...of solitude and company, beach and city, culture and lounging, and of course, reading, reading, reading. That describes my two week stay in Rome and Sardinia in spring time, the perfect season to be in Italy. Things hit a bump early on when my traveling companion, whose place I was supposed to be staying in for much of the trip, had to leave suddenly because of a death in the family. I was leaving for Sardinia in the morning, and had to reinvent my plans. I took the unadventurous route, and extended my stays at a rather remote fishing village on the northwest tip of Sardinia near a beautiful, beautiful beach (La Pelosa is the name), as well as at a resorty place with a nice infinity pool and a snobby staff (Punta Negra) in Fertilia, a small town created by Mussilini, which was kind of creepy. I spent a few days in Rome with friends, then really slowed down the pace and took long walks to the beach once I was in Sardinia, feasting every night on local seafood, reading novels voraciously (thanks for the lending, Nancy!), and sailing with a bunch of Sardinians on a catamaran one day, enjoying trying to communicate. After the first Sardinian phase, it was on to Fertilia/Alghero, where I saw my first stalagtites/mites, wandered around a white, Spanish-flavored town with windy streets and semi-posh jewelry stores. Then met up with my friend for two days, who came back and was rearing to go, driving us all over the country, including spectacular winding roads atop cliffs with azure sea beneath. Also took a train to a saint festival in Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, and way underrated, as far as I'm concerned. There were processions of people in traditional costume, men on horses, rose petals covering the streets. I expected raucous but got solemn--it celebrates St. Efesius saving the city from the Plague. Then, finally, a morning and night in the small village of Cuglieri, also underrated (it had a great little bar/coffee place open to the air and a terrific local restaurant that just kept bringing out plates and plates of food, from fava beans marinated with celery and onions and garlic to pheasant! And, at last, Rome for two more days, in Trastevere, which was in all its luminous glory, especially toward the end of the very long spring days. I took many, many snaps of the nabe and the unbelievably rich, lucid light.
More to come, including photos....plus descriptions of the wonderful friends I got to reconnect with. They took such good care of me and went out of their way to see me and that made me feel so good.
Ciao,
Paola
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