip between Vancouver and Whistler you quickly learn that timing is everything: seeing is believing. There is no point whatsoever talking about the scenic village of Horseshoe Bay when its no longer visible from the newly improved Sea to Sky Highway.

And how often I would wax poetic at the view from the bus as we drove along the highway through the Cheakamus Canyon. The winding river, white with foam as it bubbled and tumbled over the stony river bed.

Through the bus window looking down over the river, the rail line seemed to cling to the riverbank during that segment of its journey and I would exclaim to all on my bus that next time they returned to Vancouver they really must take the train up to Whistler.

And here we were enjoying that same view from our seats on board the train looking out on the Cheakamus River - and the highway beyond it.

After our arrival in Whistler we had a few hours to spend before the return trip. We decided to take the Peak to Peak Gondola, the highest of its kind in the world, with the longest unsupported span over the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.

The weather remained uncooperative but it didn't deter our enjoyment of it as the cars ahead of us disappeared into the cloud, reappearing as if from nowhere. We were amazed at the engineering feat of the gondola itself - its height and endless views. And not to be missed, the glass bottomed cars, which revealed greenery as if in miniature through a metalic picture frame.

The return train trip to Vancouver was very enjoyable - complete with afternoon tea. The improving weather allowed us time to enjoy the views over Howe Sound outdoors in the vintage rail car.

What a glorious day - and what a bonus for those of us who sometimes guide to be able to pick up a few tips from those who guided us!