Volcanoes Galore!: Hiking the Most Popular and Active Volcanoes in Italy!

If you had the chance to stand on the top of a volcano, less than one-hundred yards from lava shooting from the top, would you? 

I choose to answer yes to the question above, and it was one of the coolest decisions I have ever made. Italy is one of the most volcanic countries in the world. During your trip to Italy, you can discover the amazing beauty and life that these volcanoes hold. Naples actually contains the only active volcano on mainland Europe; however, their are other volcanoes in the country that erupt often...even daily! Here are three volcanoes that you can hike, and one you can watch erupt while standing at the top!

Mt. Vesuvius:

Mt. Vesuvius

Mt. Vesuvius is perhaps the most widely known volcano in the world. Located on the western side of the country, this volcano had one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic eruptions in history. Many people have heard the story of Pompeii, a bustling town buried by the volcanic ash in only minutes. Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. The volcanic ash buried the town and the over 2,000 people who called the city home. The city was essentially preserved in time until the 1700's, when explorers rediscovered the site. The volcano has not erupted since 1944, but according to scientists it may be due for another eruption in the near future.

One of the plaster cast bodies
from being buried under the
ash.

The volcanic eruption in 79 A.D was a "Plinian" eruption, and produced a "mushroom cloud" appearance of flying ash and smoke. According to http://ancienthistory.about.com, the column of the cloud reached about 66,000 feet in height, and the ash continued to rain down for more than 18 hours.

Today, you can hike the volcano to the edge of the crater. The climb to the top of the crater does not take very long, however the change in air pressure can affect some people. You can even find all-inclusive day trips through sites such as Expedia. Going with a guide on the hike may be your best option, as they often have more information and know the best routes to take. The guides can help if any safety concerns were to arise, or if people on the hike have questions.

More than three million people live in the area around Mt. Vesuvius, and it is monitored closely for any volcanic activity.

Check out the awesome video on the History Channel's website all about the historic event dealing with Mt. Vesuvius: http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/pompeii

Vulcano Volcano:

Arriving to the island by boat,
you see the volcano

Vulcano is a small island in the Aeolian Island chain. The sulfur smell is immensely strong on the island, due to the sulfuric gases coming from the volcano. This island has one of the World's rare black sand beaches, sulfur baths, and the volcano that you can hike. The ancient Romans attributed the volcano to being the chimney of the workshop of the fire god Vulcan. 1888-1890 was the last eruption of this volcano.

Looking into the crater
You can see the white sulfur gas

The hike does not cost anything to walk up by yourself. The volcano is beautiful when you come to the island by boat, and the hike begins by first walking through the town. The Vulcano hike is not overly far; however, it is a pretty steep trek up. Until the crater, the hike feels like you are walking upwards at a very steep angle most of the time, but the views of the crater are completely worth it. You can see the sulfur gas coming from the crater as you stand on the edge looking in...be careful not to get caught in one of the sulfur bubbles, as it can be extremely dangerous!

The view from the top of the volcano is amazing. You can look down onto the island and see both the regular beach and the black sand beach. The hike from the crater upwards is not nearly as steep as the beginning, and wraps around the outside of the crater itself. At the top of the volcano there is a pile of rocks started by the many people who have endured the journey. Make sure to take in all of the views if you make it to the top!

Panorama looking from the top of the volcano!

Stromboli:
Finally, the island of Stromboli features one of the most active volcanoes in the world! You can hike this volcano and watch it erupt while you stand probably about 100 yards away at the top! It is one of the most visited volcanoes in the world (active for the last 2,000 years), and according to geology.com, it is known as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean" because the eruptions of lava can be seen from such a distance at night.

The Stromboli volcano has been erupting almost continuously since 1932, and produces new eruptions on average every 20-30 minutes. Occasionally large eruptions do occur, and the town below must be evacuated...but don't worry, scientists watch it very closely. You must go on a guided hike up this volcano, as the hike is much longer, more dangerous, and hundreds of people climb the volcano every day. It was an experience to climb the volcano with people from all over the world, including Australia, Switzerland, and many European countries!

Our group at the 

Riding up to the island

                                                    

        

                                                                   

The hike is not too strenuous, although the entire trip does take roughly eight hours to hike and return to the town. We began at around 4 PM and returned to the guide station at about midnight! You are given a helmet, helmet light, and mask (all of which you rent) that you are required to wear at the top and for the way down in the dark. You can also rent hiking boots, although I wore tennis shoes and was fine....make sure you wear high socks though, as there is about a half hour on the way down that you are not allowed to stop at all and the sand quickly barrels into your shoes. The hike begins through the town, and then quickly moves into the treeline. Through the treeline, the hike can be kind of steep; however, once you make it past the treeline it becomes more of a steady climb.

