Is Arutas beach by Blog-Sardinia

I planned to visit Is Arutas many times but each time the Mistral wind forced me to change my  plans. This  wind, which blows from north-west, can hit very strongly that area, making the sea very wavy (good for surfing!) and sometimes dangerous. Last Sunday it was just perfect though, a fine sunny day with just a little breeze.

The car navigator did not seem to know the place, so I quickly checked the route on google maps and off we went. From Cagliari we took the 131 road towards Santa Giusta and Oristano, then the SP54 BIS followed by the SS292 towards Cabras. At that point, no internet or mobile connection was available to help. Luckily, some direction boards finally appeared and we arrived with no troubles.

We paid our car park fee, we rushed to the beach… and WE FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.

A long bright sandy beach  with a rocky bit on its right hand-side.  The sand itself is amazing and probably the cutest you have ever seen. It is made of tiny pink, white and green grains of quartz looking just like risotto and twinkling under the sun.

The sea is crystal blue and green, but above all it smells alive. The rocks are strangely shaped and some perfumed wild sea fennel grows on them, while the lizards sunbathe peacefully.

We placed our parasols near the rocky hand of the beach and we got our masks and snorkels out to explore the area. This site is part of the marine park of Sinis, so no fishing is allowed. Thanks to this we could see full of fishes of different sizes and species, many of whom came really close to us, as if they did not fear us at all. Fabulous.

Some nice wooden bars where also available at a distance to eat and drink, together with some good opendoors showers (no very clean toilets though..).

We spent a lovely day then..and surely we will be back again!

Ciao, Manuela

PS: If you visit Is Arutas, please do not take any sand away with you, this is forbidden. Is Arutas’ sand is Art made by Nature itself, which has been violated in the past and that we now wish to preserve forever.

Strangely enough, although it is very popular and any good guide book would tell you about its myth, no many people do actually visit this natural bulwark.
In reality, all you need is an expert guide to lead you through the resistant bushes of its Mediterranean vegetation and to help you find the hidden ruins of historic buildings and ancient cisterns withouht getting stuck or fall down a cliff…

I was very enthusiastic then, when I was asked to be the translator for a group taking an excursion up there with a specialist guide. There I was then, shorts, hat, sun cream, trainers and water. Ready to go.

The Devil'Saddle by Blog-Sardinia

Our starting point was nearby the little Cala Mosca beach. We easily followed our guide up to the top of the saddle and then down through a different path. It took us about two hours. The tour focused on both the historical and botanical aspects of the promontory. We stopped to look at and smell several scented officinal herbs, learning about the properties of Thyme, Spurge, Helycrism and many others. I was surprised to listen about the ways these herbs were used to cure and heal from ancient times to now-days. 

Hidden in the middle of the luxuriant vegetation, we discovered two ancient Punic and Roman cisterns,  a Pisan lighthouse, a Spanish Tower & the ruins of the ancient church of St. Elias, from which the promontory takes is name from.

Azure Orchid - Blog Sardinia

Once reached the top of “Saddle” the view was breathtaking, stretching from the sea, to Cagliari and its many hills, to the town’s lake and its salt mines. It was only then, that I fully realised how crucial had to be to dominate this promontory for the many people who have lived and invaded Sardinia…

The best period to visit St. Elia’s promontory is from November to January and in the Spring when its vegetation is blooming and beautiful narcissus and wild orchids appear. You can still visit during the rest of the year and at early or late hours of the day in the summer. Some itineraries can include a visit of the little coves and swimming stop.

A licensed guide is recommended to undertake and fully enjoy the tour. Let us know if you want to know more or book an excursion through an English Speaking guide.

Ciao
Manu

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

There are a couple of tricks that you should know to help you save a little bit of money, not to waist food and still eat well.

One of these, is to “watch out” when you are offered the “giro di antipasti” (“a round of starters”). Most waiters will offer you this choice and you might think this only involves a couple of starters. You may say yes, and then order a first  course or even a second dish as well. By the time all your mix starters come around though, 6-7 dishes are on the table and you realise that this is enough food already!
Mix starters are very trendy in Cagliari but that is often what kills your bill. So, make sure of what they include, how much they cost and how hungry you are! What I often do, is to order the rest of my meal only after having eaten the starters (not ideal if it is late and the restaurant is overcrowded though).

