Calatabiano & Etna Eruption

It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Sicily. The day is warming after a chilly start. Snow is still on Etna even after two nights of small eruptions. Id seen online that on Wednesday night it had been shooting some lava out. So last night we saw a small glow before going to bed. Jas got up at 2am to let George out and he said it was definitely going off during the night. So tonight im sure we and our neighbours will be watching out for a photo opportunity. Yesterday we walked the 10kms to Calatabiano Castle and Calatabiano itself. We arrived at the base of the hill where the castle was situated. Paying €5 each entry and €2 for the funicular up to the top. We took the dogs up, ears popping with the altitude. From the top it looks down over the Alacantara river, out to the ocean, over to Taormino and up to Mt Etna. The castle dates back to BC and coins have been found there that date 343-337BC. Over the years it has been ruled by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans and Swedes. The castle can be reached by the funicular or an ancient path that you can see from the top. Just below the castle is the Saint Crucifix church built-in 1484. We were the only ones up there, so were able to wander through and take our time. It has been recently renovated, which does take some of the charm away. But the views are stunning on a clear day. We headed back down and walked into the town and along the road. Heading in the direction of the beach.Heading back we crossed over the fast flow of the Alacantara river. We had asked the guy in the ticket office how long to walk to the Gole di Alacantara (Gorges of Alcantara). He smiled and said 2 hrs, one way walking, but it might be closed. So we decided against it. The veg guy arrived this morning so I got some purple broccoli and pears. Got to support the locals. We stocked up at the supermarket today 25% of the total price, minus meat. Made the weekly shop a lot cheaper. We bought some lovely lemon torte and I got a bottle of Merlot for €1.50. Not as cheap as spain but its nice to try different cheeses, meats and produce. Its supposed to rain tomorrow, so a movie day in the van. Ive read 17 books since we left the uk in September this year. Something that i havent done since high school. So travelling has ignited my passion for reading again. Looking at one more week here and then maybe somewhere else in the south for Xmas……. We love Sicily