Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler
In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
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Mt. Etna
Catania, Sicily
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Currency Converter
Mt. Etna is located on the
eastern coast of
Sicily and is the highest active volcano in Europe.
Dominating the city of
Catania, it has reshaped the
surrounding landscape
due to its many eruptions over the centuries.
The height of the volcano’s varies
over time due to these violent lava and ash expulsions, which deposit new material and sometimes cause the
summit to collapse. For instance, in 2021, its height increased by 100 feet in 6-months.
Documented records of this
volcano's explosions are available dating all the way back to 1500BC, and there
are Greek and Roman myths, legends and superstitions regarding Mt. Etna.
Let's take a look.
Countryside leading to Mt. Etna
One of the notable advantages of having Mt.
Etna close by is the deposited volcanic soil, rich in minerals and nutrients
which has supported agriculture for
centuries. Extensive vineyards, olive groves and citrus orchards have spread
across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the
south
Additionally, the unique landscape and geothermal activity associated
with Etna have attracted tourists and spurred economic development.
Mount Etna is one of the world's most active
volcanoes and is in an almost constant state of activity.
There are five distinct craters and more than
300 vents on the flanks. These vents are holes in the ground of various sizes,
and while the summit eruptions can be highly explosive and spectacular to view,
it's the side vents which cause the most damage to the inhabited areas.
A house covered in lava and ash
Etna and its eruptions can be
sudden and destructive. The risk of property damage and loss of life is always
present.
A particularly explosive summit eruption occurred in 122 BCE,
and caused heavy expulsions of rock and ash to fall to the southeast, including the town of Catania.
Many roofs collapsed.
This was so devastating that the Roman
government exempted the
population of Catania from paying taxes for ten years.
Another famous eruption in 1669 produced lava flows that destroyed at least 10 villages on its southern
flank before reaching the city walls of the town of Catania five weeks later. The lava was largely diverted by these walls into the sea, filling the
harbor of Catania.
Billy and Catya
Catya is the Russian host of
our
apartment in Catania, and she drove us up to the volcano in her car.
She and her family like to hike the park area
of Mt. Etna, and some friends of hers own a couple of shops at the Sapienza
Refuge.
There was a time in 2002 where one of Etna's
eruptions threw up a column of ash that could
easily be seen from space and fell as far away as Libya, 370 miles south
across the Mediterranean Sea.
Some of these eruptions have lasted 6 months,
and the Catania airport has
needed to shut down due to lack of visibility and for safety concerns.
Terrazza Deli
Catya drove us up the mountain and dropped us
off here at this deli in the
Sapienza Refuge.
At this altitude, it was quite chilly and
breezy. In fact, the day before, it had snowed!
There are two ski resorts on Etna: one at the Sapienza Refuge, and a smaller one on the north, at Piano Provenzana near
Linguaglossa.
Map showing the distance from the peak to the small Etna Village
Refuge
There are hiking trails, a small tourist
train that takes you farther up the mountain, and there are also overnight treks
to the top.
At the bottom center of this map you can
clearly see the Terrazza Deli marked.
Tourist train
This tourist train was very popular. Our
traveling companion chose to ride it, hoping to see more of the expansive view
from a higher elevation.
It could have been the weather for that day,
but basically, our friend said it was more of the same that we saw at this
Refuge.
The cloud cover, winds and even the
possibility of snow around Etna can change rapidly.
Sundial
As you can see by this sundial, we took the
photo at about 9:30AM.
I'm unclear as to why it only measures time
until 1PM, but perhaps the weather gets darker after this time, or that the
clouds come in...
I really don't have a clue.
The weather surrounding the peak
This gives you a good idea of the weather we
experienced on the day we visited the higher slopes of Mt. Etna.
Clouds rolled in and out, covering the summit
of Etna and exposing it off and on.
Our friend who took the tourist train pretty
much saw the same scenery, except from higher above. The summit did not clear
for him, as it was enshrouded completely in clouds.
Do we recommend you visit Mt. Etna?
Sure!
(But check the weather before you go!)
Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their time, and who doesn’t
want to mindlessly follow the crowd.
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