Once you reach the top of the volcano, you are required to wear your helmet and move to different points to watch the eruptions. It was kind of cloudy the day we went, but we could still see and hear the eruptions very well. The volcano erupted three times while we were at the top...and you get to stand pretty close to where the lava is shooting out of!!!

One of the small eruptions while we were at the top

The way back down the volcano can be dangerous in the dark, so it is essential to stay with the guide. Most of the time you are in a single-file line and you walk through very deep sand where you are not allowed to stop at all for a certain period of time until you reach a safer area.

This hike is something that is a once in a lifetime experience, and I highly recommend it if you are traveling in Italy and the islands off of Sicily!

The raw power of the volcanoes is certainly extraordinary. The beauty and nature of the volcanoes is a sight to see, and something you will never forget! Check out this short video I took of Stromboli erupting! The actual eruption is longer and much more magnificent than the video shows, as you can see in a clip of it in the picture above.

Please leave any questions, comments, or your experiences and watch for the next post!
Follow me on twitter : @trekkintraveler

Esplorare il Mondo! (Explore the World!)

Travel Made Easy: The Many Ways of Transportation Around Italy!

Planes, Trains, and Hydro-boats!

You have probably heard the saying "planes, trains, and automobiles," or the movie that has this title; but, in Italy it is more like "planes, trains, automobiles, hydro-boats, cable cars......." Got the idea right? Italy has multiple ways to travel around the country, including very unique modes of transportation. The plane is a given, as it is the fastest way to travel long distances across the ocean, and from Rome down to Sicily.

No matter where you go in this beautiful country, Italy has different transportation methods for all people. Walking is a tremendous aspect of Italian life, and is one of the easiest ways to navigate around the cities (not to mention the healthiest). When I was in Italy, especially the time spent in Rome, we would walk upwards of probably five to eight miles a day. With all of the architecture and activities that are constantly bringing the vibrant cities to life, walking is the easiest way to enjoy the culture and see more aspects of the area.

People walking around a piazza in Rome
by the Pantheon!

Driving in Italy is something that I will probably never experience...I think I would have way to much anxiety! There are so many people in the larger cities that the roadways are constantly busy with buses, cars, taxis, etc. Due to this, when traveling Italy you will see many motorized scooters/mopeds. This is a fantastic way to travel, and is fairly cheap for anyone looking for a quick way to get around the cities or countryside. It seemed that literally everywhere we went in Italy there were mopeds that people were driving; therefore, these seemed to be one of the most convenient ways to manage the roadways. This is because, the roads in places such as Rome can become very narrow in the alleyways, and the cobblestone streets that add countless amounts of history to the city are easily navigated by the scooters. Many people had baskets hooked onto the scooters so that they could go shopping...very convenient. Not to mention, you can usually fit at least two people onto the mopeds and they can get awesome gas mileage...again an easy way to save more money and endure more experiences.

Mopeds/scooters in Rome to rent.

Trains are also a huge part of the Italian culture. Almost every place that we visited had a train station, and it is something to see for someone like me who had never rode on one before. The Roman train station was busy day and night. For people traveling in Italy, the train is a very economical way to get around, as you can find train lines that connect all over the country. They run from the north all the way down into the south, and have lines in Sicily. I highly suggest taking the train, as it offers the chance to make many more day trips to different parts of the country on a budget. You can buy train and subway tickets the day of right in the stations!

Subway ticket

Now that I have mentioned some of the usual forms of transportation that you see in Italy, and many places in Europe for that matter, lets talk about some of the unique forms of transportation that the country has to offer visitors and citizens alike.

Hydro-boats are used to travel between many of the islands off the coast of Sicily. These boats come into the port and look like any other boat; however, once they take off in the water they are a sight to see. Hydro-boats have blades attached to the bottom that are easiest to compare to water skis. These help bring the boat onto the surface of the water; it is as if you are just skimming the top of the surface. Hydro-boats are very timely, and leave different ports at many periods of the day. We took hydro-boats from Trapani (Sicily) to the islands of Favignana and Levanzo. The only downside to these is that if it is windy, or there are rough seas, they cannot always hydroplane on top of the water...we had an instance where they had to slow down at least three times because of the wind. We used Ustica Lines, and they did a fantastic job! You can check their schedule on their website: www.usticalines.it/en

Hydro-boat coming into the harbor

Another unique form of transportation in Italy are cable cars. When traveling to the medieval town of Erice, you have the option to take cable cars to the top of the mountain where the town is situated. These are very unique, but the drawback is that they too are weather permitting. The original day that we went, the cable cars were not being used due to the wind. Once we got to ride the cable car a few days later, it was a very cool experience. The cars have windows on all sides, allowing you to see the amazing scenery below...something Italy is famous for. Cable cars are something we now normally only see in movies, but in Italy they continue adding more uniqueness to the traveling experience.

