Blog Sardinia

First of all, in-between myth and history, there is the theory that Sardinia could be the lost Atlantis.

Plato wrote that the Realm of Atlantis was beyond the Pillars of Ercules, which for centuries were believed to be the promontories of the Strait of  Gibraltar.  In recent years, an Italian historian published a very controversial book stating that from the look of the geographical maps in use at Plato times, the famous Pillars of Ercules were to be located in the Sicilian Strait and not in Gibraltar’s. Therefore, Sardinia was likely to be Atlantis and the catastrophe that destroyed it then, was probably a tzunami that many believe devastated and ended the Sardinian ancient Nuraghe civilization.
True? False?  who knows…surely fascinating. Surely some parts of Sardinia do look like paradise on earth and at some point you may want to dream, as I do, that this is the Realm of Atlantis!

Talking about books, another interesting one was recently published by a Spanish writer (Marisa Azuara). This time about Christopher Columbus, who until then was believed to be born nearby the Italian city of Genova. For two years the writer searched important documents of Italian and Spanish libraries trying to recreate the family tree of the so much famous sailor and explorer Columbus. Her discovery is sensational, Columbus was born in South Sardinia and specifically in the Castle of Sanluri, a little and nearly unknown village. According to her, his real name was “Cristoforo da Siena e Alagon”. He lived  in Oristano, Tortoli and Castlesardo where he studied the “art of sailing”, although at the time North Sardinia was actually in the hands of Genova.  True? Probably we will never know..

Anyway, let me tell you now about a couple, among the many, of pure Sardinian legends. During your holiday in Sardinia, you might happen to visit some historic and archaeological sites or even some churches, bars or restaurants that have got wells inside. They are very often dug into the stone and many of these are still visible to visitors and guests. To these wells, is linked the Sardinian legend of ” Sa strega e is funtanasa” which translates in “the Witch and the wells”.
This is the tale of a monster witch who would eat any child who looked or even tried to have a quick glimpse of the well’s inside. Where does the legend come from? It is likely that, as many houses use to have their own well, parents would tell this story to their children to discourage them from approaching and dangerously fall inside the well itself. At the same purpose a scary witch looking doll was placed nearby the well..just to remind the children of the terrible danger.

Another one? If you are visiting Cagliari and South-Sardinia, then you must learn the legend of the “Angels Gulf”, which is the Gulf where Cagliari is located (Golfo degli Angeli) and that stretches from Capo Spartivento to Capo Carbonara.  Its name does not seem to come from his beauty, but from a legend. According to this, God asked his angels to find a place of peace and love in the world and if they found it, they could stay there as a gift. The angels travelled everywhere in the world but they only came across war, fights and hate among men. Tired and saddened by what they saw, they decided to go back. Right then, they spotted a green beautiful island in the middle of a striking crystal and beautiful blue sea. Men were poor and living a simple life but they looked happy and in peace. The angels reported this to God and as promised they were allowed to stay there to live.

The Devil discovered them pretty soon though and he could not resist from interfering and try to sparkle envy and terror again. The fight between Good and Evil started but at the end of a long battle the angels won and the sword of the Angel Gabriel raised to the sky. The Devil fell from his horse and full of rage took his saddle and crashed it to the see. When this reached the ground it turned into a huge promontory …which is called the Saddle of the Devil, “la Sella del Diavolo and that you can not really miss when you visit the Poetto today…

More stories will come soon! Or maybe you got one to tell us?

Ciao
Manuela

Although you can eat this dish in most of Sardinian restaurants and homes, this recipe is actually typical from the south, in particular from a geographical area called “Campidano plain”. Nearby are the fields and farms growing one of the “malloreddus alla campidanese”  main and unmissable  ingredients: the precious Saffron, also called the red gold.

