It’s easy to see that most of the Aeolian
Islands are the peaks of volcanic mountains, with their feet thousands of
metres below the sea. They are rugged and steep-to, offering little in the way
of anchorages and great opportunities for high season rip-offs in the few small
harbours. From Cefalu we made for the island of Filicudi, where there are
moorings available – at a cost. €50 to the grumpy bloke in the dinghy and we
had the pleasure of a rocky night on a mooring ball in the bay. We stayed
aboard as we didn’t feel like spending any more in the town, but I did paddle
the kayak in next morning for some bread and a coffee. It seemed a pleasant
enough place, and the volcanic slopes, terraced all the way up, are an
impressive sight.
Next day we planned our passage to do a
‘drive by’ of Stromboli at sunset. Stromboli is a continuously active volcano,
releasing pressure a bit at a time rather than building up to a major eruption
like Etna or Vesuvius. It really is an awesome thing to see, with the massive sciara del fuoco (flow of fire) like a
vast, steaming bitumen road down the north west slope of the mountain. As the
sun set, a fleet of tour boats gathered to watch the rose-tinted clouds
drifting over the crater and its regular bursts of fire. Watching a volcano
erupt is one of those thrilling, primal experiences, especially when you can
hear and feel its rumbling power. You wonder why people choose to live in the
shadow of these unpredictable monsters – until you see the vineyards, citrus groves
and fields of vegetables thriving in the rich, deep volcanic soil.
Stromboli erupts
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