Island of Sardegna

On each of our European trips, we like to explore at least one completely new location, and this time, we chose to visit the island of Sardegna (or Sardinia, as most Americans call it), which is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, off the western coast of Italy. 

We left our friends in the countryside and drove to Civitavecchia, a port city just north of Rome, where we boarded a ferry for a five and a half hour boat ride to Olbia. We arrived late in the evening, so we spent the night at a hotel near the port, and the next morning we headed south toward our next destination, Villasimius, on the southern coast. 

Along the way, we drove through a town called Tortolí, and continuing a little farther toward the sea, we stopped at the marina area of Arbatax. It was there that we found these amazing rock formations jutting out of the clear blue/green water. We both took lots of photos, and before we left the area, we had some really good gelato for lunch!

When we finally arrived at the hotel where we were to stay for the next two nights, we were pleased to find a relaxing outdoor seating area and a couple glasses of prosecco (Italian version of champagne) to start the evening. 

That night, we had a delicious dinner at the hotel's excellent restaurant, next to the pool, with a sea view in the distance.

The following day, we explored the local area by car, took a long walk on the beach, and of course, shot lots of photos! The beaches near Villasimius are absolutely gorgeous, with unusual rock formations (very similar to the ones in Joshua Tree National Park) in between sandy beaches.

On our third morning on Sardinia, we left the beauty of the southern beaches, and headed northwest, continuing to circle the island. We stopped in the town of Oristano for lunch, walked around a bit, and visited the cathedral—which was quite beautiful—before heading to our bed & breakfast in Narbolia. 

Narbolia is a quaint little town, surrounded by farm land and wide open spaces. The main reason we were staying there was because I had read online what a nice place the Casa Pisanu B&B is, and we were not disappointed! It is a lovely old home with high, painted ceilings, run by a delightful woman named Rita, who was very helpful in pointing us in the right direction for dinner and sights in the area that she said we must see. 

Dinner that night was a complete surprise to both of us. Rita told us how to get to a nearby village called Vero Milis, and without her directions, we never would have seen the restaurant! Nestled on a narrow, empty street across from the town's church, we found Il Cortiletto Ristorante, which turned out to be a gourmet food establishment! Who would've guessed such a place could exist in such an out-of-the-way location?! It's just one of those wonderful discoveries one makes when traveling off-season, or in less touristy places, and getting advice from locals.

Rita also suggested we visit a place called Torre del Pozzo by the sea, where we would find something called S'Archittu, a natural arch in the rocks. Not surprisingly, people love to jump off of this into the sea below. We sat on the rocky beach, put our feet in the water (I was gently "nibbled" on by a tiny shrimp!), and walked all the way out to the end of the point beyond this arch, where there were great photo ops!

Our last full day on Sardinia, we awoke to Rita cooking breakfast in the kitchen, and in the dining room, we met a young German couple, Ben and Zena, who had also stayed the night. While we ate our delicious and copious breakfast, we chatted at length and learned we are of the same mind on many subjects. They are expecting their first child soon, and are planning a trip to California possibly less than a year from now, so of course, we invited them to stay with us and gave them our contact information. This is one of the aspects of travel that I enjoy so much! Making new friends, with the hopes of seeing them again in our environment or theirs! 

After making a quick trip to the local market for fruit and snacks for the road, we again took Rita's advice, and stopped on the way to Olbia, at an archaeological site in the town of Santa Cristina. There, we saw something called a nuraghe: a stone structure, and the remains of the surrounding village, built in the 16 century BC -- over 3500 years ago! 

School children on a field trip.

In the same area, there is a hypogean temple in the ground, built in the 12 century BC. It's an amazing example of precise architecture from ancient times, and we were able to descend the steep steps to the bottom to see the well that was 50 feet deep at one time.

The temple ground level.

Sam slowly venturing down into the well.

Water at the bottom of the well.

Looking back up at the sky from near the bottom.

After a long day of driving and sightseeing, we returned to Olbia to do some laundry, and spend the night before leaving on the ferry early the next morning, and continue on the last leg of our 2013 trip to Italy! But not before we got one more walk on a beach near Olbia!

(Click on photos to enlarge, and go to my Flickr page to see more photos.)

Before and After the Wedding

For us, a visit to Italy has to include a visit with our dear friends the Colonna family in Sorrento, and before we traveled to Carlantino for the wedding, that's just what we did. I have written about the Sorrentine Peninsula before, and although we have visited it many times, I never grow tired of its beauty and people.

We had a wonderful time with our friends Marco and Antonella, basking in their incredible hospitality, and enjoying the familiar view of Mt. Vesuvius from the Hotel Cristina.

We also took our requisite Almalfi Coast drive, and along the way made a stop at our preferred ceramic factory, Piccadilly. (This is the shop where we bought our small patio table that we had shipped home back in the summer of 2005. Our mission this time was a gift to take to the wedding.) Afterwards, we had lunch at one of our favorite spots, the ristorante across the road, overlooking the clear blue Tyrrhrenian Sea.

