All language subtitles for Amazing.Railway.Adventures.with.Nick.Knowles.S02E02.1080p.HEVC.x265-MeGusta[eztv.re]

Welcome to a brand-new series
of amazing Railway Adventures.

I'm setting off across the world

'on a series of stunning
railway journeys.'

Looking over the driver's shoulder,
getting the best view.

I think this might be my favourite
railway station ever.

Travelling through fantastic
landscapes...

The village looks like Toytown,
it's magnificent.

...via some frankly gobsmacking
feats of engineering.

I've never seen anything like this,
have you?

I just moved an entire steam engine.
That was amazing!

'Tasting the ultimate in luxury.'

You know, there are times
doing this job

where I just want to pinch myself.

Meeting all kinds of people.

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

First time in my life that
I'm decorating a cake in a train.

That's just great!

Grazie Mille.
Prego.

THEY LAUGH

These are my amazing
Railway Adventures.

WHISTLE BLOWS
Let's go!

Are we going backwards? Oh!
THEY LAUGH

TRAIN HORN HOOTS

This time, I'm in Italy.

Home to a rail network
of over 15,000 miles.

I have to say, I love Italy.

And this is a great way to see it,
by train.

On my journey south,
it's a first for me.

I'm crossing the sea by train.

I've never seen anything like this,
have you? Isn't it incredible?

'I learn to make limoncello
that packs a punch...'

What percentage alcohol is this?
Its 96%.

96%?

HE CHUCKLES
It's fine?

It's literally just
cleared my sinuses out, that.

'..Attempt a volcano mission
that almost ends in disaster.'

Quite frankly, that was one of

the most terrifying things
I've ever done.

And finally get to see
Mount Etna up close.

She's finally come out to say,
"Hello." Mount Etna.

That's the best view I've had in
the whole time I've been on Sicily.

Oh, that's massively exciting.

But my journey begins here,

in southern Italy's
unofficial capital and

the birthplace of
the Italian railway.

That is the industrial city
of Naples.

Looking out over
a glittering bay and,

hidden slightly by the cloud,
is Mount Vesuvius,

the only active volcano
in mainland Europe.

And I'm traveling from here
down to Sicily and Mount Etna,

which is one of the most-active
volcanoes anywhere in the world.

Which is why I am calling
this journey The Volcano Express.

But first, I got a bit of time
to explore this vibrant city.

Naples is the third-largest city
in Italy,

with a population of almost
one million people.

And, as far as I can tell,
they're all football fans.

On the day I arrive,
there's a huge Napoli match

and everywhere I look
there are footballs shirts,

flags and, of course,

their most-famous player,
Diego Maradona.

Nicknamed GLli Azzurri, or The Blues,

the team's turquoise shirts
represent the waters of

the Gulf of Naples.

So, you know that Napoli
is famous for its pizzas,

but, more recently, because
the city's obsessed with football,

light blue,
they've invented this new roll.

Let me show you, it's nuts.

HE CHUCKLES
Blue food!

Doesn't taste blue.

That's a great breakfast.

Right.

Breakfast sorted,
I head below ground to join

the rush-hour commuters waiting for
the city's Metropolitan Line.

Popular, innit?

Here we go.

And we're underway.

From Naples, I'm heading south,
travelling along

the world-famous Amalfi Coast,
down into the toe of Italy

and finally to Sicily, where my
second volcano, Mount Etna, awaits.

The first leg of my
360-mile journey begins here,

on a track which dates back to 1839.

This little first stretch of line
was in fact

the site of the first railway line
in the whole of Italy.

It was for Ferdinand Il to go
from Naples to Portici,

which was a palace that he had
down by the seaside.

The rails were made of British Steel

and the first engine to travel on it
was from Northumbria.

Pretty cool, huh?

Today, this is part of
the Metropolitan line

that runs around Vesuvius.

CROWDS SCREAM

Vesuvius is considered among
the most dangerous volcanoes in

the world.

Eight major explosive eruptions
have taken place in

the last 17,000 years.

But the most-famous eruption of all
happened in 79 AD,

and gave us
an incredibly significant

Roman archaeological site...
Pompeii!

Just 30 minutes into my journey
and we're going right past it.

When the great eruption happened
at Vesuvius in the year 79,

the ash buried Pompeii,

but another town nearby was buried,
too - Herculaneum.