It does not matter if you are still in Sardinia (maybe in a villa where you can cook) or already back home, you should be able to find all the ingredients you need to prepare this very easy and delicious pasta. If you are not in Italy, visit your nearer Italian delicatessen and look for :

• 5oo grams of “Malloreddus” also called “Gnocchetti Sardi”  (this kind of pasta is typically Sardinian)
• 150 grams of fresh sausage – it must have very little fat and above all it should contain some anise (very aromatic!)
• 800 grams of very mature tomatoes or basic tomato “passata” (no added spices)
• 150 grams of grated Sardinian Pecorino cheese (not the Roman one – too salted!)
• A small onion, Saffron, 1/2 glass of olive oil, five basil leaves and salt

Let’s start:

Thinly chop the onion – then the sausage & the tomatoes in small pieces. Some people, especially Sardinian grandmas, prefer to take the sausage skin away before chopping it.

Poor some olive oil in the pan and once this is warm put the onion. When this turns gold add the sausage bits and let them cook a little before putting the tomatoes.  After ten minutes, sprinkle a pinch of saffron (I like generous pinches!) and salt as you like. Let it go for at least another 30 minutes stirring it every now and then.

The sauce is  now  ready, switch the fire off and add the basil leaves. Put a pan of water to the boil. Add the salt and the malloreddus (only when the water is boiling properly,please). Depending on which brand of pasta you bought, it could take it  from 12-15 minutes to cook, but you should always taste it before as malloredus do tend to stay pretty hard inside.

Finally, drain the pasta and poor some sauce in a big bowl first, then the malloreddus, then some more sauce and the cheese.

Mix it all and.. how does it taste?  enjoy

Manu

It’s 10 AM , 14 degrees Celsius and a glorious day of sunshine.

Cagliari Old Town - Blog-Sardinia

My starting point is Piazza Matteotti, the square in Via Roma located just in front of the main coach and train station and not far from hotels and B&Bs. There is a Tourist Info Point here if you need help.  It does seem close at first and I walk all around it to find a  little entrance door. A kind lady welcomes me and gives me a map of the city and some info on the museums.

We got to cross the street to get  to the “Largo Carlo Felice”  and then climb up to Castello, one of the historic borrows of Cagliari, the others being  Stampace, La Marina and Villanova. We watch out carefully when crossing the street . Here in Italy the green light for pedestrians lasts only about 5 seconds and it goes into orange when you are still in the middle of the street!

We climb all the way up reaching Pizza Yenne, which is a lovely square with bars where you can have a coffee and it is always very crowded with people in the evenings. Up here, there should be a little train that takes you for a sightseeing tour of the old town. Not there yet but we decide to wait. After twenty minutes and not sign of it, a cab driver tells us that he does not think it works in February. There is the sightseeing bus at the stop though. This takes you through the highlights of Cagliari including its salted lake (famous for the charming Pink Flamingoes), the beach and other areas that can not be reached by foot. The driver tells us it works every day if it is sunny so indeed nearly every day..! Very appealing route but I want to focus in the old town today, so I decide to proceed by foot crossing piazza Yenne to get to a tiny little historic square called “Santa Chiara” , also setting of the town old fish market. From there you walk through an archway and reach the public lifts that take you up to “Casteddu” (Castello or “the Castle”).

Here we are, we go up the hill to reach the “Torre dell’Elefante” (The Elephant Tower). You will get why is called like that as soon as you are in front of this beautiful white tower . We climb half way up for some lovely views of the city but my mum suffers from vertigo so we do not pay tickets to go all the way up and missed one of the most beautiful views of the city..

Lets’ go down then,  from here everything is at easy reach and I love to explore the very narrow streets, although I am a bit crossed to see so many ugly graffiti on the walls. Through this lovely maze we get to the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. The cathedral is tiny but a gem that and has to be seen (and if you are here at Christmas time, do not miss the midnight mass!).

Cathedral of Cagliari Old Town - Blog-Sardinia

Going further down you can reach Piazza Arsenale where the main museums are located. This time we go to the Bastione of St Remy though, hoping to have a coffee there. The coffee shop shuts on a Wednesday though ..ah! Does not matter, this is one of the best panoramic spots in Cagliari let’s enjoy the view of the city, the gulf,  the sea, the hills, the lake salt-mine the mix of colourful old and modern roofs. There are only a few people relaxing on the benches and enjoying the beautiful day.

