The Intentional Travelers

Lost In Europe, a Volcano and Diving for Coins

A Short Story

There are times when you experience something that just stays with you. This account involves a couple of things that still remain vivid to this day.

In the 60’s while in the Mediterranean I spent a few days in Taormina, Sicily as part of a group of Navy divers. I think the Navy misplaced us and we were just there waiting to be found. Taormina was a great place to spend time. There were a number of really good places to eat, the people were friendly, the girls pretty and the water was crystal clear. All in all a great place to be lost.

The town had a nice harbor and waterfront and it was protected by a jetty. The harbor side of the jetty had a pier and at the entrance to the pier was a small cafe with outside tables on a patio. On our first day there we spent the evening drinking beer and wine and watching the show from the slopes of Mount Etna, a short distance down the coast. There was a constant and impressive orange, glowing flow of lava down the mountain that was as good as any fireworks show.

While we were in Taormina a cruise ship docked and when it docked we had just been snorkeling off the far side if the jetty. As we were walking back up the pier a few cruise passengers started yelling at us and throwing coins in the water wanting us to dive for the coins. We had no idea who they were but I think it was an Italian Liner, and I think they thought we were locals expecting them to throw the coins. What the heck – we had the gear and there was money being thrown into the sea. Within a half hour or so we had enough to buy our drinks that evening and as we left the pier everybody took pictures and waved as we shouted grazie back. I’m guessing that those passengers didn’t know and would never believe that they were throwing coins to a team of U.S. Navy divers and I bet a few pictures of those local divers made into a scrapbook or two. A couple of days later we repeated the exercise for a second cruise ship.

We really enjoyed the snorkeling while there and while there weren’t the coral reefs we were used to there was a lot of sea life around. Against recommended practice we had not really looked at charts of the area but we were just doing shallow water snorkeling anyway. On an afternoon we started swimming out toward the Mount Etna coast and as we cleared the Taormina area a number of large swells started moving in. The next thing we knew we were swimming through an area of shallow water with a number of large rocks and as the swells rolled in the rocks went from three feet under water to explosively erupting from the sea. Everywhere we swam there were explosions of foam in the water around us and we feared getting slammed into a rock as it broke violently from the water. For safety we pointed ourselves straight out to deeper water. Within about fifty yards the impression was that everything was getting dark around us and looking down we realized that the entire seafloor was dropping straight into an abyss. While it never mattered before if the water beneath me was 30 feet or 3,000 feet, this experience was literally disorienting. Like I was seeing the world drop away below.

In looking into it later we discovered we had been swimming over where the tectonic plate of North Africa was plunging under the European plate and that resulted in an ocean trench dropping quickly to 10,000 feet. It was also the reason a volcano sat a short distance away on the coast.

As we travel the world in recent years I have wanted to get back to Taormina, Sicily and spend an evening near that pier drinking a glass or two of wine while watching Etna put on her show in the distance. Being an avid cruiser I would bet they don’t throw coins to local divers any more though.

Also if you happen to go on a Mediterranean cruise that goes down the west coast of Italy toward the Straights of Messina keep an eye out for the island of Stromboli about 30 miles north of the straights. The island is home to Etna’s sister, another active volcano which has always surprised me as there are two towns sitting there between the Devil and the deep blue sea.

Without going into details about the operation we were supposed to be involved in I was part of a Navy group in the Mediterranean in the 60’s that the Navy lost track of. It seems we were supposed to be sent to Torremolinos, Spain but because some clerk got confused by the names, we ended up being sent to Taormina, Sicily with nobody near to report to. Again, sometimes it isn’t bad getting lost.

Just One Day In Rome

An essential guide to seeing the major sights of Rome when you only have a few hours. The Vatican, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, The Roman Forum and Colosseum.

The eight hour tour to the sights of Rome.