And archaeologists have found
some extraordinary things there.

I'm meeting
Professor Gianluca Del Mastro from

the University Of Campania
to tell me all about it.

Gianluca.
Hi.

You are a papyrologist.
Yes, I am a papyrologist.

The first one I've ever met,
so, what do you do?

I study papyri from Egypt,
but especially from Herculaneum,

because from Herculaneum come

the most-important library
from antiquity.

The papyrus scrolls discovered there

were buried under 60 feet
of mud and ash.

And many were completely carbonised
by the heat of the volcanic debris.

Presumably, you can't see anything,

these papyri, if they were burnt
and covered, then...

Yes, yes, papyri were completely
crushed and folded

and it was very difficult at
the beginning,

in the 18th century, to open that.

You can open this?
Yes!

Using x-ray computer tomography,

experts have been able to digitally
unwrap a small number,

revealing secrets from
the Romans and ancient Greeks.

And what information
are you finding?

What's on the papyrus?
What's it talking about?

Recently, we found papyrus
in which there is...

There are a fragment of
the Roman history.

And there is also poems.

And the ancient Latin poems
never read before.

But there are still hundreds
of scrolls

whose contents remain a mystery.

Results from the scans
have produced a muddle of text,

which experts believe could be
deciphered with the right software.

And there's a global challenge
to design it, with a cash prize.

Tell me about this million-dollar
prize, what's that for?

The Vesuvius prize?
It's a very important challenge.

At the moment,
we are able to read some letters,

some fragment of words.
But not complete phrases.

Thanks to the challenge
and thanks to the collaboration

of scholars all around the world,

we are sure to obtain the complete
texts, complete columns of papyrus.

And the winning team
gets $1 million.

Not a bad incentive, eh?

So, if these people who are writing
this mathematical algorithm

manage to unscramble these papyrus,
you will be able to read them?

Yes, I hope that somebody will win
the challenge. Succeed!

Yeah.
Well, that's very exciting.

Yes, for us, it will be a new life.

Yeah.
A new perspective, yes.

I think it's amazing, I think it's
absolutely fascinating work you do.

I can't wait to see what it is
that you find out about.

Just over an hour into my journey,

the train arrives at
my first destination.

This is Vietri Sul Mare,
which is on the Amalfi Coast,

one of the most beautiful coastlines
you will see anywhere in the world.

Now, my train doesn't go any further
in the direction I want to go and,

to get to my next stop, I need
a different form of transport.

And I've come up with
something pretty cute.

For zipping along this glamorous
stretch of coastline,

I'm going to need a pretty cool car.

You might be thinking Ferrari...

or maybe even Lamborghini...

...but my vehicle of choice
for today's trip is

the grandchild of another icon
of Italian motoring history.

QUIET HONKING

The bubble car!

MUSIC: 'Flower Duet'
by Leo Delibes

This is the Microlino.
Or ME-crolino.

And I've got to tell you,
it's enormous fun.

It is a modern-day bubble car.

And I'm driving it on
the Amalfi Coast.

HE CHUCKLES
How amazing is this?

Originally launched as the Isetta in
the 1950s,

these tiny cars caused quite a stir

and were made famous by
celebrity owners like Cary Grant,

Elvis Presley
and even Sir Stirling Moss.

Today's incarnation,

the Microlino is the brainchild
of Swiss entrepreneur Wim Ouboter.

They only started making
these in Turin in 2022.

I'm one of the first people to be
able to drive it...

...and it's fulfilled
a lifelong ambition.

Always wanted a bubble car!

Whizzy little things, too.
This is so Italian and fantastic.

HE CHUCKLES

Now, this is a very tight road, but,
look at that, no problem at all.

Big van, tiny car.
HE CHUCKLES

What a vehicle to do Italy in.

You'll get every side street,

you can go up every tiny,
little alleyway.

It's just... so joyful!

Wow, look at the view!

This is the Amalfi Coast.

And what better way to see it?

Bellissima, che Bella vista!

On the next leg of
my Italian adventure,

I learn to make limoncello
that packs a punch.

What percentage alcohol as this?
It's 96%.

96%?

HE LAUGHS
It's fine?

It's... literally just cleared
my sinuses out, that.

And our sample food that helps
many coastal dwellers live

well into their 80s,
90s and even their 100s.

SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN

I'm not very good at rolling,
am I?

THEY LAUGH

That's a bit of a mess,
that, isn't it, really?

THEY LAUGH

The glamour of the Amalfi Coast
has been attracting

the likes of royalty, artists,

pop stars and movie icons
for centuries.

And I want to find out why.

I parked the car,
because no vehicles are allowed in

the centre of Ravello, this village.

And I've come to see one of
the finest five-star hotels on

the Amalfi Coast.
I've even tidied myself up a bit.

Once a 12th century private villa
for an Italian noble family,

Palazzo Avino opened as
a hotel in 1997.

Today, I'm meeting owner Marietta,

who is going to give me
an exclusive tour.

Marietta.
Nick, benvenuto.

I'm so excited to be here
at Palazzo...

Avino.
Avino.

Oh, it's wonderful.
It looks wonderful.

Come and have a look at the view.

The hotel is perched high on the
cliffs above the town of Ravello.

What a view!

It's extraordinary, isn't it?

Such a beautiful,
beautiful building.

Do you get famous people come
and stay here? Yes.

You do?
Yes.

Anybody you could tell me?
No!

THEY LAUGH
That's a secret!

But, absolutely, over the years,

Ravello has been a destination
for famous guests, famous artists,

famous writers.

I'm excited to see it,
can we have a look around?

Of course, prego.

Marietta's father bought
the property as a wreck

and transformed it.

Today, guests can enjoy
a 20 m pool with a view.

Dine in a Michelin-star restaurant
and even arrive by helicopter.

And, now, I'm going to show you
the ancient part,

which is kind of
the iconic inner garden.

The atrium is one of
the original features left from

the 12th century building.

Oh, this is beautiful, isn't it?
Yes, it's my favourite part.

And these are all
the suites upstairs? Yes.

And the rooms, they all look into
this inner garden.

The hotel has 33 rooms
and ten magnificent suites.

But luxury like this comes at
a price.

So, if I wanted to come here
and really show off,

how much is the most-expensive suite
in the height of summer?

It's roughly 8,000 Euro.
8,000 Euros!

Yes.
But you could do me a deal, right?

Mm, no.
THEY LAUGH

Oh. OK. Right, where we going next?

Prego.

OK, so my wallet might not
stretch to a night at the hotel,

but I can get a drink at the bar.

I'm in luck, as the hotel makes
its own limoncello,

with lemons straight from the tree.

And I'm meeting mixologist Salvatori
to show me how it's done.

Salvatori.
Hello, how are you?

I'm good.
That's for you.

Nice to meet you. What ingredients
go into a limoncello?

Just the peel and the alcohol
for three-day infusion.

After four days,
I prepare the water and sugar,

I mix with the alcohol...

Oh, it's that simple?
It's very simple.

But these aren't any old lemons.
These are Amalfi lemons,

a variety native to
this coastline of Italy,

famous for its intense fragrance
and exceptional sweetness.

Could I join in and do some?
Yeah.

The secret is not to take the white.

Oh, yeah.
OK?

OK, so just the peel, not the pith.

Please, take.
Thank you. Thank you.

You have to tell me
whether I'm doing this right. So...

OK.
It's not so good.

No, it's good.

It's perfect.
And what do we do with this?

I put in the alcohol.
I can drop in here.

Yeah. So this is...?
What percentage alcohol is this?

It's 96%.

96%?
Yes.

OK.
...

This one...

It's fine?

It's... literally just cleared
my sinuses out, that!

And, now, I suggest you taste
the limoncello.

Oh, so now we try the limoncello.
Yeah.

Do you know what? That is amazing.
It's just delicious.

And, like you say, sweet.
The lemon flavour, very fragrant.

Yeah, fragrant.

Oh, that is delicious.

But be careful with this stuff,
it will blow your head off.

Oh, I could drink that all day.

I wouldn't be standing up long,
I don't think.

Salvatori, thank you.
Thank you, very kind.

Thank you.
Thank you.

I'll take this with me.
Thank you, enjoy.

You know,
there are times doing this job

where I just wanna pinch myself.

This is the Amalfi Coast, you can
see why people come here, can't you?

Beautiful. Salute.

The next morning,
it's an early start for me,

as I bid farewell to
the Amalfi Coast

and board the train at Solano
heading south.

So, this is the embarkation point
for the next part of my journey.

I'm heading down into Campania.

And this is my train.

It's an hour and a half
to my next stop,

so there's time for a quick tour.

Wow, this is a proper, snazzy,
modern train, isn't it?

Two-storey cabins, as well.

Very cool.

Look at that,
and you can ride with the horses,

against the horses,
or even side-saddle.

This train is not only very posh,
it's very new

and it's so new, in fact, that it's
got electric-bike charging points,

isn't that fantastic?

So, you bring your electric bike
onto the train, stick it on here,

plug it in and charge whilst you're
travelling to the next location.

How clever is that?

The train may be brand-new,

but where I'm heading next
is definitely about being very old.

Arriving in Vallo delta Lucania,

I'm only a short hop away from
the tiny village of Pioppi,

one of the so-called
global Blue Zones

where one-in-ten people
live to be over 100.

Caio.

So, apparently, the key to
long life is in this direction.

Research has shown
it could be down to cucina povera,

or peasant food,

made with simple ingredients
like fresh vegetables,

fish and olive oil.

Keen to discover
the secret for myself,

I've arranged to meet
lifelong resident

and restauranteur
Delia Morinelli.

But, first,
I've got to get to her house.

HE PANTS
You know, nothing's flat here.

And that's part of the
healthy lifestyle, I suppose.

You're either... walking uphill,
or downhill and...

HE PANTS

...| suppose that's part of
what keeps them fit. I mean...

HE PANTS
..I've only done a few flights

in this Italian heat and look at me.
I'm soaking with sweat.

Phew! Right.

Ciao, Delia.
Ciao, ciao.

Thank you so much for letting me
cook with you today.

And what are we going to cook?

This dish of anchovies stuffed
with breadcrumbs, basil,

lemon and garlic
is typical local fare.

The fish is caught nearby
and is high in healthy fats.

So, we sprinkle a little breadcrumb?
OK, roll.

Would you go open?
Ah.

Si?
No, no!

No? No. OK.

I'm not very good at rolling, am I?

THEY LAUGH

That's a bit of a mess that,
isn't it, really?

Sorry! I'll have another go,
let me go.

So, anchovy, a little bit of
the breadcrumb...

Si.

Roll it up now, OK.

I'm trying not to break it!
SHE LAUGHS

Now in her late 80s,
I'm hoping Delia's willing to share

the secret to Pioppi's
ageing population.

I want to live to be 100.
How do I do it?

Oh! That's interesting.

My stomach... My stomach is almost
becoming another person already.

There's almost two of me.
THEY LAUGH

Yeah, every day, uphill, up, up.

Just keep walking.

OK, here they come.

My carefully-crafted anchovies have
been cooked and are ready to taste.

Oh, yeah!

That's delicious!

Belissimo! Do you want to try one?

The hand is good? OK.

Well, I think I did all right there!

Grazie Mille.
Prego.

THEY LAUGH

I've got to go and get on
a train now.

But I'm half minded to stay here.

I mean, think about it, eat well,
live well and live to be 100.

That's another 40 years for me.

Simple food.
That's what it's all about.

Yeah, I can't stay.
But I might come back.

Next, I back on the train
and heading south towards Calabria,

in the toe of Italy,
on the way to Mount Etna.

I get a taste of pepperoncini
to blow your head off.

Oh! Oh, don't believe them
when they tell you

it's between jalapeno and cayenne.

It's more like between Etna
and Vesuvius.

HE CHUCKLES
It's on fire!

And then it's a first for me,

I'm crossing the sea to Sicily
by train.

I've never seen anything like this,
have you?

Isn't it incredible?

I'm halfway through my journey,

heading down into the toe of Italy
and finally onto Sicily.

But, first, I'm passing through
a region on the mainland

known for its spicy cuisine.

So, we're going through Calabria now
and there's a local town, Diamante,

where they hold
a pepperoncino festival,

which is a kind of chili pepper,
which is really, really big...

...in all of their cooking here,
it is the chili of the area.

And I've got some before I came
on board to give them a try.

Now, I'm told they're somewhere
between a jalapeno and cayenne,

which actually shouldn't be too hot.
And I do like chili.

Wow, it's warm.

Wow.

HE COUGHS

That's...

They lied about how strong it is.

Maybe when it's dried, it's...

a lot hotter, but that's...

Good grief.

That water hasn't helped at all.

I bought a yoghurt here somewhere,
hang on.

This is yoghurt, which is supposed
to be very good for...

Oh!

That's like putting
aloe Vera on sunburn.

Flipping heck, that's still burning.

Oh. Don't believe them
when they tell you

it's between jalapeno and cayenne.

It's more like between Edna
and Vesuvius.

It's on fire!
HE CHUCKLES

Oh!

While I recover from
the explosive chili,

at least I have these
stunning views.

I have to say, I love Italy,
the coastline.

And this is a great way to see it,
by train.

I've been coming since I was 25

and I don't think
I'll ever stop coming back.

After 167 miles,
I'm changing trains at Gioia Tauro.

Blimey, a bit of rain!

Who would have expected that
this far south?

Right!

'And I'm hopping onto
the next train for'

the final leg of my journey on
the mainland.

This is the train that's gonna
take me to Sicily.

I know what you're thinking,
there's a large body of water

between the island and the mainland.

And you're absolutely right.

I'm excited to show you
how they do it.

It's a busy train, innit?

So, how do you board a train on
the mainland

that takes you to an island?

Well, it goes on a ferry,
believe it or not.

Train ferries first appeared in 1833

and the first one was built
in Scotland.

The novel idea enabled railway lines
to be extended,

where building a bridge was
too difficult, or too expensive.

Today,
there aren't many left in operation.

This is one of
the last remaining ones.

It's an incredible feat
of engineering,

but we will soon be boarding
a ferry whilst on the train.

After 30 miles, we're approaching
the docks at Villa San Giovanni.

And I still can't believe
I don't have to get off the train.

It's all very exciting, isn't it?

Oh, this is it, we're actually
approaching the boat.

Oh, I hear the clicking, listen.

TRAIN THUDS

Do you hear that clicking? That's...

The wheels running over
the join onto the boat. Here we go.

Oh, my gosh, look at this!

There's the quayside.

We're actually going onto
the ferry now!

The ferry docks to
a floating platform

which allows for
the rise and fall of

the tides and bridges to the wharf.

They're clamped together to make
a near-seamless connection of

the rails.

Purpose-built train ferries
can be quickly loaded

and unloaded by roll-on, roll-off,
just like car ferries.

I have to say,
it's one of the weirdest things

that I have ever done on a train.

So, that's how to load it on board
the ferry.

This is just nuts, isn't it?
Look at the rails here...

...and the second half of
the train coming in.

I've never seen anything like this,
have you? Isn't it incredible?

The crossing takes only
half an hour.

Just enough time to explore
the culinary delights on board.

Ciao.
Ciao.

Erm, due arancini.
Arancini?

Arancino? Arancini?
Arancino. Arancino.

OK!
NICK CHUCKLES

So, I'm asking for a local delicacy
from Sicily in actual fact.

Normally, rice balls.

But, because we are heading
for Mount Etna... OK.

...they're volcano-shaped!
Isn't that fantastic?

Oh, it's very good.
It's got filling in it.

What is in?

Rice. Rice and tomato.

Lovely!

So, there's your volcano.

It's got tomato lava inside.
HE CHUCKLES

Soon, we're coming into dock.

So, that is Sicily.
It's my first-ever visit here.

And that's the city of Messina.

And even on a day like today,
where it's overcast and cloudy

and rainy, it's still beautiful.

I can't wait to explore the island.

Next morning, the first leg
of my adventure in Sicily begins.

And this is what
I've been waiting to see.

Mount Etna.

2.5 times the size of Vesuvius

and almost 3,500 m tall...

...this is one of the most-active
volcanoes in the world.

Producing frequent lava fountains
at around 50 eruptions since 1955.

I'm told the best way to see
a volcano is from the air.

Now, you can do it in a helicopter,
or you can do it in a plane.

But I'm using neither
of those vehicles,

I'm going up in one of these.
This is a gyrocopter.

This lightweight aircraft
can fly lower and closer to Etna.

And despite the bad weather
rolling in,

I'm hoping for
some spectacular views.

In charge of our volcano mission
today is pilot Franco Italiano.

Almost immediately, we're into the
storm clouds, flying at over 70 mph.

"Within seconds, the weather goes
from bad to worse...

'and we can't see a thing.'

We're getting battered by the storm.

'We have to drop out of the cloud,
but, as we drop out,

'we're too close to the trees.
This is genuinely terrifying.'

After just 20 minutes,
it's too dangerous,

time to abort our mission.

At first, we can't see to land.

But, near the ground, the fog lifts.

'I'm actually shaking.'

That was one of the most
terrifying things I've ever done.

Franco was battling really hard
to try and get out of the cloud,

but once we got into
the thick cloud,

we were getting thumped all over
the place and battered.

I'm not a religious man,

but I was having a chat whilst
we were up there.

"Just let me land and see
my little boy again,

"see my family again."
HE LAUGHS

Oh!

HE SHIVERS

I don't really like flying, either.
HE LAUGHS

This is about as mad as it gets.

HE LAUGHS
I'm gonna just have a sit down

and a quiet moment on my own,
I think.

When I recovered -

and it took a while -
it's back on the train for me.

I'm visiting one of
the best vineyards in Italy...

with an umbrella.

So, Marco,
I'm fascinated by the soil here.

Because it's not
so much soil as rocks.

Yes, cadaretta is rocks.

It's the rocky soil in
the whole appellation.

But somehow it works.

And even the rain won't keep me
from scaling Mount Etna.

She's finally come out to say hello!

Mount Etna, that's the best view
I've had in

the whole time I've been on Sicily.

Oh, that's massively exciting.

I'm on the final part of
my railway adventure through Italy.

My journey began at Mount Vesuvius
on the mainland

and I've arrived in Taormina at
the foot of Mount Etna in Sicily.

I love these kinds of shops,
all full of herbs and spice mixes.

Sun-dried, Sicilian tomatoes...

...there's loads of peppers
and capers.

Thanks to years of eruptions,

the fertile soil surrounding
Mount Etna is perfect

for growing everything from citrus
fruit to asparagus and pistachios.

And this is... Etna's seasoning.

HE LAUGHS
Fiery, I should imagine.

It's believed that almost
three quarters of Sicily's crops

are grown in the immediate vicinity
of the volcano.

And there's one in particular
that has put Sicily

well and truly on the map,
the humble grape.

Etna's slopes are home
to 180 vineyards and, today,

I'm visiting one of its finest.

Despite the rain,
I've arranged a tour

with owner Marco de Grazia.

So, Marco,
I'm fascinated by the soil here,

because it's not so much soil
as rocks.

Yes. Well, cadaretta is rocks.

It's the rockiest soil in
the whole appellation.

But, somehow, it works.

I know you produce several
different types of wine...

That's right, that's right.

...from different vineyards,
but it's the same grape variety,

but they all taste different,
how does that work?

We can have old soils,
ancient soils, or new soils,

in other words, the volcano...
Really does flavour the wine?

Yes, of course. Well, they're good
for making everything.

It always delivers things that are
very fine and very perfumed.

After drying off, I'm excited to try
Marco's volcanic wine.

So, Marco, what are we trying now?

We are trying an Etna Bianco,
its main grape is Carricante,

which is native to this area.

And it has a characteristic that
I find unusual in white wines,

but that is common to this area,
which is a saline quality.

I was gonna say!
You know? You get...

Yeah, yeah!
You get that, right?

Almost salty, yeah, yeah.
Exactly.

Listen, it's obvious, Marco,
that you make beautiful wines here.

But of all the places,
when you come to make your own wine,

you do it at
the bottom of an active volcano.

Yep.
THEY LAUGH

Well! Yes, but, here,
the volcano's considered a mother.

Because it really gives you so,
so, so much,

that if, every so often,
it takes something back,

it's nothing compared to
what it gives.

It's a very strange relationship
between Sicilians

and this very dangerous thing on
the top of the hill.

It's something beautiful,
you're not afraid of it.

The geology is unstable,
because an eruption could come,

cover it up
and it creates a new soil.

So, the volcano nearby...

...is responsible for a lot of what
makes your wine special.

Absolutely.

Well, cheers to that.
Salute.

I'm still determined to see
Mount Etna

and a short hop from
the vineyard is Adrano Station,

where I'm embarking on the final leg
of my Italian railway journey.

The train I'm about to board is on
the Circumetnea line,

which basically means,
"Circles Etna."

Which is exactly what it does.

I'm told it is one of
the most spectacular lines in Europe

for views... of the volcano.

Not today.

Proper old train, innit?

Building of
the Circumetnea began in 1889.

It's a single track,
narrow-gauge railway line,

stretching 70 miles along
the foothills of the volcano.

Connecting rural communities
surrounding Etna,

a real-life village commuter train.

It will take me 20 miles
from Adrano Central to Randazzo.

It's an hour's journey,
so there's time to settle in

and hopefully, at last,
set eyes on the elusive Mount Etna.

But it seems the British weather
has followed me to Sicily.

Well, the volcano's up there
somewhere. But...

...hidden by the cloud again.

This train is undoubtedly
a hidden gem for tourists.

But its real value is to the locals.

Do you speak English?
A little bit.

What is special about this line
that we are travelling on for you?

I love the train,
because my father was a railway...

He worked in the railways.
OK.

So I born on the track, we can say.

And this is a very special railway,

because it links all
the small village around Etna.

So, I want to see the mountain,
but...

...she's hiding from me.

You was unlucky,
because, today, very bad day.

Oh, is it?
Its raining a lot.

It's not like this all
the time in Sicily?

We have beautiful weather,

you will see the mountain
and it's very beautiful.

Yeah, she is hiding from me.
She is... Yes.

Maybe by the end, maybe. Grazie.

Yep, this is my stop.

I'm spending the night in Randazzo
and I've got a big day tomorrow,

so, time to get some rest.

It's the final day of
my amazing Italian adventure

and, after two failed
volcano missions,

I'm determined to see Mount Etna
before I leave.

Etna is the most active volcano
in Europe.

Over the centuries,

its explosive eruptions have
wiped out whole towns and villages.

In 2021 alone, volcanic eruptions
added 100 feet to its height.

By the way, this is all lava flow
you can see behind me.

And if you're wondering how
dangerous it is, this house,

in recent history,
was consumed by it. And many others.

Today, I'm driving up
the mountain...

...and joining volcanologist
Alessandro Bonforte,

who measures Mount Etna
for signs of volcanic activity.

As we approach the foot of
the south-east crater,

I can't wait to catch
my first glimpse of the summit.

But the weather has turned again!

Do you know what? I arrived in
Sicily, couldn't see the mountain,

went up in a gyrocopter to try
and see the mountain,

it just keeps running away
and hiding from me.

Maybe it will come back.

I don't know, weather forecast
is not so good for today!

I'm absolutely gutted.

So, we are standing in
the middle of several craters,

so the magma, the lava,
is below us here.

Yeah, sure.

There is no chance of
a sudden explosion here,

or there is a very small chance?

Not now. And we are safely far from
the summit part of the volcano.

It's not a sudden fracturing
of the volcano,

cracking immediately
and magma pouring out, no.

It's a slow process.

It will take at least
some hours to happen.

Glad to hear it!

A short hike up the volcano
and we've arrived at

one of Alessandro's many
monitoring stations.

Wow, it's... It's buzzing in here.

So, what are all
these machines doing?

This is visual monitoring of
the summit part of the volcano.

Monitoring of Etna's activity
is taken very seriously.

Alessandro is responsible
for protecting

around 500,000 residents
living nearby.

This machine is
a superconducting gravity metre.

It measures the very, very,
very little variation of

the gravity here.
Does the gravity change then,

depending on the potential
for eruption with a volcano?

Yes, the gravity changes
depending on the mass you have

beneath your feet.

Wow. Which is more dangerous,
magma, or gas?

Ah, the gas is the engine of magma.

Magma is very dense material.
It cannot reach the surface alone.

It reaches the surface,
because it produces gas, bubbling.

Like when you open
a champagne bottle.

This is what fires the cork in
the air? Yeah.

So this is what blows
the top off the mountain? Exactly.

Ah! Amazing, I didn't know
that about gravity.

Alessandro, thank you very much.
Thank you.

I've really enjoyed my time
with Alessandro

and, just as I'm leaving,

something magical happens,
I can't believe my luck.

Look at this!
She's finally come out to say hello!

Mount Etna!

That's the best view I've had in
the whole time I've been on Sicily.

What a reward for my efforts.

Oh, that's massively exciting.

Seeing this really is
the ultimate prize

after what's been
an extraordinary trip.

I've had some
unforgettable experiences...

This is so Italian and fantastic!

...full of eye-opening moments...

'..jaw-dropping scenery...'

What a view!

'..And wonderful people.'

Prego.
THEY LAUGH

This is the passion and
the fire of the Italian people.

How could you not
fall in love with this country?