By 12PM it is 22 degrees Celsius. Not bad for the beginning of February! We could climb down the stairs of the Bastione into Via Manno, one of the shopping streets, but we go instead through little charming alleys that get us nearly near Piazza Yenne again.

From there we walk down via Azuni and then right to Via San Efisio hoping to be able to see the interiors of the little church of St Efisio, the patron of Cagliari. No chance though, not open to the tourists today it seems, we got to come back at mass time, 5PM . This is Italy, churches are first of all for pray.

We walk back and we bump into the Church of Santa Restituta, dedicated to an African martyr. The crypt is open and free, let’s go.  Walking down the stairs we understand that this is a real natural grotto that was turned into a church by the locals. Shapes and statues are carved into the stones and several little corridors and little rooms open up. Water drops from the ceiling. Fascinating..

It is nearly 1 PM and our stomachs are rambling… I know where to go…to la Marina borough. Let’s climb further down for a nice Bottarga pasta

Ciao

Manuela

Also, If you are staying in Cagliari you could spend the night at the Apartment Mara

On a very hot day of August during our holidays in Sardinia, we decided to take a boat excursion to the archipelago of Maddalena, a group of small islands in the very north end of Sardinia. We bought some fair priced tickets and got to sit on the outdoor side of the boat with a great panoramic view (although we did not think to bring our hats – a bit of a mistake on such a sunny day..).

At 8.45 we left the natural fiord of Santa Teresa di Gallura, which the locals believe was formed during the last glaciation.  Armed with a camera, we started sailing an amazing cobalt blue sea.

After leaving Porto Quarto behind, we reached the far north of Sardinia and on our left hand side we could clearly see the island of Corse (Corsica). The so called Bocche di Bonifacio (Mouths of Bonifacio) decided not to confirm their reputation of terrible agitated waters, so that within a little half an hour we reached the first island: Budelli.

Budelli is very famous for its beautiful pink sand, although there is not so much of it left anymore due to tourists who over the years have stolen it as souvenir. For this reason, local authorities have decided to make this little island a National Park and it is now forbidden to anchor. Sadly, you can only see it  from a distance. Very close by, there are some ponds of water about twelve meters deep and you can see the sand at the bottom of these as if you were looking through a clean transparent glass. The colours are the most amazing: from pure crystal to turquoise going through a thousand of beautiful nuances.

Totally amazed we left Budelli and soon after we got to Santa Maria Island, which is also surrounded by a beautiful beach and very clean waters.

The boat approached the flat stones and through a footbridge we walked down for a refreshing swim and a stroll on the beach.  After the short relaxing break we washed our feet from the beautiful sand and we got back on board. By then, it was nearly lunch time and we got hungrier and hungrier as a lovely smell of tomato sauce emerged from the kitchens. Lunch was served on board: a generous plate of pasta with crab sauce or just plain pasta for the young children, a thick slice of local cheese and fresh bread which nicely filled our stomachs.

We were nearly in Spargi, another gem of the Archipelago. Once again our eyes enjoyed the extreme beauty of nature: crystal waters, white beaches, flat, pointed rocks that nature itself shaped in so many crazy and amazing forms. Like Budelli, the beauty of Spargi is breathtaking, so unforgettable and just not possible to put down into words. We spent a little time here, swimming and sunbathing before leaving for the island of Maddalena itself.

La Maddalena is bigger than all the other islands we visited: there is a little harbour, a pretty town and many shops to go. We got a couple of hours to spend sightseeing with a good ice cream in our hand and our camera always ready.

It was soon time to go back to Santa Teresa but this time, on the way back, the “Bocche di Bonifacio” decided to fulfil their terrible reputation making us shake: those who are not normally seasick had great fun, the others suffered a bit. It was about 5.00 PM when we got back. The day went by so quickly..yep! just as it always happens when you have fun!

