While Romans burn: Italian sunbathers sizzle on Sicily beach as Mount Etna erupts

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 8:44 PM on 12th August 2011
These Italian sunbathers seem to be making the most of their summer holidays
So determined are they to enjoy their time on the beach, they don't even turn their heads to the sight of Europe's largest volcano erupting behind them.
Or perhaps it's just volcano fatigue - after all, this is the sixth time Mt Etna has erupted in the last month.

Relaxing: These sunbathers on a beach in Sicily seems unbothered by the eruption of Mt Etna in the distance

Eruption: This is the sixth time that Etna has gone off in the last month

Spectacle: This group of tourists is transfixed by Etna's activity

But the spectacle clearly still has the ability to attract some, as these pictures show crowds of tourists watching the eruptions on the island of Sicily
And one man is brave enough to get right up close to the action in order to to take photographs.

 

Although the eruptions look violent, they tend not to be particularly damaging, as the lava flows safely away in well-worn channels.
But clouds of ash can make life unpleasant for residents and tourists in the picturesque villages crowded around the foot of the volcano.

Intrepid: This man gets up close to the plume of ash to get the perfect picture

Lava: Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, so displays like this come relatively frequently

Tourists: Etna is one of Sicily's major attractions, despite its potentially deadly dangers

However, although some flights have been disrupted over the last few months, there has not been the same large-scale disruption to European airspace that was seen after the explosion of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull last year.
Mt Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world - hardly a year goes by where it does not erupt in some way.
But this constant activity has helped those who live near Etna to adapt to its presence and take its eruptions in their stride, as these photos show.

Huge: But Etna's ash clouds are less disruptive to aircraft than you might expect

Barren: The volcano dominates this deserted landscape