If there was ever a place I'd recommend for a honeymoon its the Aeolian Islands. While our stay was brief and limited to Stromboli, the ports we saw, the relative ease of reaching and traversing the islands, even daily on the Ustica hydrofoil, enables one to see some of the most remarkable natural treasures imaginable. Do your research and visit, you will not be disappointed.
We arrived on Stomboli about 11am on Friday, slipping into the Hotel Ossidiana with ease. Our room was the basic European style one would expect, however out our bedroom window was the volcano and out the bathroom window was a sunrise view of the Med.
Stromboli @ sunrise
As requested (via email) the hotel had booked us on the volcano trek that evening, so after a nice pasta lunch at Pizza Da Giovanni we took riposso to rest up for the hike. Riposso is basically a loose timeframe from 1-4pm daily that the country of Italy naps, fits right into my perfect day!!! Rested and ready we proceeded to Stromboli Adventures, met our guide Hugo, an Italian guide who routinely hikes the Alps yet took a special interest in us. We then started the slow but steady climb up 918 meters, 3011 feet, at 5:10pm with a group of 16 people, us the only American couple.
The views on the way up were spectacular, the climb not so much for a guy that isn't in as good of physical shape as I slowly strive to attain. Steep, the sun blazing as it began to set, and the volcanic sand so deep that many times it literally covered over the top of my hiking boots. Yes, I bet 20% of the climb and 50% of the descent (a different route without the multiple switchbacks) was through soft, black sand. Needless to say I was perspiring just a little, however the discomfort is easily forgotten when you reach the first ridge at sunset and watch Stromboli erupt before your eyes! We did take multiple breaks on the ascent, short and up to 10 minutes; when we reached the ridge to see the first crater and sunset we had a nice 30 minute break to view the activity, watch the sunset, and allow the groups already at the summit to view and exit prior to our arrival. The trekking leaders did a great job ensuring we all made it safely, timing departures and grouping like hikers, to ensure pace and maximum viewing time.
Here's a few shots from the ascent, the first crater with a spectular sunset, and the sad/sorry couple of shots I got at the summit. It was so much better in person, especially as my camera work was poor on this particular event, so I put the camera away and just enjoyed the magnificent natural display of a volcano erupting 5 different times in about 75 minutes of total crater/summit time. Stromboli is continuously active, belching small amounts of lava from the crater which lies about 150 meters below and 200 meters away from the summit. At this distance we were deemed safe, though in America there would have been a rail or something around the top; however Italians and Europeans in general figure if you're dumb enough to fall into a volcano then you deserve that fate.
In the piazza getting ready
Before the hard hiking began
We made the first crater to watch the sunset and 3 separate eruptions
The descent was not rigorous but challenging mentally. Hiking down a volcano in the dark (with a headlamp), soft sand covering your foot with nearly every step down a steep decline, causing so much dust we had to wear dust masks and creating difficulty seeing the groud, it was quite a unique exprerience.
I specifically told myself prior to departing on our vacation that I would not be drinking any beer, wine only as this is Italy. Let me tell you beer is the only thing I desired after that climb; Kathie and I each smashed a large Messina lager as soon as we returned at 11:10pm. We slept well that evening, so well we missed breakfast the next day. Not to fear, Daniela & Grazea from Hotel Ossidiana prepared us a feast of salami, proscuitto, cheese, yogurt, tomatoes, fruit, juice, cappucccino, brioche, scrambled eggs----it was all so good and so appreciated. They served it with smiles and bent over backwards to ensure we were happy, just couldn't ask for more from those ladies.
Ciao.
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