Mt. Etna

Yesterday, we didn't really have anything going on so Nate (the other American player), Jordan, & I decided to take a trip up Mt. Etna and see what we could see! First things first, Nate just learned how to drive standard so, the fact that he wanted to drive us up the mountain was slightly scary.

The only way we knew how to get to Etna was by following the brown signs that say Etna. So, that's what we did! They wound us up the mountain through small towns, tightly packed streets, and lots and lots of countryside! We got lost a couple of times, but we always seemed to find our way again. We stopped a couple times on the way up for fantastic photo opportunities like this one below, but for the most part, we kept trekking to the top!



Once we started getting closer to the top, it started getting really, really cold! The signs for Etna also started having little red x's on them . . . wonder what that could mean?! A little while later . . . we found out - it means the road is closed because there's snow and lots of it! Because there was a tire track path in the snow, Nate thought it would be okay to continue on! Since it wasn't our car, Jordan and i didn't object. As we got higher up the mountain, however, it became clear that we weren't going to make it any further. The tire tracks disappeared and we were in full on snow now! Nate thought he could make it up higher, but us Southerners told him it wasn't a good idea. We decided to head back down the mountain . . . until Nate got our car stuck in the snow. Because the sun was starting to set and it was beginning to get really cold, we knew we had to get out of the snow and off the mountain. This little girl got in the driver's seat & floored it while the guys pushed the car from behind. Finally, after turning the wheel every which way, we made it back on to the tire tracks! Jordan walked behind the car and I walked in front while Nate backed the car down the mountain a ways until we got to a less snowy spot! It's always an adventure with our little gang of 3. Hopefully there are more to come that don't involve so much snow!

Ciao Ciao for now!