Day 5
At 4.30 am the group boarded the bus for the last time and settled down for the long journey to Palermo airport. There they boarded flight number Fr7135 which landed safe and sound back in Dublin airport at 13.43. Another hugely successful trip for the geography department and St. Mary’s. Well done to all.
Day 4
Another lie in this morning! On the road for 8 am to visit the Alcantara gorge.
Day 3
A little lie in this morning up at 7 am!! for a walking tour of Catania followed by a visit to the Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology where they carry our research and monitor the volcanoes and earthquakes in the area.
The group drove on to Mt. Etna, boarded the cable car and then hiked up to one of the many craters on Mt Etna.
Oh my goodness how steep was that climb!!!
Ah that’s better
A trip to Forza d’Agro a little town outside Taomina where the Godfather was filmed was the next stop and a well earned visit to a pizzeria.
Day 2
With a very early start on Day 2 the group caught a glimpse of the sun rising.
The group took a boat to Lipari,which is north of Sicily, between Vesuvius and Etna where they did some sightseeing and had lunch They boarded the boat again and headed to the small island of Vulcano. The group hiked up the mountain and had the amazing experience of standing on the edge of the crater. When they returned down the mountain they had a refreshing paddle / dip in the sea.
The teachers and students also had a visit to Lipari Cathedral which is the oldest and largest church in Lipari which is the largest of the Aeolian Islands.
Day 1
Following the flight and the bus journey the group arrived safely at a local farm. The group visited Olive groves, Orange groves and artichoke fields. They had the chance to see the donkeys being milked and to sample some of the milk.
