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Mt Etna Train
Lemons, lemons...Under the volcano
Randazzo and nearby Linguaglossa is where you find the roads up Etna's northern side. The area is spectacular, with the ever looming snow capped peak of Etna always near. Not since my visit to Ireland have I seen anything as green as the slopes of Etna in May, which you can see from this picture. The mineral rich volcanic soil makes the area fertile as few others and the fruit orchards and vineyards here are always successful, making it worth the danger of living in the shadow of Europe's biggest active volcano. You do see traces of former eruptions everywhere. In fact, approaching Randazzo itself from the coast, you will see electrical poles lying zig zag across huge fields of black lava and there is even a house where one half is completely covered in lava and the other half has survived. Such is travels here. Even the outer fringes of these slopes are full of old craters overgrown with grass, such as the Moio Alcantara with its village. A truly fascinating part of Europe where you can visit a vineyard for lunch and then trample around the sulphuric grounds of the higher Etna in the afternoon.
