Stromboli

One of the many wonderful things that traveling on The World offers, is exposure to "experts" from the areas we are approaching.  We are now off the coast of Italy in the Aolian Islands.  Yesterday, we were treated to a lecture and slide show, which prepared us for our arrival on the island of Stromboli tomorrow.  This island is the home of the Stromboli crater which houses 5 active volcanic sites about 5,000 years old, located at approx 3,000 feet above sea level. This particular volcano is only 1/3 out of the water and 2/3 below the surface. There are said to be many, many more active volcanoes in this area that are completely submerged.  The inhabitants on this island mostly lived off the land, raising crops such as figs, capers and grapes.  In 1930, there was a huge eruption and Sunami, which caused the people to leave the island quickly, leaving most of their belongings behind.  Many of these people ended up in Australia.  Today, there are still houses standing abandoned with dishes on the table and clothing on shelves, mostly built into the mountain.  There are eruptions in this volcano, spewing flame, or what appears to be dark smoke billowing into the air, filled with ash.  There is so much ash on the ground that people ski on it as if it was snow......I have seen some absolutely amazing photos!   This volcanic island sits in the deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea. The ship is offering hikes up the mountain to view the activity at close range......sounds like another incredible day!  This has been designated as a World Heritage Site.