Mount Etna stands watch over the ancient Greek theatre of Taormina, Sicily. Mount Etna erupted seven times during the last two weeks.
Happy March!
The first day of spring is just two-and-a-half weeks away. So what’s new on the Europe travel front?
The big travel news this week comes from Swiss International Airlines. Swiss Air plans to start expanding services again including the reopening of the Zurich-Miami (Florida) route from March 28th onward, the Zurich-Boston route on May 1st, and Zurich-Los Angeles on May 2nd.
Does this mean that Europe is opening up? Not quite. On February 25th Swiss Air announced that they do not expect to see any tangible resumption of air travel activity until mid-summer at the earliest. Airlines spend a lot of time trying to predict the future, so this offers a pretty good picture of Europe travel at the moment.
That said, here are some interesting happenings in Europe.
Happy Chalandamarz!
Chalandamarz is an ancient tradition in the Swiss canton of Graubünden that marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. This festival, celebrated annually on the first of March, is unique to the Romansh and Italian-speaking parts of Graubünden. The Engadine valley in particular is a great place to see Chalandamarz in full effect.
Many European cultures have some form of ritual for chasing away the darkness of winter. In Graubünden, the boys of each village sing and parade through the streets ringing bells as they go. Some of the bells are quite enormous and create a sonorous racket. There’s also a bit of whip cracking and some good partying and dancing too. The oldest boys in the village often lead the procession. The object is to scare away the evil spirits of winter and welcome the good spirits of spring.
One of the best villages for witnessing the ancient tradition of Chalandamarz is the village of Guarda in the lower Engadine. The boys wear a blue coat, a bright red cap with tassle, and a red kerchief wrapped around the neck. The boys affix an enormous bell around their arms and torso with the largest bells sticking straight out from their chests. The bells bang and clank as they shake back and forth. The oldest boys carry the largest bells.
If you’d like to learn more about this fascinating tradition then check out the children’s book A Bell for Ursli by Selina Chönz and Alois Carigiet (Illustrator). It’s the story of a young boy from Guarda named Ursli. He needs a cowbell to lead the procession through his village so he heads to his family’s chalet in the Alps and has a life-changing experience. The book is available in multiple languages.
Happy Chalandamarz, dear friends!
Europe’s Most Active Volcano, Mount Etna, Erupts Seven Times in Two Weeks
Mount Etna, a regularly active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, is really putting on a show right now with seven eruptions in the last two weeks. The first eruption occurred on February 16th, with spurts of activity ever since. Nearby residents report rocks falling from the sky and ash in the streets. Our prayers go out to those impacted by the eruption. Imagine having to deal with COVID and a volcano too!
On a positive note: The ash from the volcano is precisely the reason that the lower slopes of Mount Etna are so fertile. Vineyards, orchards and rich gardens cover the lower slopes and are worth visiting when Mt. Etna feels less cantankerous.
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