Mt. Etna

This is a photo from a 2011 eruption

Last Tuesday, February 16th, Mt. Etna erupted in a strombolian explosion, which is one with relatively mild blasts (like the nearby Stromboli volcano off the north coast of Sicily).  On the 18th it erupted again in the southeast crater.  Go-Etna, an organization that offers excursions of Mt. Etna, describes the eruptions.  Perhaps Overseas Adventure Travel will revisit its decision to relocate our stay in eastern Sicily from Catania to Zafferana Etnea on the southeastern flank of the volcano.  The village of Pedara that was struck by the volcanic stones ejected is only 10 kilometers south of Zafferana and Zafferana was the epicenter of a recent (2/11/21) earthquake of magnitude 3, preceding the eruptions.  So which is worse?  The volcano or COVID 19?  As you might guess, I am rooting for a return to our accommodations in Catania.