Europe's tallest and most active volcano Mount Etna located on the isle of Sicily has erupted for the first time this year releasing bursts of lava, hot ash and gas into the sky. Fortunately there were no risks for the local population as the lava flowed into an uninhabited valley but some ash blew over a couple of the nearby towns.

Sicily has so many attractions and Etna is one of them. She's on our list to visit but for now with movement restrictions we will just have to be patient, wait and continue to dream of travel.

about Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily. The name is derived from the Greek Aitne, loosely translated as, "I burn." With its top-most elevation touching 10,900 feet (3,320 metres), Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. As is true of most volcano sites' topography, Mount Etna's height increases from deposition during eruptions and decreases from the periodic collapse of the crater's rim. It seems to have lost about 170 feet (52 metres) in summit height between 185 and the early 21st century.

Unable to know the scientific reasons and processes of the complex plate tectonics and Earth's crust and mantle etc, the ancient Greeks wove legends around the eruptions of this ancient volcano. The Greeks in ancient times believed that it was the workshop of Hephaestus and the Cyclops or that underneath it the giant Typhon lay, making the Earth tremble when he turned.

Among all the world's volcanoes, Mount Etna has the longest recorded history of eruptions, dating back to 1500 B.C. Since then, the volcano has erupted about 200 times and has been very active in recent decades. (extract taken from www.timesnownews.com)