Mount Etna had been on my list for quite a while now, but some of the reviews here made me curious and disappointed at the same time: is it that boring and ugly? I started my trip on the 12th of June 2021 with the bus from Catania train station to Rifugio Sapienza. The bus driver got chatty once we left Nicolosi and by the time the bus arrived its destination, I was hooked. Together with a French couple we went for a guided tour (45 euro), first through the compulsory dress-up (only my jacket was deemed suitable) and then we took the cablecar to 2500 m (30 euro return trip). The cablecar is indeed pricey, but I felt it worth it for the spectacle we were about to enjoy. 

Etna has been active recently and on that day it was the Southeast crater in full swing. We knew from Nicolosi that for safety reasons we would make it to 2750 m (and the guide seemed doubtful to be able to take tourists farther in 2021), but that was enough. After the cablecar we had a steep hike and then sounds very similar to thunders (volcanic explosions) joined us for the rest of the trip. The thick snow buried under ash and the few burnt plants were proof to a landscape changing all the time. At times I felt I had reached Mordor, with clouds obstructing the cones and everything around being just lava and volcanic rocks of various shapes and colours. Then the guide called us to see the Valle del Bove before it was getting engulfed by fog and just standing within safe distance to the rim felt unreal. 

As we started our descent, the clouds cleared around the Southeast crater and we could see the eruption, the bombs and the lava flow. As per the guide, had it been night, everything would have looked red. In day time, the lava flow seemed blue from the gas and the lava, dark smoke.

Returning to Catania, I went searching for the aftermath of the 1669 eruption: the lava at Castello Ursino (built under the same Frederick II of Castel del Monte), the position of the Benedictine Monastery as the lava had breached through the city walls.

In the evening I was at the airport and I kept going in and out to take photos of the show. As we were taking off, I was getting neck pain as we were leaving the volcano behind us. To me this was simply a great experience.