The eight hour tour to the sights of Rome with the Metro

Seeing Rome - Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Via Veneto

Seeing Rome - Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Via Veneto

Seeing Rome - Arch of Titus, Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Via Veneto, Trevi

Click this map to download a pdf copy to save or print

Transportation In Rome, The Port – Part 2

Cruising out of Rome and how to get to the port of Civitavecchia. Trains, buses, taxis and getting to the port shuttle area.

train station Civitavecchia from Fumicino Airport

Civitavecchia by train from Fumicino Airport

train station in Civitavecchia to the port shuttles

Transportation In Rome Part 1

Flying into Rome and getting from Fiumicino Airport by the Metro, bus, train and taxi into central Rome.

buses from Fiumicino Airport to central Rome

The Leonardo Express, Rome from airport to central Rome

Packing To Travel – Suitcases & Backpacks

One of your more important travel accessories is your luggage. Choosing wisely.

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It was while traveling in Italy and not being able to lift our new oversized suitcases up into the train’s overhead rack that we realized we hadn’t thought through our new choice in luggage. Overnight or carry-on sizes, hard-side or soft, wheels or spinners, luggage, duffle or backpack; whatever your choice think about those situations you might encounter as you travel.

What we have come to in recent years is simply traveling lighter. Our current preference for even long trips is to travel with two carry-on sized suitcases and two backpacks. My wife carries a small backpack that can fit under an airplane seat and I use a heavy duty pack (mil-spec) with a collection of molle pouches that can be added or taken off depending on the trip. We pack cloths that can be easily rinsed out in a sink and dry fast and we are always evaluating our travel electronics looking for dual-purpose accessories. We still, on occasion, get both carry-ons and backpacks inside the airplane but we’re ready if that isn’t possible.

Luggage and air travel is getting harder every year and it isn’t likely to get any better. One of our biggest fears on international trips is arriving and discovering our bag(s) didn’t and that has happened more than once. For that reason alone we do a lot to avoid checking our bags but unfortunately so does everyone else. That makes airplane overhead bin space stressful to try and get into. While our preference is to skip checking a bag whenever possible it is getting more difficult. Understanding that we will often still have to check a bag or two we now pack considering the loss a possibility. No more his and her suitcases but splitting the packed items. We also “survival” pack our carry-on backpacks with clothes that will last a couple of days.

Soft or Hard?

We learned a long time ago that those gorillas pictured in the American Tourister commercials are still handling baggage and they are so skilled at destruction that hard suitcases aren’t much better protection than soft. On a couple of trips we got lessons on the real advantage of hard-side suitcases – they repel water much better. On one trip we sat on a plane looking out at our luggage sitting on an open luggage cart for twenty minutes in a torrential downpour.

Large or Small?

It’s already been pointed out some of the advantages of small over large. First carry-ons help eliminate the concern of missing bags and a carry-on bag is also much easier to handle. Becoming a professional packer allows you to squeeze more into a small space and you can stop worrying about weight limits at check-in like you do with a larger bag. There’s also no weight limit for carry-ons – lead bars are okay provided you can lift them.

Domestic versus International Sizes

The size limits are not international. There are a few inches of difference between carry-on luggage dimensions. Most domestic U.S. flights adhere to carry-on suitcases of 22″ x 14″ x 9″ maximum. Because of metric identification many international flights use 21 inches instead. If you do some travel outside the U.S. select the smaller size, especially since luggage rules can be a bit more strict, especially with budget carriers.

Two-wheel versus Spinner Luggage

Believe it or not there have been studies on the use of each type. Spinner luggage uses four multidirectional wheels and the bag is mostly carried standing up as you walk wheeling your bag beside you instead of dragging it behind. While wheels on two-wheeled bags will usually allow an extra inch or two in actual bag interior height, spinners are easier to navigate through tight spaces.

Backpacks versus Carry-Ons

While we are nervous about checking our backpacks we think they have a number of advantages over suitcases. Foremost is they are easier to carry. My wife gives me a hard time when mine hits forty pounds even though I’ve spent some of my life carrying much heavier backpacks for serious distances. Also when we can’t get access to an overhead bin the smaller packs can get shoved up under a seat where a suitcase won’t fit. Those extra outside pockets on backpacks also come in handy when on the move.

Carry-ons do have the advantage in being sturdier and do provide better security than packs. They also allow better peace of mind in the event they get checked and are easier for those that aren’t up to carrying around the weight.

MORE TIPS ON PACKING