Strolling up Stromboli, Underwater on Ustica.

After Kelly’s Australian family left Sicily bound for Rome we continued on our way, now just the two of us again. After a day visiting Agrigento and wading through a stunning volcanic gouge we set off for Stromboli, the furthest island in the Aeolian group and home to the active volcano of the same name. Our plans to climb Mt Etna had been thwarted by the weather so Stromboli offered another chance to get up close and personal with some red hot lava. Although our plans were again affected by the weather (strong winds this time preventing us from taking the mandatory guided trek to the summit) we hiked up as far as we could go alone and witnessed an incredibly dramatic natural firework show. About every 20 minutes Stromboli has a mini eruption, spewing bright red lava and ash into the air. It’s quite a sight and not like any we’ve seen before. After dark it gets even more exciting when you can spot the red lava flowing down the mountain after the eruptions. After a night volcano watching the only other thing to do on Stromboli is relax on the black, volcanic sand beaches; just don’t try it without a towel!! (See photo above)

Photo - View of Stromboli's lava flow by day.

Continuing our volcanic island theme we next headed to Ustica, a haven for diving in the Mediterranean. With everything set up by the Sicilian relatives the few days diving were an absolute breeze. There’s something about diving places all over the world that just means everything is a little more relaxed. Ustica fit the mould perfectly, being easily the most laid-back, relaxed place we’ve been in Italy. It was great to waste away the afternoons at a café overlooking the sea chatting about the mornings dives with a beer or two. I could have stayed a week. (Photo below - Stromboli erupts)

Time is ticking though and another “locked in” date is approaching. We must be on Santorini, in the Greek Isles on the 1st of August to meet Adam, a friend from Uni. Thus we made the difficult decision to scrap our plans for Tunisia and head to Sardinia instead. So a night in Palermo and then a flight to Cagliari brought us to the largish island off Italy’s western coast. There’s only time for 2 stops here then it’s off thanks to easyJet bound for Athens.