Mount Etna as seen from the plane, arriving to Catania. The first high point of the conference...
We were warned that in Italy, luggage may occasionally diappear. Therefore, it is natural that you
draw a sigh of relief when you see your own belongings being unloaded.
My hotel is in Piazza Stesicoro, where a roman amphiteatre is an import feature
A peaceful sunday in Catania
Together with my colleagues, Dan Mønster and Helle Meldgaard, we hired a taxi to take us to Mount Etna
Parts of the mountain is covered with a lush green mix of fields, flowers and trees
whereas other parts are covered by lava flows where nothing is growing yet
When Etna erupts, it is not limited to a single crater. Rather, smaller ones
are scattered around on the slopes. In earlier times, it has even cracked open
in the Catania city area.
The upper parts of Etna are a mix of rock, lava, dirt, snow and dirty snow.
It takes quite a bit of logistics to get to te top: Driving 35km, then taking the funicular (cable lift) and
at the end of that, you take these off-road cars.
The bus ride itself is more daunting than a roller coaster.
"Bumpy" does not describe it...
This house used to be two floors high.
Now there is just coming steam out of what used to be a window.
"My fellow scientist, what do you reckon this whitish substance could be?"
When you get out of the bus, you have to walk in what feels like sub-zero temperatures.
This crater hole is alegedly 60 metres deep. I take the guide's word for it!
Various chemicals give the ground fantastic colours
The show melts in this peculiar way because it is under attack from both sides. From the sun above and the hot ground below.
Standing here, you feel a bit like the Mars Pathfinder.
Another "ethnic" landscape (sorry - I couldn't resist it)
My sporting colleague Dan Mønster, who is not overdressed for the occasion.
As a preamble to the speakers' reception, TERENA had organised a
guided sightseeing walk in the city centre. Here, we see the town hall.
The south face of the Piazza di Duomo.
Il Duomo itself
The elephant is the sign of Catania. This statue is really a mix of epochs
and cultures. The elephant is from the roman era (part of circus decorations),
the obelisque is Egyptian (Isis) and the rest is baroque.
Once a year, these contraptions are carried in procession through town. Each trade has it's own: bakers, winemakers etc
Charity is electrified. A smart combination of charity, absolution and lower cleaning costs.
The guide takes our group through streets, packed with chrurches, monasteries and other nice buildings.
The old university building
The speakers' reception is held at a roof terrace, from where there is view in many direction. Here, we have the harbour.
The top of il Duomo
Via Etnea - the main street of Catania
John Dyer and Bert van Pinxteren from TERENA
Ingrid Melve from Uninett, telling the story of her life (or something similar)
A nice selection of snack-style food is available
Bert calls for everyone's attention,
because it is time for the traditional roll call from Carol de Groot.
She ends by urging everyone to upload their slides...
In the middle, we have Mr. Video from Holland himself: Egon Verharen.
Piazza di Duomo
Sunset over Catania - it is just as nice as it looks!
When evening falls, the fog around Etna lifts, so you can see how Catania
lies just ajacent to the volcano.
Danish colleagues spotted in McDonalds: Peter Juul from UNI-C and Henrik Wessing from the Danish Technical University.
The view from my hotel room over Piazza Stesicoro. It seems, that if you
are young in Catania, you need to have a moped, and you need to be out in town.
Martin Bech