Loved it!  - Valeria

PS: although this excursion departed from Santa Maria Teresa, there are similar services starting from Palau as well, which is located on Sardinia mainland, just opposite to the Maddalena Island.

Blog-Sardinia

Last Saturday I saw this festival in Monastir, a tiny village 17 km from Cagliari and it was pretty impressive.

There are many other  St. Anthony festivals though and  you could see them if you visited Sardinia on a winter break or if you extended a New Year holiday in Cagliari, Alghero or somewhere else on the the island.

The celebrations take place in more than sixty villages, with some kind of variation from village to village, and not longer before the carnival season starts.

Normally on the days prior to the celebration the villagers take some wood and straws to a square where the big fire will be lighted. Often, there is a permanent circle of big stones near the church devoted to St Anthony which encloses the area where the fire will go.

On the evening a mass is celebrated to honour St. Anthony, who is supposed to have stolen the fire to the devil to save men from the freezing cold. Following the mass, the priest blesses the wood and the people. It is dark and chilli by the time the fire is started and everybody gets kind of bewitched by the flames and the red charming sparkles that fly to the dark sky and mix with the stars.

People warm up, then some of the local specialities such as red wine and sweets or even meat and broad beens are given to everybody at stalls. Finally the music starts, normally traditional music, and  fireworks take place.

This ancient Sardinian festival is believed to root in old pagan rites meant to wish a good agricultural season to the villagers. Still today the fire leftovers are often brought back home or the ashes spread on the cheeks as a wish of good luck.

Do not hesitate to take some for yourself  if you visit Sardinia!

Manuela

It is very common for the locals to go for walks to the mountains and countryside or along the beach, taking children and dogs for a stroll.  On seaside locations you can spot plenty of kites and surfers and occasionally some brave chap looking amazingly tanned and having a swim! brr..

If you want to get away from a cold winter then, check the weather forecast and then book a flight to Cagliari, Olbia or Alghero. You can either go for a city break or maybe book a good farmhouse and some outdoor activities (horse riding, hiking, bird watching etc).

From March onwards temperatures go up and there are at least 18 degrees as a standard, often reaching 20-25◦ degrees. Great time to explore the blooming countryside or relax nearby the seaside taking lots of walks and enjoying the amazing views. Also, the holiday Villas tend to be much cheaper in this season, although you may want to check with the owner if they got some form of heating as often it is much colder indoors than outdoors!

May and June are normally beautiful and just perfect for those who wish to spend a beach holiday but do not like it too hot. I would say that it is ideal for families with young children but also for those who enjoy a mix of leisure and cultural holidays.

Finally, from July up to mid September you kind of roast!! (at  least 30degrees) and places are very crowded. Water sports and sea activities are now the most pleasant choices. It tends to rain very rarely and you may not get to see a single cloud for weeks. Just like myself and the.. lizards like it!!

Enjoy!

Ciao – Manu

PS: all the above is true at the moment but it may change depending on the global warming  :-)

Blog-Sardinia

I must admit that when I heard the price first (70 Euro per person..) I though it was maybe a bit pricy but by the end of a superb day,  I  had changed my mind completely.

We bought tickets at the Nonno Pio booth in Cala Gonone harbour and left at around nine AM.  The boat is a real fishermen boat and it can only fit about 15-20 people, which is great, as you get to know and chat with the others. We gently sailed towards Cala Goritze and on the way the crew recovered the fishing nets left on the previous day. We could closely see many kinds of fishes and we were told what they were and how you could cook them…

The coast is amazing there and the knowledgeable crew told us so many interesting stories and intriguing legends about the different sites. They dropped us in the gorgeous Cala Mariolu beach, with its incredible clear waters and superb beach made of very tiny, white and smooth stones. We could spend two hours in this little paradise. Nonno’s Pio crew were great, they even had some parasols that everybody could borrow for the beach.