The other tip is on wine. Bottled wine is not sold by the glass. Of course, you might feel like treating yourself for a good meal and taste one of the famous and prestigious local wines but be aware that the house wine is often good anyway. You could even ask to have a taste of that before making your choice.

Third tip is about tips! Should you or should you not tip? and how much? Well, Sardinians do not tip. Your bill always includes an item called “coperto”, which is basically the service.

Which restaurants would I recommend?
I would not go to chains like the pizzeria “Rossopomodoro”. They got not character and the pizza is not even good. I did not like it at all.

For traditional Sardinian atmosphere and food based on meats and pastas you can try “Su Cumbidu”. It is pretty central (Via Napoli) and is got lot of character. In the summer you can also eat outdoors. Last time I went, we had some starters, a main course each, coffee & house whine and we spend about 25-30 Euros. Sardinian liqueur and sweets is on the House.

If you like good fish and the “trattoria” atmosphere, which means lots of noise and very informal service, then try “Lilliccu” in Via Sardegna. Normally starters, main course, coffee & house wine will come up at around 35 euros each.

A very cheap, extremely informal but good one is called Vai che ce n’e‘ (Viale Sant’Avendrace 261). It is not in the central and most touristy area though. The menu choice is limited to pizzas, grilled steaks (horse and veal), and salads. It is very popular so do expect queues. When you get there you need to ask for a table straight away. You will be given a number and a beer and wait outside. When your table is nearly ready, you are brought a menu (still outside) and your order is taken. Soon after you sit down, which can take a while, your delicious stake or generous pizza comes around. The owner is extremely kind and very good fun and your bill normally comes to be around 12-15 euros including wine, pizza bread, coffee & mirto.

Bye for now!
Manu

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

It normally takes about three hours to get to Stintino but it took an extra 30 minutes for us, as we travelled with two young kids. We stopped in Sardara on the way, to pick our friends up. It was a shame that we did not have time to visit this really pretty village or to take a SPA in its famous historic venue – we had our Easter Monday lunch booked at the Farmhouse we chose for the overnight in Stintino. We stopped again at the Tramatza Autogrill for a coffee and a quick wee and off we went.

"Agriturismo Palmas"

Stintino is pretty easy to reach although the “Palmas” Agriturismo (farmhouse) was not so well indicated and we had to call them up for extra directions. At the end we found it. It is at the top of a hill two kms before the village. We could admire the coastline from there but the day was so grey that cows and horses wandering around the Agriturismo seemed a much more interesting attraction to have a look at.

We were hungry and decided to eat before even checking in. The dining area was welcoming and pretty crowded with locals. We were given a nice table. Drinks and starters (mushrooms, cards, cheeses and hams) came soon after. If you have eaten in an Agriturismo before, you would know that you do not pick from a menu but you are given what is available on the day. In this case we had two kind of pasta, “Malloreddusu” and delicious ravioli filled with ricotta cheese, then roasted suckling piglet & lamb, potatos, crudities, Sardinian sweets, liquors. Everything was so tasty and freshly made and we were stuffed by the end.

Stintino - Pelosa Beach by Blog-Sardinia

It was about 4 PM by the time we finished lunch and decided to check-in, before visiting Stintino. We went for a walk to the popular beach of la Pelosa, the pride of Stintino. It only took us 10 minutes to reach it by car. It was incredible, despite the gloomy day the sea still looked cobalt blue. A Spanish Tower on a close islet made the place even more charming. We were not lucky though, it started to rain cats and dogs and we had rush to the cars.

We were tired and disappointed, so we just entered a little shop to buy some groceries for our pick-nik to the Asinara Island the next day. The shop ripped us off. 25 euros for some ham, tomatos, bread & cheese slices and four cans of beer. Ridiculous!

Here we were again, at the Palmas. All rooms were on a detached new building, they were simple but spotless (although our materass was not comfortable at all). The staff was really kind and they agreed to add an extra bed for our child at no extra cost. We were not even charged for his meal.

We woke up pretty early the next day. When I opened the window I saw a cow staring at me from a close distance and maybe thinking I was invading its space. I was relieved to see that the weather was improving.

