Sì, Silly Sicily: Gorge(ous)!
No wonder these two sound so similar; they were both adapted from French. Yet the journey into contemporary English vocabulary was even more peculiar than our own journey to Gole dell'Alcantara—yes, the gorgeous Alcantara Gorge. Not that the Mediterranean Sea could ever bore us—no way. It’s just that sometimes, traveling with me simply has to get a bit more Czechy, so that I’m allowed to return to my homeland after showing some hiking pictures at immigration (and reporting on the local beers; but that’s a completely different story). I could easily lose my citizenship otherwise!
So, after a proper breakfast on one carefully chosen morning, we risked that dreaded bus lottery once again. And we hit the jackpot! One of the rogue wandering buses arrived just before we were about to pitch a tent at the stop, and it was even headed almost in our direction. True, the driver then changed his mind and decided to terminate his ride, or perhaps even his shift, at some depot in the middle of nowhere, yet we could at least hop on another bus—along with everyone from the original one (so why switch buses at all?)—that finally took us to our destination.
And now for the gorge. It’s a victim of an epic battle between the elements, fire and water (in the form of ice perhaps). Several thousand years ago, Mount Etna blasted a massive lava flow in this direction. The volcano’s still active, by the way. And no, we didn’t hike up there this time. When lava met the Alcantara River, it cooled extremely quickly, experiencing thermal shock. When I say extremely quickly, I mean from a geological point of view—it likely took weeks, or rather months.
Lava streams solidifying in rivers or lakes, or even in the sea, that’s nothing special, you might argue. True, but the gorge remains unique for its perfectly shaped hexagonal basalt columns that are often compared to giant organ pipes, and not just by Catholic Italians. The molten rock cooled down from two sides—from the surface, which was exposed to cool air and rain, and from the bottom dipped in the cold water. The cooling basalt shrank, and eventually began to crack, creating this structure. And it looks quite impressive indeed!
Funny fishermen’s wading pants tour.
Apart from roaming the riverbed (you can try body-rafting or take a guided tour in those funny fishermen’s wading pants, or just walk it yourself, as we did), the reserve boasts a botanical garden guarded by cute tortoises. Oh, and there’s a pretty neat gelato shop too—as you might recall ;) Still, for me, nothing beats a dip in the icy waters and a walk through the gorge. No wonder @honeydue has a series of shots named “Godfish touching rocks and babbling about them,” while I captured her balancing in several icy yoga poses on the slippery rocks.
Stay tuned for the rest of the Sicilian series!
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Thanks, Mick ;)
Haha, the ladies in the bikinis were probably like get a load of these tourists! It looks like a beautiful area. My wife wants to visit Italy one day, but I don't know if we will ever have the funds or time to make it there. I hope for her sake we can, but we will see. I've seen your post from Sicily and the South America ones. Which area do you prefer more?
Italy is not that expensive for traveling :) What would be your budget if you dared that trip?
I loved Brazil, for it is way more rare to me. This was like my 15th stay in Italy ;) although most of them were skiing trips on the north of the country.
Ah, okay. I'd probably only have a couple thousand to spend and I think the airfare would eat at all of that up and then some.
I guess you can have a return flight for two for some $1k in total ;)
The touching rock series is pretty priceless, to be fair. :) Was wondering if I'd see one here. But no such luck.
They remain safe in your private collection :) Besides, I can touch rocks someplace else! Like in Divoká Šárka :)
Sure, touch away. :))
I saw basalt columns for the first time here in Armenia recently. The process of their formation is really fascinating. Really puts things into perspective regarding time and how fragile everything is.
Are there active volcanoes in Armenia?
Apparently there are five. And they haven't erupted in a long time. But the region itself is also riddled with tectonic plates and mountains. So there are probably many more around the country and leading up around the Caucasus mountains. Also Iran.
Wow, didn't know that! Well, Armenia is still on my travel list, yet not really on the peak :)
Wow! Nature’s masterpiece, those hexagonal basalt columns! Amazing!😱
I thought this was neat until I saw how damn big the gorge is! I suppose that’s why they call it that but looking at all the tiny people, you get a sense of the size of the lava flow and start to imagine how it seemed like the end of the world for the region back then.
Love seeing people around the world get up and out for some natural adventure
Thanks for taking us along with you old friend!
Yep, the height was quite unexpected, you even take a lift to get down there. I'm glad we took this trip :)
Thanks for stopping by :)
Hiya, @glecerioberto here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2706.
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Thanks!
You are very welcome @godfish! it was well deserved. ☀️
We are already looking forward to reading more about your adventures!
Man, this place is huge! First photo is one of the most impressive photos I've ever seen. It looks like an authentic building wall, but it's completely natural. I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of the adventure. Be careful and don't fall because the water looks slippery :)
We did survive the slippery rocks, unlike some clumsier people around :)
Stay tuned then, I have several more posts from this vacation :)
Sometimes these kinds of trips, without much planning or waiting, are the best, and you prove it with this story you tell us, supported by some spectacular images that we definitely appreciate!
Dude, the bot that comments on your behalf seems to be broken.
I don't understand. I don't use any bots.
Maybe the translation I used through Google Translate wasn't efficient.
Strange. It seemed this accounts comments faster than a person could actually read the posts. And at least in this case, quite strange. Like if you haven't read the post. What did you try to say then about that waiting and planning? We even had a tent!
I usually take a while to comment on posts because I'm more often online during the early morning hours, but I happened to be online all morning today and saw your post, read it, and commented right away.
What was I trying to say then about waiting and planning? Well, I was referring to the fact that, as you mentioned about the trip, everything ultimately happened outside of any planning you might have had, and that's why I thought about how many times a trip like this is better to enjoy it much more fully.
The way this place has been created is absolutely marvellous. Your description of the process, leading up to the result we see today in your photographs, is truly astonishing. I am particularly struck by the colour of the rocks and, even more so, by their diverse shapes, as if they were truly an organ reaching up to the sky. What's more, within the rocks themselves you can see shapes resembling faces. I don't know if you've seen them, but they're incredible.
As I looked at each of the photos and read your words, I imagined it was a large tunnel forming a portal to that other beautiful side, that garden full of greenery and life. Nature never ceases to amaze me. I was fascinated by this place, thank you for bringing it to us. Best regards!
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I'm glad you enjoyed the post :) Thanks for curating it!
I enjoyed it very much, it's excellent and the place is paradise. Thank you to you.🤗
I see a woman in a bikini... It looks like the fishermen's tour knows something about the water that others don't? 😂
It was cold, or it was something more than that? 😃
It was pretty cold, especially compared to the sea :) And the people in wading pants only paid a bit extra for that tour. Some €30 or so ;)
What a perfect life .this is just mesmerizing.
What a superb adventure, earth telling it's own story over time. Congratulations being found on Around The World with @bucipuci sharing the magic found on Hive.
I'm glad you liked the post. Stay tuned, I have few more stories to share from this Sicilian vacation :)
Rocks and gorges really capture on breath going through them.
True, especially these gigantic ones :)