Mt Etna

1900 meters up Mt. Etna (only 14oo more to the top!) Wasn't a clear day, so no pictures of the peak, but we were able to walk around (yes, it's snow covered!) and see a few extinct craters. One key learning for us was that Etna has many many craters where eruptions have taken place (that is a dormant crater behind the three of us) all along the slope--not just one large crater at the top. We each picked out a small piece of lava rock for ourselves---free souveniers!--before getting back on the bus for the trip back down. Not a fun busride for those who are easily carsick--winding roads the entire way up to the top, and again back down. The view was amazing (when the sun was out at least), and you can see the where the lava flowed down during past eruptions. The guide mentioned that the steam (3rd pic; barely visible) rising from the black lava rock is actually due to residual heat from the eruption--even though it took place years ago.