Just got an email from an Italian friend, Mt. Etna on Sicily is erupting after a series of earthquakes that shook Sicily and the mainland of Italy. They were small earthquakes, but it shook up Mt. Etna and she/he started spitting lava, setting off forest firest and threatening small villages.

Just seen it on TV news. Really spectacular images. No evacuations necessary until now. Hope the villages can be saveguarded.

While staying at Villa Belvedere in Taormina in late July, Etna was totally quiet so we opted not to make the trek up to see it. The manager at the hotel told us that her grandmother who lives near the base always can tell when it is going to erupt. She said that just that week her grandmother had been feeling tremors at night (totally unreported), but that it wouldn't erupt for about three more months. I just realized that was three months ago. SCAREY!

You have to realize that Grandmothers know everything! I wouldn't argue with mine about sensing a volcanic eruption, she would create one!

More information here. Looks pretty serious.<BR><BR>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2374149.stm

Just got back from Sicily last night via Palermo - we were supposed to leave through Catania but the airport is closed due to heavy ash in the air. We left for the Catania airport from Taoromina at 3:00 in the morning early Monday (had to make the effort)and saw the eruption in the dark - spectacular! It's a sight I'll never forget. We had just visited the mountain the day before but were not allowed up to the top. On our way down the police were stopping people at an even lower level.<BR>The SOUND of Etna erupting is probably more unforgetable than the sight. Deep rumbling thunder that you felt to the core of your soul! Poor Sicily, not only is she the Poland of the Mediteranean (with her history of constant invasions) but has to deal with geological uncertainties along with the poverty. Catania is certainly in deep trouble with this eruption.<BR>

At what time did your flight depart Palermo? How long was the ride from Catania to Palermo airport?

Wow, Emily, how interesting. I bet the sound was otherworldly. Thanks for posting, isn't Taormina great? Could you see the eruption from Taormina, too? I remember we could see smoke in the day and red glow at night from our hotel in Taormina, and that is when Mt. Etna wasn't even erupting.

Gac- our flight from Palermo took off at 6:35 the next day for Rome. Palermo is about a 4 hour ride from Catania, but it was hard to tell because we were caught in a labor strike that blocked the main road one way (our way of course). The strike was over the impending lay off of 3000 workers from Fiat (I think it was Fiat), a terrible hardship for the area.<BR>Nancy - I did not see the eruption from Taoromina but I might have if we had time for a drink that day in the hotel next to the Greek Theatre (what a view!) and we stayed down on the beach at Lido Mediteranee, hoping to get the best of both worlds in the area. The ocean was very rough though -probably due to the earth tremors going on at the time underneath Etna.

Emily: so you had to spend an extra night in or near Palermo? Did you at least have a chance to take in some sights in the Capital City?

We flew home from Catania last Sunday morning and saw small eruptions from Etna very early that morning (we stayed on Via Etnea so we had a clear view all the way to the volcano). While we were sitting on the runway waiting to take off, it was smoking like crazy! The sky looked black (that was about 7:00am local time). Saw the larger eruptions on TV at home Monday night and couldn't believe we just missed it!