Cable cars to the medieval city of Erice
on top of this mountain!

Range Rover on the island of Levanzo

Other modes of transportation that are available to use on your trips include range rovers, which we took to around the island of Levanzo to a trail head to hike down to a historic cave. Also, open-top boats are used to travel between islands. For instance, we used these boats when traveling from Lipari to places such as Vulcano and Stromboli. These boats have a closed-in area with seating on the bottom level, and an area of seating on the upper level that is completely open to the outdoors. It is an unforgettable experience to ride on the top of one of these boats. I will never forget coming back from hiking the volcano of Stromboli in one of these boats on the Mediterranean at midnight, and seeing the island coastline from the sea. I highly recommend traveling these if you are on the islands. The crews we encountered were all very nice, and the schedule was pretty convenient.

View from the open seating of the
open-top boats!

Italy boasts numerous landscapes for all kinds of adventures! The transportation methods that you choose to use can make a tremendous difference in your experiences. Long days of traveling can be mundane, but choosing different ways to travel the country can add a lot of unique and unforgettable aspects to your travel! Why not enjoy the journey to your destination just as much as the adventure itself?

Please leave any comments or suggestions below! :)

Arrivederci! (See you later!)

Tips for Learning the Language Before You Go: Parlando Italiano (Speaking Italian)

What do you do when you can't understand anything around you?

Imagine being completely immersed in another culture; you don't speak the language at all, and have no idea what the people around you are saying. This is a reality for many people, including yourself if you are planning on traveling abroad to Italy and are not bilingual. Italian is an amazing language, and definitely one worth learning for your trip! Knowing the language will help you tremendously, even when just walking around the beautiful cities.

Panorama Picture Walking Around Rome.

When I planned to go on my trip to Italy, I had absolutely no experience in reading or speaking Italian. The most knowledge I had were a few years of Spanish, but I did not think that would help me much in Europe. As it turns out, being able to speak Spanish will help you when you are traveling around Italy; although, a few people seemed to be annoyed with us speaking Spanish instead of Italian...but can you blame them when you are going to their country? Knowing at least the basics of the country's language you are in will make your trip all the more worthwhile, as you will be able to interact more with the people and become more involved in the culture.

I have found a few ways to help overcome this predicament, and hope they can help you on your trip.

Duolingo is a free app that you can download from the app store on your phone or computer, and it has a ton of languages within the software. The best thing about this app is that it does not just give you words and tell you to memorize them; instead, it uses a multitude of ways to help you actually remember the words and be able to use them in an appropriate context.

Duolingo App Icon

Duolingo allows you to read the sentences  in Italian, and  in addition, listen to a prerecorded voice read them to you. This gives you the visual and audio of the word, which is a tremendous help when you are in another country trying to read different signs....seriously not everywhere has little people on the bathroom signs if you aren't able to read the writing, so knowing the basics can definitely save you from some awkward situations. In addition to reading and hearing the voice say sentences, it pairs pictures with words. For example, it may show you the word "la mela" and explain it to you. It then might bring up three pictures of items and ask you to pick which one is "la mela" (it is an apple by the way).

Also, this app uses the speaker on your phone and asks you to repeat the words or phrases back to the app so that you can make sure the pronunciation is correct. Lastly, it gives you sentences in English, of which you translate back into Italian in writing.

All of the different aspects of this app allow you to become more involved with the language itself, as opposed to carrying around a dictionary with you everywhere you go....which would be an easy way to point yourself out as a tourist to everyone and become an easier target for pickpockets, etc.

This is a sign I found that was mistranslated in a bathroom on one of the islands.
French and English tourists "helped the out" with some
comments and translations themselves.

Another thing you can do is to find the basic words you will need and keep a short list of them in your pocket or purse. This is not as obvious as having your nose stuck into your phone half of the time you are out and about; instead, you can reference it quick and enjoy more of your time.

I have never personally used Rosetta Stone, but I have heard from other people I know that it really does help you learn a language. Being a college student, I cannot afford it right now, but would love to use this program in the future to learn more Spanish and Italian for future travels!

