Boat trip & Stromboli ascent!

heading out of Lipari harbor for a boat trip!

Ciao tutti!  I am needing to catch up on the blog!  Purtroppo, these photos are now from a couple few weeks ago when I was out on the Aeolian islands, I hope you enjoy!!!

the crater of Vulcano is smoking away in the background, pumping out a foul smelling sulfurous smoke.  

transit between the mainland & islands is generally on a hydrofoil, with these special little skis on the front that makes it a hydrofoil rather than just a regular boat.  I had thought a hydrofoil was one of those things that floats on a cushion of air that you might find in the everglades...  no?

the pumice mines of Lipari!

here you see Vulcano at left, Lipari in the middle & the island of Salina on the right

Panarea at left & Stromboli puffing away in the back

where we certainly would have gone swimming had it been a bit warmer

stunning scenery at the volcanic Aeolian islands!

a bit of island paradise on Panarea

many shipments of furniture were arriving, readying the island for tourist season!

iceplant!  the plant I spent many a day pulling out of the ground during invasive weed patrol back in the San Francisco  Bay Area

a small, quaint church on Panarea

beware of the dog, island style

and here, super heated gas is bubbling up from the very core of the earth!

ha HA!  Our guide on the Stromboli trek with his two magical dredlock rattails!  This guy was in training & climbs the volcano TWO TIMES daily!  It was funny, we would stop during the climb & he would go on about some informational what-not about the volcano.  However, he would generally just be facing & talking to these two cute german girls despite the fact that there were about 20 of us other chumps standing there too! :)

stromboli town

on the up & up!

the steaming volcanic plume!

I am now outfitted with my casca (helmet) to make the final push to the summit amidst the fiery explosions!

AHA!

the several trekking parties assembled at the crater rim

Eccolo!  A poor photo, but...  here is a fiery explosion complete with a large earth shaking BOOM!  This is what I had been waiting for, people!!!!

it was extra humid due to scirocco winds, causing a heavy steam plume

and here is a lovely panorama of my first WWOOFing farm near Palermo!  Lago Pomo can be seen as well as the ocean in the background left.  

And now...  for the past 4 days I have been on my second farm assignment at a "meditation center" just south of Catania on the eastern coast of Sicilia.  So far, it has been pretty chill with just me & on other volunteer, a cool Italian dude from Verona.  Despite my hopes of doing some actual farm work all I have been doing so far is maintenance, specifically... sanding & painting a brown fence.  Very Karate Kid-esque, paint the fence Daniel-san!  I have been honing my reflexes & zoning out sanding while listening to various party playlists on my Ipod.  We have been doing some good work & also cooking some really awesome veggie meals!

So, overall I certainly can't complain about my Sicilian experience.  While in Rome I had been so stressed out about work or lack of work situations & here I have been able to really relax, it is nice!  Up until now I had been speaking mainly in Italian but, the guy I am working with now speaks english well so, I am back to using that.  It is a relief, actually!  It is so nice to be able to communicate well!  Out in the country near Palermo most of the people spoke in the Sicilian dialect but, over on this side of the island people use, for the most part, general Italian.

More photos coming soon!  I am wishing you all, all the best!  Happy weekending! :)
xoxo

the Aeolian Islands!

LIPARI!

I do love those colorful vespas!

Ciao friends!!

I'm back in Palermo, having finished my 1st farm stay & heading to the east coast of Sicilia tomorrow.  My first farm experience was a success!  My host was very kind & while the weather kept us from being outdoors too much I did get a bunch of hanging out & reading in!  I, of course, in my American mentality was expecting to do tons of work all day every day.  Turns out it was more about eating a lot of yummy food & chilling out, Sicilian style.  When will I learn?

So, earlier in my Sicily visit I decided to take the hydrofoil out to the Aeolian islands.  I've been interested in Homer's "the Odyssey" for many years now.  Many events that take place in the story occur in & around Italy, Sicily in particular.  In the Aeolian islands Odysseus stops to visit Aeoleus, the wind god, who gives him his special wine skin of winds to push him along on his journey home to Penelope.  The islands are small & of volcanic origin, famous for capers & the sweet, Malvasia dessert wine.  Yum!

At the train station I met a guy who was moving to the island of Vulcano for the tourist season to make pizza!  I guess a good pizzaolo (pizza maker) is highly sought after & they can be well paid.  He said there wasn't much work in Palermo so he was leaving his wife & 3 kids behind for 7 months to go make pizza out on a small island that he had never been to before.  Whoa!  

inside the "hydrofoil"

views of the sea from lipari

going up the hill to the ancient castle

I find churches everywhere, even on the tiniest of islands!

an outdoor courtyard such as this with an arched walkway surrounding it is called a choistro, this one is ancient as can be!

Marina corta

this was interesting, the pumice mines of Porticello!

I took a bus to the "beach" at Porticello, I had seen some amazing photos of these beaches with interesting pumice stones & the water a light turquoise blue due to the pumice.  Turns out, during the winter much of the beach washes away or something & it is right next to this old pumice mine so, actually not so scenic.  I met a nice old man in this small town who used to work at the mine.  Apparently they have been closed for about 4 years and are now preserved as a historic site.  The old man gave me some homemade limoncello & a massive lemon.  They have these particular huge lemons here; the fruit portion is actually real small & the rind is very thick.  You are able to eat the thick rind & it is sweet & delicious.  Especially with a little salt.  Yum, I love it!

YUMMMMM!

the beach at Cannetto

Lipari is famous for it's obsidian mines.  The island used to be important for trade around the meditteranean & abroad.  Before iron, obsidian was the hardest, sharpest substance around; ideal as a cutting tool or arrow point.  Pumice also has many uses in the field of abrasives.  Interestingly, to me at least, when the obsidian gets hot it starts to foam up & then becomes pumice!  I collected many pumice stones, to use on the feet.  :)

Lipari was a really beautiful island!  Next you will see.............  a boat trip to the other islands!
xx