When they picked us back, it was lunch time..and a great lunch. We ate what they had just fished in the morning – they grilled it in front of us! We also had a lovely squid pasta, salad, local wine, coffee, fruits, Sardinian sweets and MIRTO off course.

Afterwards, we were given the choice of stopping at another bay, the beautiful Cala Biriola or visiting the Fig Grotto. Although the temptation of a nap on the beach after lunch was great, we decided to visit the Grotto and walk a little bit. This was also very good. It was cool in the Grotto and this gave us a break from the heat. The Grotto was very fascinating and the guides extremely knowledgeable and entertaining.

At the end of the visit, Nonno Pio’ staff were already there to collect us with a flipper boat. We could join the others, who had chosen the beach option, and depart for the famous Cala Luna, which unfortunately was very busy being July. It was good that we arrived there by the late afternoon though, so that most of the crowd were leaving ..We staid there for another 90 minutes and then back to Cala Gonone at around seven  and we said goodbye to Nonno Pio crew: our new heros!

Thanks guys – really enjoyed that!

Manu

You can take some lovely walks on the mountains around the village of Fonni during the months of January and February but you should not expect great skiing facilities though! Sardinia’s mountains are not very high and skiing is not our thing really (somewhere in the seaside of the island somebody could be swimming and sunbathing  on the same day!).

So probably more than for the sky lovers this is  a holiday break for those who enjoy exploring,  getting in touch with nature and see animals such as our wild goats or taste great food in some cozy farmhouse.

In the same kind of area the springtime is the best time for hiking and if you love flowers and in particular orchids. You will be really impressed by Sardinia’s wild ones as we have got more than fifty different stunning varieties.

Top tips: to know more about orchid tours you can click here.

Ciao

Manu

After departing from the arbour of Cagliari, the boat stopped in the little “Isola dei Cavoli”, Villasimius’ arbour and finally, the splendid beach of Punta Molentis. We were staggered in little groups to be taken to the beaches and left there to enjoy a swim for an hour or so. A light lunch was served on board but we could not sit down as there were not enough seats! probably the company had overbooked as it was a Sunday… Because of the same reason it took ages to be taken up and down the beach at each stop.

Despite this, everybody liked the experience, more because of the spectacular views and sights we could see than the service we received. It is magic to swing between the blue of the sea and the sky of this stunning coast…

If I was you though, I would go on a less busier day during the week and I would not bother to go down the “Isola del Cavoli”. Although the idea sounds good the beach is very poor where the boat lives you. No commentary in English was given or available, I am afraid!

Also, some other companies with smaller boats offer this service from Cagliari or Villasimius, maybe you can try one of those. In some of these lunch consists in what is fished on the same day from the boat!

Ciao

Manu

It is a really tiny train that goes very slowly and allows you to enjoy stunning wild views and small hidden villages.  Probably the very first British persons to board one of these trains were DH Lawrence and his wife in 1921.

There are four routes:

From Nulvi to Palau and return (North Sardinia)

From Bosa to Macomer and return (East Sardinia, Bosa is not too far from Alghero)

From Isili to Sorgono and return (centre of Sardinia)

From Mandas to Arbatax and return (West Sardinia)

There are many stations in-between so you can jump in at any time but you do need to check timings very well as even small parts of the journey can take around 3 hours or more! It is an experience for people who like to observe, explore and take it easy. You can buy the ticket at the train station or on the train itself and this is valid for 3 days. Then, you can stop in some of the villages for a walk and catch the following train or even stop for an overnight there and continue the day after. It is not even expensive, depending on which route you choose it will cost you 12-15 euro. The normal train service also connects you to some of the routes.

So, if your holiday in Sardinia is not just about lying on the beach, it is definitely worth trying!

I have used this number in the past for information: 0039 070 343 112 but you can also ask at any tourist information point when you are there.

TOP TIP:

Even if D.H. Lawrence said “it does not matter where the train goes just catch it”, do check timing and routes in advance and be aware that some trains do not run every day…!

Manuela

If you intend to take the Bosa route and stay in this pretty town there are some villas here where you could stay.