We knew we could not depart from Stintino on the touristic ferry as this did not reach the minimum number of passengers to depart, so we planned to reach Porto Torres and leave from there with the regular ferry service. The Agriturismo would not serve breakfast before 9 AM so we left early hoping to get a coffee and a pastry at the pier. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Porto Torres from Stintino but we did not find our ferry departure point so easily and we reached it just on time. What it looked to be the ticket office was closed and therefore we asked the ferry crew for advice. They told us to come on board, we would have paid there.

All fine then, but things looked really weird on the ferry. There were not many people at all. Ten minutes later the captain came to us to say that there was a forecast of strong winds for the afternoon. It was likely that the ferry would not come back later to pick us up. The ferry was too small and too flat and he did not feel like risking it. We would arrive at 10.30 and as we were travelling with kids he suggested we would come back with the same ferry at 11.00. We were otherwise going to be the only people on the island. Even the only hostel available for an overnight was closed, as the staff did not travel to the island because they had not bookings for the night. The captain had apparently called the ticket office to let everybody know… disaster! We were furious.

Asinara Island by Blog-Sardinia

I went outside for a walk, the sea was calm, the sky opened up and sun was shining – there was not any wind at all. The kids were having fun on the ferry but I thought that we had waisted our morning on a silly ferry for nothing. How could it be possible to use such a thing to cover a regular route on a normally rough stretch of sea? A mystery to me..
As we approached the island I felt like reaching a little paradise, so quiet, so lovely, so remote. Old fascinating buildings nicely reconverted for tourist purposes which we could not visit. We walked away from the harbour towards the beach through fields covered on lovely flowers and we were lucky enough to meet the symbol of this island: the small white donkeys. We came really close to them and took some pictures as they did not seem to care. And this was all we could see on the Asinara Park where for 30 minutes we were the only humans on land.

Back on the ferry, we had an early lunch with our expensive ham and sandwiches. By 12.30 we were in Porto Torres again..what next? Well, a coffee first, then we decided to go towards Castelsardo and visit the Elephant Rock, “la Roccia dell’Elefante”. The children got asleep as we travelled towards this site on the SS134 road.

Roccia dell'Elefante by Blog-Sardinia

The rock and its setting are both amazing. A big rock, elephant shaped by nature and standing on the border of the road that runs along a beautiful green valley. It looks exactly like an Elephant, amazing. But this is not all. The Elephant rock is also what Sardinians call a Domus the Janas ” a Fairy House. Inside, there are several little rooms with some graffiti that go back to the neuragic times. They had probably been used as a burial site thousands of years before Christ. We were intrigued and amazed.

We decided to go for a walk and visit Sedini and this was also an unexpected wonder. Sedini is a tiny village built on rocks with some houses actually digged inside the rocks. The most spectacular one is a very ancient Domus de Janas that goes back to 3000 years b.c. when it was probably a sacred and burial site. Over the last centuries was used as an animal stall, shop, party headquarters, house. Today it hosts a very fascinating museum.

Domus de Janas, Sedini by Blog-Sardinia

We were lucky enough to find it open as there was a group visiting (normally it needs to be pre-booked to visit). We explored it all with huge interest and surprise – we really loved it. We also went for a walk around the village and visited some of the pretty country churches around it. All worth it.

At night, Francesca prepared a delicious soup for us. We also ate some boiled meat and wild boar stew, salad, cheeses and homemade sweets. She ate the same with her family sitting on a table next to us and we had a long chat after dinner.
We slept beautifully that night. In the morning Francesca’s mother made us breakfast and later we visited the pretty church near the Agriturismo. Finally we left for Castelsardo.

Castelsardo by Blog-Sardinia

Castlesardo is a medieval town built on a promontory. It is a bit of a hard work to get up to the top of the Castle by foot, so we looked for a free and nearby car park. We managed to get one at midway and we walked through the tiny narrow streets to reach the Castle. The view from there was great.

The entrance fee was very cheap. The castle is small and a museum of Sardinian traditional frail art-craft takes place there. I found it interesting, although I would have maybe liked to know more about the history of the castle itself. Lots of beautiful churches, the cathedral, traditional shops, and tiny restaurants are also around. It got very hot and although we were very temped to sit in a restaurant and have lunch taking advantage of one of the inviting and cheap set menus, at the end we decided to get a sandwich and drive to the closest beach for a bit of sunbath before heading back to Cagliari.