My handsome traveling partner enjoying the view in Conca dei Marini.

View of Positano from the Almalfi road

On another day, we drove down to Paestum to see the beautiful Greek temples and ruins there. We had done so once before, many years ago, but we arrived too late, and they were closed. Turns out it was worth the return trip.

Ancient Greek Temple of Posiedon

Finally, much to our delight, there was a Dalí exhibit at the Villa Fiorentino on the main street of Sorrento, which we enjoyed immensely!

As always, it was difficult to say goodbye to our Sorrento friends, but it was made a little easier with the hope that Antonella and her oldest daughter, Ilaria, will be visiting us here in Sacramento next summer! So we said arrivederci and headed to Carlantino to meet up with Maria and attend the wedding.

At the end of my last post, I mentioned that we when we left the wedding very late that evening, we were looking forward to a comfy bed, but I didn't say what the accommodations were. Not wanting to make the hour drive back to Carlantino that night, Maria arranged for us to stay at her cousin's agriturismo near Decorata, a kind of "farm stay" bed and breakfast, consisting of five lovely rooms with bathrooms, and a restaurant, where they serve all homemade food grown on their farm.

Giuseppina and her husband, Michele (pronounced me-KAY-lay), could not have been more hospitable! Not only did they let us stay for two nights, but they also included us in a huge family meal the day after the wedding! They formed a long table with all the tables in their restaurant, and about 20 family members gathered for the midday meal. Even though they spoke almost no English, we had a wonderful time!

(Sam's Photo)

Later that day, they arranged for a beautiful young woman named Maria Pozzuto to act as an interpreter and show us around the area. Maria is a tiny, but amazing Italian who speaks flawless English with a British accent, has a degree in Japanese, and is presently teaching herself Mandarin Chinese! Michele drove and she showed us around Decorata and Colle Sannita; one of the highlights being a visit to a private museum collection of local antique tools and furniture, owned by a very nice man named Giovanni Carletto.

Giovanni Carletto shows Michele and us one of the "pipes" from a very old pipe organ in his collection.

That evening, we returned to the agriturismo, and after a light snack, Michele and Giuseppina took us out for drinks and gelato. On the way back we stopped at the homes of a couple different relatives to say hello (and have another drink!) before finally retiring for the night. Early the next morning, we had to say goodbye to our gracious hosts because we had a ferry to Sardinia to catch, and they would not let us pay them anything after all they had shared with us!  Italian hospitality is a glorious thing!

Giuseppina and Michele in front of their restaurant.

(Click on photos to enlarge, and go to my Flickr page to see more photos.)

A Real Italian Wedding

Although we had not anticipated another trip to Italy quite so soon, when we heard there was going to be a wedding in our friend Maria's (owner of Roma II Pizzeria ) home town of Carlantino, we decided to crash it! Well, we didn't actually crash it. We were invited. Sort of.

Maria called the groom (a distant cousin of hers) and caught him "out in the field" working. She told him a couple friends of hers would be in Italy the weekend of the wedding, and she wondered if he and his bride would mind a couple extra guests. His response was the equivalent of: "Of course, the more the merrier!"

Carlantino is a very small town in the region of Puglia, in southern Italy. Since we had visited Maria's family there very briefly last year, it was a little easier to find this time, and we were really looking forward to spending more time with Maria's niece, Nicolina, and her fun-loving husband, Vincenzo, as well as several others we had met that day in October 2012.

Some of the family members we met last year. L. to R. Nicolina, Michela (her daughter), Domenico and Angelina (her parents/Maria's sister and brother-in-law), Antonetta (her sister-in-law), and Vincenzo.

We arrived in the area the day before the wedding, and checked into what turned out to be a lovely four-star hotel near Celenza Valfortore, only about 10 minutes drive from tiny Carlantino. It's called Relais San Pietro, and I highly recommend it. Their season was pretty much over, so I think we might have been the only guests, and the cost of our room was only €39 (about $52), including breakfast, which unfortunately, we did not have time to eat!

That first evening we were invited to have dinner at Nicolina and Vincenzo's home -- and what a dinner it was! Course after course of delicious homemade and homegrown food, accompanied by lots of good local wine! And when we were finished eating, there were the typical after dinner drinks: grappa, amaro, and I don't remember what all! Needless to say, we were "feeling no pain" (although a little bloated) when we left very late that night!

 Nicolina, Vincenzo, Maria, and me feeling no pain!

Carlantino at night from Nicolina and Vincenzo's terrace.

Unfortunately, all that merriment left us feeling less than well the next morning, and we had to meet Maria and family at the groom's house at 10am. There was lots of food in the tiny front room of the groom's family home, but it was so crowded, we skipped it. Instead, Maria's sister-in-law, Antonetta, gave us a tour of Maria's childhood home, which was just next door.

