23. Straight of Messina and Volcano Island

The main attraction of Tuesday, our 2nd Sea Day, was the mid-day passage of the Strait of Messina. The narrow passageway between the boot of Italy and the island of Sicily is so narrow that it requires a harbor pilot to come aboard major vessels to navigate the sea lane between the two countries of Italy and Sicily. It was explained that the area is so narrow, and the tides of the Mediterranean are so powerful, that it is a treacherous passage especially for small boats. In the forward lounge of the ship, with a wonderful panoramic view to the front of the ship, a lecturer gave an interesting presentation on the history and the physical characteristics of this passage. A series of huge whirlpools is evident between the ship and Sicily. An ancient tradition held the belief that these areas of troubled waters provided an entryway into the underworld, likely a reflection of the fear that was elicited by the natural, and actual dangers of this very treacherous passageway. The bright sunlight and clear skies are giving us beautiful pictures of this Sea Day as we spend our last day on the ship sailing up the western coast of Italy toward the Port of Rome. The late Fall cool temperatures and the stiff breeze are bringing out the jackets and scarves for walking on deck. Still, our cool breezes are of little comparison to the news of Hurricane Sandy that we continue to follow on our cabin TV. Later in the afternoon, we sailed between the coast of Italy and their only active volcano, Stomboli Island. We will leave the ship on Wednesday at the Port City of Civitivecchia and be transported by bus into the central city of Rome and dropped off at our hotel near the Vatican. We will then have another free day in Rome before our flight home on Friday. It’s hard to imagine that our travel adventure is drawing to a close.