Around the Etna with the Old "littorina"

The Circumetnea railroad was built in Sicily between 1895 and 1898, to connect Catania and Riposto by going around Mount Etna. Novelist Edmondo De Amicis probably described it best in his “Memories of a Sicilian Journey”, after he travelled

the 111 kilometers by train in the early 1900s. 

Marina di Cottone in the storm

Autmn in Marina di Cottone's beach 

A vortex in the sky - Photo by Angelo T. La Spina



available for sale here:https://500px.com/photo/88181379/vortex-by-angelo-la-spina

The storm is coming... Photo by Angelo T. La Spina

The storm is coming... Photo by Angelo T. La Spina


high resolution version: https://500px.com/.../the-storm-is-gone-by-angelo-la-spina

A weird building on Marina di Cottone's beach (Oct 24th, 2014)

Papyrus and art in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia

The papyrus plant, which usually grows on the banks of the Nile, thanks to the extraordinary natural conditions of the river Fiumefreddo, also grows in our Nature Reserve, the only case in Europe along with Syracuse.

In our area the artist Michele Patanè carries on the tradition of making this extraordinary plant, creating paintings and drawings on papyrus paper. In addition, the artist in his workshop organized in years some courses for schools about techniques for transforming the plant of papyrus in paper.

Michele Patanè realized the precious  "Spermaratona dell'Etna" s' Medal on Papyrus paper, for the international competition.  Every piece was unique, being made by hand.  We suggest to visit the Laboratory!

Fiumefreddo Natural Reserve

The Natural Reserve of the river Fiumefreddo is the only case in Europe (along with Syracuse) where, thanks to the extraordinary conditions of the place, the papyrus plant grows and reproduces.

The river Fiumefreddo is known for its rather cold and clear water throughout the year (12-13°C in summer), which slowly flowing oxygen allows the formation of a unique and spectacular river environment in Sicily.

The river is fed by spring waters from the north-eastern slope of Mount Etna and runs for just 2 km along a very lush and fertile plain planted with orchards and vegetable gardens. The main sources are the so calledQuadara Grande, which actually consists of a set of small springs and so named because of  the reminiscent of that of boiling cauldrons (''Quadare" in Sicilian dialect) similar to the bubbling of the water, and that one called Capo dell'acqua, placed farthest from the sea, which has a lower flow rate and feeds a collateral branch of the river.

In particular, it is very rich in flora that it owns aquatic and  riparian rare species or not present in other areas of Sicily. The hydric vegetation includes the brush buttercup, the pondweed, the water celery, the sparganium erectum, the pond water starwort, the watercress, the water mint and thewater speedwell.