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