It was fun at the end!

Grab a map of Sardinia then and let’s have a look at this.

First of all, remember that whenever you are boarding a public bus or a train in Sardinia, you have to validate your ticket onboard otherwise you risk a fine, even if you have got your ticket! Rarely tickets can be bought on board (unless the coach company is private) but at ticket offices or at newsagent shops called “edicole”.

If you are arriving in Olbia airport or pier, you are at pretty easy reach of all destinations in North-West Sardinia, included the so famous and VIP part of Sardinia called la Costa Smeralda “the Emerald Coast”, with the glamorous Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo, Cannigione and so on. If you staying there, you are not probably after public transport, so I will not spend too much time with these.

Olbia airport is only four Kms from the town and you should be able to get a taxi for about 15 euro or, the town bus, which takes about 15 minutes journey and it is pretty cheap.

The public ARST coaches are available to reach the main Sardinian towns (www.arst-sardegna.it) together with some private coach companies that specialise in specific routes reaching the “Gallura” area in North-Sardinia (mob. 078954203) and the area of Ogliastra – Dorgali & Nuoro.. (mob. 0784295030). The same coach companies serve Olbia main pier (Isola Bianca) and the smaller piers of Golfo Aranci at 20 Kms from Olbia and Palau at 40 Kms.

Which are the easiest places to reach and see?

Going North, as we said, you can reach Palau in about 1 hour and from there you can get a ferry to the beautiful natural park of “la Maddalena”

Another park nearby Olbia (12 kms) is the one of Tavolara. The ferry departs from Porto San Paolo which is connected to Olbia by ARST coaches.

If you are after a bit of culture & countryside walking, from Olbia you can also reach Tempio Pausania by ARST coaches in about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Around Arzachena and Olbia there are lots of archaeological sites as well (Tombs of the Giants, Nuraghes, ancient wells) which are not always so easy to reach by public transport. Having said that, the church and the Nuraghe of “Cabu Abbas” are both within walking distance from the town of Olbia, so you might want to go for that, otherwise you can consider bike hiring, long walks, taxis, or even asking the local tourist offices about organised excursions to those places (eg. Coddu Vecchiu, Li llolghi in Arzachena).

Going South, you can reach St. Teodoro, Budoni, Orosei and Dorgali by both ARST and private coaches (not far from Cala Gonone) in about 2.30 hours. Other destinations in this area may be reached going through Nuoro and getting a coach from there (Cala Gonone, Oliena, Mamoiada, Orgosolo).Going further down from Olbia you can also get to the beautiful and a bit cut-off Tortoli in about 4 hours.

Once again, the little green train is a good excursion to take, although it only works from mid June to September. You can catch it in Palau or Arbatax.

Talking about Arbatax, this pier, together with the small airport of Tortoli, could be an ideal arriving point to explore both the amazing coastline and mountains of this mostly unknown & unspoilt but equally beautiful area of Sardinia.
The airport of Tortoli is very near the town and the amazing golden beach of Orri. There are several companies that offer both excursions of the gulf and of the mountains. You are also not far from Jerzu, which produces one of the most famous Sardinian red wines… that you can thoughtfully enjoy, as you are not driving!

Cheers
Manuela

Many of you will be landing in Alghero – Fertilia airport. This is at 15 kms from the town of Alghero, which can be reached by taxi or local bus.
Outside the airport there are a number of public and private coaches that can take you to the cities of Cagliari, Sassari, Nuoro, Oristano and Porto Torres pier. I would suggest you to check timings first : www.arst-sardegna.it; 078430325; 079281728. One of the routes also reaches Alghero rail Station (rail service: www.ferroviesardegna.it).

If you are arriving by ferry in Porto Torres instead, a train will be departing from there to Cagliari in conjunction with the ferry arrival. It is really at walking distance from the pier. The route crosses the whole island up to Cagliari. It stops in many towns (not Alghero) and it takes about 4 hours..! (www.ferroviesardegna.it)

The pier is also served by the ARST Coaches (public) that connect this to Sassari and other Sardinian towns, plus some private coaches that connect Porto Torres to Bosa, Alghero, Santa Teresa di Gallura and others (www.arst-sardegna.it & 079262039, 079281728). You can also reach Sassari by taxi for about €25.