After the tour, it was time to walk down the street to the bride's family home, where a fairly large group of people had gathered outside. The groom went inside, while a couple of ladies (I'm thinking the bride's aunts maybe) moved through the crowd, offering sandwiches, cookies, and cakes.

Soon, the bride and groom appeared at the entrance of the house, where a white ribbon had been stretched across the opening. Together, they cut the ribbon to cheers and lots of photo snapping! Then everybody followed them down the street and into the church, where a group of ladies, including Nicolina on guitar, were playing music and singing traditional songs.

The ceremony was very long (about 90 minutes), but interesting, and different than what we are used to in Catholic churches back home. I was wishing I had a better understanding of Italian!

When it was finally over, the bride and groom visited a couple of the nearby cafe/bars, receiving toasts at each. Then they were showered with rice and little candies as they walked up the main street, followed by dozens of wedding guests, to where their car was waiting to take them to the reception.

Cute little flower girl looking on with a sweet smile.

Maria's bother, Pietro (known as Pete in Sacramento), 
and his wife, Antonetta, following the newlyweds.

Maria and her friend, Roberto, bringing up the rear. She was 
constantly stopped by old friends and relatives who wanted 
to say hello. I love this picture of her. A real Italian beauty!

View of Carlantino (on the right)with the lake below, from the highway
 leading out of town. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and the 
hour-long drive was one beautiful vista after another!

The reception was held at a beautiful ristorante called Villa Canonico, about an hour away, near the small town of Baselice, in the Campania region. 

Pretty much in the middle of nowhere, here was this beautiful banquet hall, surrounded by well-kept grounds. When we arrived, the staff was filling table tops near a swimming pool, with all sorts of delicious edible delights! Called the "Gran Bouffet Villa Canonico" on the menu, it listed forty different items in the buffet alone! Seafood of all kinds, meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, breads, pastries, soup, you name it, it was laid out and then consumed quicker than you can imagine by hungry guests! The only thing I can compare it to is a buffet on a cruise ship! But that was just the beginning!

The buffet having been consumed, everyone started heading into the main building to find their places at elegantly set tables. Once the guests were seated, the newlyweds arrived at the entrance, where there was yet another ribbon-cutting ceremony, more toasting, and more photos.

The bride and groom took their place at their special table, and that's when the real food started to arrive! Plate after plate was delivered to each guest, starting with a seafood salad (Insalata Catalana), followed by three different "Primi" dishes (one risotto and two pasta), and five "Secondi" dishes (lots of seafood) with roasted potatoes! Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the food, but Sam may have gotten some of it on video. (When/if he gets his videos edited and posted, I will add the link.) 

Each of these dishes was enough for a meal, so of course we didn't eat it all. Maria and I turned down a couple of the plates - she, because of her gluten intolerance, and me because I was leery of some of the ingredients (I'm not a big fan of octopus!), plus, I just couldn't eat that much!

Lest you think that we were being force-fed, I need to mention that there were several "intermissions" during the feast. After eating one or two dishes, dancing or some kind of entertainment would ensue, so this lavish dinner was stretched out over several hours, which I guess is how some people were able to eat so much! Eat a plate of pasta, and then dance to burn calories before sitting down to eat another plate of pasta or seafood! When the guests weren't dancing, there were friends of the couple doing little "skits," which most found pretty funny, but to someone who is unfamiliar with local customs and couldn't understand (or hear) what they were saying or singing, it all seemed pretty silly, albeit very festive!

Maria dancing with Vincenzo the party animal!

The interlude we found most interesting was after the first three secondi, when suddenly, everyone seemed to be leaving their tables and heading out the back door. Outside, on a lovely, covered patio area, with a view of the surrounding countryside, there were tables set up with bowls of candies, platters full of aged grana padano cheese, chunks of very dark chocolate, bottles of whiskeys and other liquors, and a tray of cigarettes and cigars! Sam was pleased to have a cigar with some Jameson, as seen here in the "selfie" he shared on Instagram!

After our little break, we went back to our tables and were served two more meat courses before the final insalata mista (mixed salad), and more dancing! After all the traditional activities, like the toss of the bouquet and the garter, and a strange dance of the newlyweds where guests wrapped them with ribbons and saran wrap, we were then told to go outside again. This time, it was to watch the bride and groom endure many toasts of sparking wine with various family members and friends (and tons more photos) over their torta nuziale (wedding cake), while inside, the staff set up several tables with the gran bouffet di dolci e fruita (grand buffet of desserts and fruits). 

I wish I had pictures of this buffet because it was amazing! Every kind of fruit you could imagine, pastries and cakes of all kinds, and of course, the wedding cake, accompanied by sparking wine, amari, and coffee! A few dances later, we were ready to head to our overnight accommodations and a comfy bed with full bellies and lots of memories!

 (Click on photos to enlarge, and go to my Flickr page to see more photos from the wedding day.)