Back in Sicily...and Mount Etna still erupting

I'm back on the island, and returned to two beautiful things: the spectacular  Mount Etna volcano erupting, to top it off, after what felt like eternity, the scirocco has gone back to Africa! 

I popped over to visit my bel ragazzo in Calabria, which is the 'toe' of the Italian boot. He lives and works in the province of Cosenza and I had to cross the sea, in a train to get there. Sounds strange taking a train over the sea doesn't it? It is quite simple really and you don't even have to exit the train if you don't want. I take the train to Messina, where the carriages are separated as they go onto the ferry.  It is the same ferry the cars and foot passengers use, the trains are left on the lowest level with the cars above. You are free to climb the stairs to the top deck and sit outside, have something to eat etc... or you can stay in the train carriages which are parked side by side underneath. Once you reach the other side the trains reattach and move on once more.

Bel ragazzo's village only 26 kilometres from Cosenza and is surrounded by lush mountains. The town itself is very beautiful and quite small with a current population of about 900. I was very cool, even cold during the night as the town is 728 metres above the sea level. I wore jeans and a cardigan and still I was cold! I have not been cold for a long time, here in Taormina although the scirocco has gone it is still hot in the days and nights. In summertime the days are still hot in his village, but being surrounded by mountains there is a refreshing breeze. I worry about spending winter there, as most years it snows. Not necessarily large amounts, but bel ragazzo has shown me pictures when the whole town has been covered in snow. Pretty to be sure but I've never lived anywhere it snows.

So now I am back in Taormina, and bel ragazzo is working Calabria. He's coming back soon to see a concert in the Teatro Greco.