New-York tribune., 1909-07-25
A TOUR ROUND ETNA.-
One Of the Least Known, but Most Beautiful
Trips in Sicily

1IlpS III
The tour which the King and Queen made round
Etna is OF the most beautiful and interesting
well the least known In Sicily. The light
omnibus steam tram goes straight uphill from
Giarre through olive woods, groves of lemon trees
loaded at this season with the pale. waxy fruit
set round with ivory blossoms-and orange trees
with of red gold oranges. says The Pail
Mall Gazette" The air is heavy with the scent
OF white cloves. and the railway banks ablaze
with mesembryanthemum. great pink flowers
the size of saucers. Along the railway the old
road-that road which Hamicar followed four hun
dred years before the Christian era and where
Charles and his armies marched in 1884 A. d
Old. old towns remain which thier passing.
The yellow brown mediseval towers OF CastiglIone
stand out against the deep blue ravine OF the Al
cantara Valley. Palermo recalls the Saracen raw
ages everywhere from time to time a hideous tor
rent OF petrifed lava reminds OF the other
with which these fair familiar.
The highest town upon the mountain slopes is
Randazzo. though so close to the crater, has al
ways escaped destruction 1t was an important
place In the Middle Ages, asd the tall spikes
IT'S ducal palace still tell where many a noble
scilian head has mouldered away The green cop
per domes CT its churches interspersed with taI
The women and girls wear shawls drawn over their
heads Of a coarse cream woolen stuff, which look
very picturesque In the back streets. The people
are passionately religious, and In Holy Week the
sion OF the Dead Christ when the priests in sor-
geous vestments. the various suiids and the con,
with wang music through the narrow streets and
round the wild countryside bearing in their midst
the silent image under q canopy.
The country, as the railway winds up above Ran
dazzo is one sheet of lava. The petrined food
extends all sides, and 1t is difficult to believe
that swishing torrent is really hard and still
woodspurge has grown up among It, and the flowers
have taken rich colors of yellow and orange and
crimson the iron in the SOIL In startling
contrast TO the black masses behind which stretch
away the purple slopes till they reach the snowy
cone, and behold Etna enthronsd In all her
glory. AS the train reaches the highest point and
begins TO go rapidly down. IL passes Bronts. the
station for Maniace. the castle and estate which
Ferdinand " presented 10 Lord Nelson, and which
is still the property OF his descendants.
At one station group OF peasants are assembled
to bid farewell to a young eInigrant; such hand
cIasu.nss and kisses both cheeks the poor boy
stands sobbing the platform at the back Of the
train and looks long TO get the last glimpse or his
mountains. IF he makes money he VIII come back
to build a tiny house and end his days under the
shadow of Etna- Every mile of the country has
historical associations Below Maletto, the Greek
general, MANAGES. helped by Harald Hardrada.
man castle still stands at Aderno, and IL In
ancient days was the Temple or Hardranos, guard
ed by s~thousand dogs
The railway rolls down 10 the rich warm air and
senli-t tropical vegetation Lemon orchards and
geraniurns hedges smile round bright Catania, but
even among the white villas and fragrant gardens
the traveller Is aware OF that dark presence that
serpent's course, which has followed them from
those far-on heights TO the very edge OF the land
and is only lost sight beneath the peacock blue
waters of the Sciiian Sea.