For those of you who are touring both Corsica and Sardinia, you will embark or disembark in Santa Teresa di Gallura. Both taxis and local coaches serve this pier. From Santa Teresa as well you get a number of regional and private coaches to Nuoro, Porto Torres pier, Alghero, Tempio and other towns.

What is worth visiting in this side of North-Sardinia then:

The famous Alghero. This is not very big and you can walk pretty much everywhere if you are not staying far from the historic town. Otherwise, the local buses are available and with these you can also reach the town beach.

Bosa: a lovely medieval town dominated by a castle and surrounded by wild mountains and beautiful sea. Lots to see in terms of nature, traditions, art-crafts and festivals that take place here. Also, do not forget that the “little green train” departs from here and could take you on a fabulous excursion of this area up to Macomer and back. Bosa is not so crowded as Alghero in the pick season, so it could also be a base where you could stay on your holidays.

Also from Alghero or Sassari you can board a train connecting you with the “little green train” for a very green excursion! You could go up to to Tempio and further to Palau where you could board a ferry for the Park of la Maddalena island (but in this case you would need to book an overnight in the area). Also bear in mind that the touristic route of the Green Train (trenino verde) is only seasonal and times tend to change from year to year. It normally runs from mid June to mid-end September.

The natural Park of the Asinara island, at only 29 kms from Porto Torres. This is very famous for its typical and cute white donkeys. It can be reached by the ARST coaches that drive you to the pier of Porto Torres or Stintino. Nowadays you buy your ferry tickets on place and once arrived in the island you can tour it by public transport or you can hire a bike.

Stintino beach “la Pelosa” and its little tower on the islet are also worth visiting.

Castlesardo is another little gemm. A really pretty medieval town overlooking the Gulf of Asinara. Again you can get there by train or coach from Sassari in about two hours, if you get the direct train/bus.

Tempio Pausania. It can be also reached by the ARST coaches and it is worth going there to attend its traditional carnival, which is supposed to be one of the bests on the islands. The journey takes about 80 minutes from Sassari.

This is all for the time being – next chapter will be about the North – East Sardinia…

Ciao, Manu

Reaching Cagliari town:

Cagliari’s airport  is in Elmas at about 10 kms from Cagliari city centre. The airport is serviced by shuttle buses reaching Cagliari main square, Piazza Matteotti,  in about 15 minutes from 8:45 – 23.30.  From Piazza Matteotti square, depending on where you are staying, you could walk, get another bus or a cab. The alternative is to catch a cab from the airport to the hotel, which should cost you around € 20. Cagliari’s pier is not far from many hotels of the city but a cab will probably be the best choice if you got lots of suitcases.

Sightseeing Cagliari:

Local buses are available and pretty cheap to reach the town centre, the parks (Monte Urpinu, Monte Claro) and the Poetto beach. It must be said that these are often late on schedule though (Italian style!). From Piazza Matteotti you can walk nearly everywhere within the Old Town (Castello, Marina, Stampace, Villanova). Be prepared for some fun exercise as Cagliari is built on hills!

A little tourist  train tours the Old Town Centre (seasonal) and a small open Sightseeing  Coach will get you to the areas that are more difficult to reach by foot (the Salt Mines, Poetto Beach, Bonaria Church..).

If you are a little bit more adventurous, you can hire a bike and visit Cagliari in the greenest way, although there are not yet cycling ways in Cagliari. Extra care is recommended in the busiest roads but you should be fine in the Old Town as cars are not allowed (Castello).

Excursions:

There are both a rail station and a coach station (ARST) that connect the town to the rest of the island. These are located in Piazza Matteotti and you can reach many historic and archaeological sites from them even as a day excursion:

Barumini: the so famous Unesco site consisting in the main Sardinian Nuraghe fortress. It can be reached by ARST coaches in about 90 minutes.

Laconi: a mountain destination for those who like culture (you can visit Menhirs and Tombe dei Giganti) woods and trekking. Only 83 kms but 2 hours journey by direct coach or rail.

Mandas: in this village you can board the “little green train” (seasonal) for a beautiful excursion that goes up to Arbatax through lovely mountain scenery and tiny villages. You should get a train to Mandas from Monserrato nearby Cagliari(and to Monserrato by coach from Cagliari). The Green train works normally from mid June-September.

