65: time to hit the road

Up Mt Etna (active volcano 1 hour bus ride from Catania) today.

On the way up:

First indication of trouble:

The bus dropped us at the base of a gondola which goes from 1929m to 2500m. Gondola? We don’t need no stinking gondola:

Made it. We’ll wait it out, see if it clears, then walk back down.

After an hour we started. Made it about 100m, no way. Good news: although the gondola is not operating due to weather, there are 4 wheel drive vans that are. Bad news: 30 clams apiece. Worth it, of course:

Down at 2:30, ready for the 4:30 bus back to Catania:

Nicolosi, 1/2 way to Catania: