I, too, had a fascination with volcanos in my youth.
I have since been to two (Teide and Vesuvius) and they were both very disappointing.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Sun 1 Sep 2013, 17:56, 4 replies)

I'm not a fan of volcanos
but when we went past Etna, all the farms had dry stone walls made of lava and the wine had a certain volcano-ness about it. Living near a volcano must make you a bit weird. I wanted to walk up behind a local and shout 'BOOOOM!!!'
(CADmonkey rollllllllled another one, just like the other one, Sun 1 Sep 2013, 18:05, closed)

*would have*

(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Mon 2 Sep 2013, 13:15, closed)

Did they just smell of farts?
You'd want them to smell like something more heroic really, like glory or Brut.
(Eukanuba, Sun 1 Sep 2013, 18:54, closed)

They smelled of rotten eggs.
There was no molten lava or anything and no super villains lairs either.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Sun 1 Sep 2013, 19:21, closed)

Thing about Vesuvius though is that the gas is the most immediately dangerous aspect, rather than the lave.
The gas can apparently build up and overflow the crater and suffocate everyone living nearby.

Until relatively recently it was legal to build houses quite high up on the slopes. Madness!

Although I'd probably buy one.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Mon 2 Sep 2013, 13:19, closed)

Killed by "rotten egg gas"?
The views were superbe though.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Mon 2 Sep 2013, 18:57, closed)

You would possibly be less disappointed if you visited
an ACTiVE volcano. Vesuvius is staring at a puddle of bubbly sludge from about 500 feet away.
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Sun 1 Sep 2013, 21:31, closed)

Oh I loved Vesuvius!
We went to the top and it was cloudy up there, and the crater was steaming and smelt of farts. Utterly satisfying.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Mon 2 Sep 2013, 13:15, closed)