The Island of Levanzo!
You can kind of see us swimming
down at the beach.

The most important thing is to be involved in the culture. The Italian language is absolutely beautiful, and the more you interact with people, the more words and phrases you will quickly pick up. I remember being on the island of Levanzo with a small group of people from my trip after hiking to a famous cave, when a girl in our group who spoke Spanish was able to have a long conversation with a friendly native who had an amazing life story. From being in the country for awhile and learning some basic words before I went, I was able to pick up on some of what he said and hear all about his life.

Now I am not claiming to be fluent, or even a good Italian speaker or anything; actually, I only know some of the basics. However, I learned so much while I was there that it made the trip even more enjoyable! I will always remember some of the phrases I learned, and can't wait to discover more before I go back someday!

Please leave your comments and let me know what you think, or any suggestions you have on how to make the language transition easier! :)

Fino alla prossima volta! (Until next time!)

My Italian Adventure

Who Am I and Why Am I Sharing My Italian Adventure?

Ciao (hello in Italian)! My name is Morganne and I am currently a senior marketing and management major. For my digital advertising class we are creating blogs, etc. to learn different aspects of building a personal brand. For me, I right away thought about my passion for traveling and the amazing trip I took this past summer to Italy.

Me on top of a volcano on the

 island of Vulcano in Southern Italy.

Anyway, I am from Iowa (yes more people now know where it is and that we are not Idaho because of The Bachelor) and have lived in the Midwest all of my life. The farthest I had ever traveled before this past summer was to North Carolina to for a tournament with my select soccer team, back when I was around 14 or 15 years old. You can definitely say that Italy was a huge jump for me.

I signed up for the study abroad program through my college, the University of Northern Iowa....GO PANTHERS! I knew that once I paid the fee, which was around $160 if I remember right, I wouldn't back out. So, I paid the fee and signed up for the best adventure of my life all in an afternoon and without knowing anyone going on the trip.

Sidebar here...study abroad is seriously one of the best things you can do. I encourage everyone to go on one if you have the opportunity.

Like I said, I did not know anybody going on the trip beforehand. All classwork was done through online worksheets before we left, and we only met as a group twice. So there I was about five months later, showing up to the Cedar Rapids airport ready to travel halfway around the world with 17 other people I couldn't even tell you the names of. Goodbye cornfields, HELLO ITALY, or so I thought.

Picture from the plane.

Our first adventure together was definitely one to remember. Our fight was delayed substantially due to a fire at the Chicago airport, where the only international flight to Italy was for two days. Finally about two or more hours after we were supposed to leave, we finally boarded the plane for takeoff. Ten minutes outside of Chicago they said there was not enough room on the runway to land, and turned the plane back around to Cedar Rapids where we got back off, waited a half hour, and boarded to take off again. Finally we reached the Chicago airport, where they had already delayed the international flight by over an hour for us. That's the end of the ordeal right? All jolly-good to head to Italy....WRONG! All 18 of us were sprinting across the entire Chicago O'Hare airport (I don't think I had ran in months so I was definitely sucking air). Just as we got to the gate, they closed the door and told us we could not board, as the plane was ready to leave.

Just our luck, finally having the chance to see the world and we miss a flight because they didn't have enough room to land a plane on the runway....isn't that one of the things that should be on the checklist before leaving?: Have somewhere for the plane to land -Check-

Finally, after begging the gate people and everyone just staring at us huffing-and-puffing with suitcases in hand, whispering about how sad it was we didn't make it, they let us on the plane. I think everyone in the entire terminal clapped.

This picture is of the plane that they weren't going to let us on.

Like seriously, we can see it....please let us go to Italy!

So off to Italy we go! I was about to embark on an 8 1/2 hour  international flight (first time over the ocean) and the next three weeks with 17 other people I did not know, but who would soon become some of the best people I have ever met.

The next blogs will be about:

• Rome
• The Vatican
• The different types of transportation in Italy (planes, trains, hydro boats, cable cars, etc. we took)
• Sicily
• The Egadi Islands
• The food in Italy (including octopus salad and gelato...don't worry, not mixed together)
• The Aeolian Islands
• Hiking an active volcano and standing about 100 feet from lava coming out
• And finally, coming home and the transition back to America.

Picture of us by the water on Levanzo,

an island on the Egadi Island chain.



Rome on our first day.

I hope you have enjoyed this little snippet about me and the beginning of the best adventure I have ever been on. Check back soon for more posts! :)

Andiamo! (let's go in Italian)