Author Archives: Jennifer Avventura

Unknown's avatar

About Jennifer Avventura

Canadian Freelance writer living in Sardinia, Italy. A serial immigrant who has lived in Australia, England, Cayman Islands and Jamaica. When she's not out running 6k you will find her sitting at the computer - writing her novel and searching for worldwide work.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Habit

Posted on by
13

This weeks weekly photo challenge is habit, and there is no better place in the world where the people still abide by the same habits or rituals as they did hundreds of years ago, like they do here in Sardinia.

This hard-working man from Tonara is making a wooden platter in the shape of Sardinia to sell or give away as gifts to friends. For millenia the islanders have used natural resources from the surrounding area to make stunning hand-crafted items that will last a lifetime.

Jennifer Avventura My Sardinian Life Habit

This is my response to the weekly photo challenge: habit.

Do you prefer to buy your gifts from small independent business?

  • © My Sardinian Life/Jennifer Avventura. All rights reserved 2010-2013. All pictures, unless otherwise stated, are property of My Sardinian Life. Do not use without written permission.
Related articles

An attempt to learn Italian prepositions

Posted on by
45

For anyone new to learning Italian – it’s not easy. I’ve been in Italy since May 2008 and I still haven’t wrapped my head around the Italian prepositions. Plus, I’m a little lazy. Okay, I’m a lot lazy. The first two years in Sardinia I studied and I studied hard with Italian workbooks, Italian learning CD’s, repetition and more repetition. Then it got boring and I studied by watching TV, listening to the radio or having a coffee at the local bar each morning.

Jennifer Avventura Learning Italian My Sardinian Life

I should know these off by heart by now, but I don’t. My husband speaks to me in Italian or Gallurese, and depending on my mood I’ll respond first in English, then Italian, and sometimes I’ll throw him for a loop and respond in Gallurese. The look on his face is priceless when I respond to him in his first language and the giggle that escapes from his lips makes me want to do it all over again.

So, in a haphazard attempt to fully memorize the Italian prepositions I wrote them on a white-board magnetized to the fridge.

I’m not sure it’s working.

What are your study tips?

Snapshots: Memories from Mamoiada

Posted on by
6

Mamoiada is a small rural town in the province of Nuoro and is famous for its carnival held in February. I recently had the pleasure of visiting this mountain town and it held up to my expectations. Follow me on a photographic journey to the heart of Sardinia – Mamoiada.

View of Mamoiada from the watch tower at Cantina Puggioni Giampietro.

View of Mamoiada from the watch tower at Cantina Puggioni Giampietro.

Tzilleri = Bar

Beautiful old alleys and doorways.

Typical bread for that special day.
Patience and care goes into making this typical bread from Mamoiada.
Roast Pecora

Roast Pecora

Roasting chestnuts.

Hand-crafted masks.
Masks of the Mamuthones.
The most comical guy I've met in a long time at Mamoiada.

The most comical guy I’ve met in a long time at Mamoiada.

Jennifer Avventura My Sardinian Life Mamoiada (3)

Tappas in Mamujada 2013

I’d like to personally thank the Mamoiadini for throwing such a BIG fabulous festival at the Tappas in Mamujada. From what I read there were about 25,000 people in attendance this past Sunday. Keep up the great work. I look forward to a return visit.

  • © My Sardinian Life/Jennifer Avventura. All rights reserved 2010-2013. All pictures, unless otherwise stated, are property of My Sardinian Life. Do not use without written permission.

Poll: What do you think of the new WordPress Reader?

Posted on by
18

This past week the folks at WordPress went and changed the scope of how we read our favourite blogs, and there’s a lot of people angry at the changes. If you click on a title in the reader an annoying pop-up window shows up, we can comment, like and share but we can’t read the entire post. To read the entire post we must click yet again to open the blog post, very annoying.

Not only that … in the last few days I have noticed a dramatic decrease in visitors to my site!

I know of other bloggers in the WordPress community who feel the same way, losing readers, likes and comments because of this new change does nothing for the bloggers who blog at WordPress.

Just two weeks ago I spent $99 at WordPress to customize my site and make it more reader friendly. Then the kind folks at WordPress pulled the wool over my eyes designing a new reader that is not reader friendly, in any way shape or form.

I’m curious what you all think? Take my little poll below and leave comments in the comment section.

I look forward to your responses.

(Now I wonder how many people will click twice to read my entire post. Time and stats will tell.)

Happy blogging.

Video: Mamuthones at Tappas in Mamujada

Posted on by
3

A short video of the Mamuthones from Mamoiada at the Tappas in Mamujada. My video taking skills aren’t the best and I wasn’t in the best place to capture the Issohadores. Here’s a little sneak peek into the mysterious Mamuthones.

Have you seen the ritual dance from the Mamuthones?

Related articles:

Mystical Mamuthones from Mamoiada

Mystical Mamuthones from Mamoiada

Posted on by
26

The mystical Mamuthones from Mamoiada have always stirred my soul and made me question the origin of their existence. I have attended festivals in Sassari and Olbia where the Mamuthones preformed before the inquisitive public, but I had never witnessed their ritual dance in their town, on their turf, until this past Sunday when I attended Tappas in Mamujada. There is something so raw and connected to nature in their dance that pulls me in, curious, wanting to know more. So I went searching …

Mural in Mamoiada

The Mamuthone legacy is shrouded in secrecy Continue reading →

Eerie Food from Sardinia – Casu Marzu

Posted on by
30

Casu Marzu is eerie, very, very eerie. It’s a pungent cheese made from sheep milk and is left outside, uncovered, to rot. Tiny cheese flies infest the cheesy block and lay their off-spring, billions of small transparent maggots. The larvae feed on the cheese, thus causing fermentation and allowing the casu marzu to fully decompose into an eerie, stinky, creamy and highly sought after delicacy from the mountains of Sardinia. The moment I saw the sign above the door I knew what I had to do.  Continue reading →

Turning Gallurese

Posted on by
40

Every morning I head to the local coffee shop and it goes something like this Continue reading →

Weekly Photo Challenge: Sunset Horizon

Posted on by
21

This horizon speaks to me nightly with her stunning setting sun.

Tonight’s setting sun in Sardinia

Jennifer Avventura My Sardinian Life

This is my response to the weekly photo challenge: horizon. Just click the link to learn more or to join in on the fun.

Do you prefer sunrise or sunset?

Related articles

Travel Theme: A love stone from Sardinia

Image

24

“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
Michelangelo

Tinnari by Jennifer Avventura My Sardinian Life 2013 (15)

“I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.” Henry Rollins

This is my response to the weekly travel theme: stone.

© My Sardinian Life/Jennifer Avventura. All rights reserved 2010-2017. All pictures, unless otherwise stated, are property of My Sardinian Life. Do not use without written permission.

I’ve re-published this photo as I’m up to my ears with a little side project. I’ll be back in full blogging force by early next week.

Until next time …