May 29 On to Catania, Sicily

One of Sicily's main features is Mt. Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano, dwarfing nearby Mt Vesuvius.  We were there a mere 7 days after its most recent eruption on the 22nd, seen in this link.

An older photo of Mt Etna erupting

Our bus took us to this lodge near the Crateri Sylvestri on the side of Etna. where we could explore inactive craters.  

Lava bomb

 A local Sicilian with his pet goat.

After our Mt Etna excursion we traveled to the beautiful hillside city of Taormina where we found this beautiful mosaic on the wall of the church.

the bay and beach below Taormina

 Still in beautiful (relatively) condition this Greco-Roman amphitheater attracts multitudes every year.
As with many similar structures of that period, the acoustics here are still good enough to draw musicals, plays and operas to its stage.

 Here is a link to a beautiful youtube tour of the theater which will give you a much clearer picture of the way we saw it.

We walked all over the city; (click on the link for a virtual tour) the amphitheater was the highlight.  Tomorrow it's the mainland of Italy again.