Nora archaeological site and lagoon. You will have to get to Pula with the ARST coaches and from there get the local bus to the site, which is 2 kms away.

San Sperate village and its famous wall paintings are about 25 minutes from Cagliari by direct ARST coach. You can easily do this in half a day. Not to be missed by the Street Art lovers!

St. Antioco and S. Pietro islands: well, it is a shame that these are so cut off from the rest of Sardinia as there is a lot to do, see and eat …! Superb beaches, very important archaeological sites (Catacombs, Tophet Museum, Ipogeo Museum).  If you get the right connection, it can be done in a day. Get a train to Carbonia via Villamassargia and from Carbonia catch a coach to S. Antioco (about 90-120 minutes each way).

Tharros archaeological site. Well, this is a bit more challenging as there is not direct transport. Your first step then is to get to Oristano by train (80 minutes) or by coach (2 hours). From Oristano to Tharros there are 35 Kms to go and the only bus connection you will get operates in July and August.

Villasimius beaches:  by ARST direct coaches Villasimius is about 90 minutes. A shuttle bus takes you daily from the Village to the beach (summer months only).

Timings and routes do change also according to the season so I preferred not to indicate any. Best way to get the right information on timings is to ask at the stations in advance of your journey either in person (better) or by phone as the ARST and Rail websites are all in Italian at the moment and do not seem to work a great deal..

That’s all for now, next chapter will be about the North-West Sardinia.

Ciao, Manu

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

You can reach Villasimius by public transport with coaches departing from Cagliari (Piazza Matteotti) or by car, off course.  A new fast road connecting Cagliari to Villasimius is under construction… still!. If you are a sightseeing lover though, and you are lucky to have a travel partner who does not mind to drive on bendy roads going up and down the cliffs (or you are travelling by coach), than you could enjoy a very fascinating and breathtaking view of this coastline and its thousands of blue, green and crystal nuances.

Why should you visit?

1) Villasimius is first of all a “real place”,  a small town with its own people, restaurants, bars, shops.  Although in the pick season it grows hugely in size and it is much livelier  with its disco clubs, you got everything you need in the low season as well, when it’s less crowded and more affordable.

2) A selection of equally beautiful sandy beaches of which some are very much organised and equipped with facilities and others a little bit wilder. I love the Spiaggia Notteri where the lake and the sea nearly merge and the beach is a narrow and long stretch of thin white sand. Porto Giunco is also gorgeous..but there are so many others:  Campu Longu, Spiaggia del Riso, Cala Caterina, Timiama, Simius, Capo Carbonara…

Remember not to take any pebbles away from the Spiaggia del Riso if you go there, please! Its name indeed comes from these gracious rice shaped and looking pebbles which are mostly gone, partially because tourists stole them as a souvenir..

3) Activities and things to do. Many. From boat excursions to the islands, to “pescaturismo” excursions, diving, and snorkelling but also trekking, horse riding and excursions to the mountains of Sette Fratelli ( “The Seven Brothers). Finally you can visit the small archaeological museum in Villasimius town and some archaeological ruins (in Cuccureddus & Notteri).  Also, remember that you are only 90 minutes drive from Cagliairi in you wanted to visit the capital.

4) A choice of hotels from two to five stars, camping’s, B&B, farmhouses and holiday villas. I must admit that prices go sometimes crazy during the pick season but if you can be flexible, considering that Sardinia is blessed with a very mild and sunny weather, you should be able to find something that suits your budget.

5) The food. Delicious and not to be missed are the first courses that include the traditional ” fregula” with seafood or meat, which is kind of a local cous cous but thinker compared to the Tunisian version. Then you got the “malloreddusu“, or the “Culungiones”, a sort of local ravioli filled with fresh cheese.

Second dishes can be either meat or fish based and very simply cooked. Roasted goat, piglet, lamb which are then laid on wooden trays covered with mirto leaves to give a very nice aroma. Seafood is grilled: sea brims, sea basses, eels and prawns. For the vegetarians, yes we know, Italy is normally a tough destination but depending on the season this area can offer delicious mushrooms, asparagus, aubergines, olives and cheeses.  Talking about cheeses, do not miss the “Sebada” the local dessert to go with the delicious honey..

Did I make you hungry? Ah, come and visit then

Ciao, Manu

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

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