November 2nd is All Souls Day in Italy. A day where families commemorate the faithful departed. Relatives clean up the graves, bring fresh new flowers and pray that their loved ones souls reach heaven.
All Souls Day
The Nuragic Civilization developed during the middle of the Bronze Age (15th-18th centuries BC.) The word nuraghe is perhaps related to the Sardinian word ‘nurra‘ meaning heap of stones. There have been no written testimonies of this civilization and most findings have been scientific theories. Only a handful of the 7000 remaining nuraghe have been excavated, leaving an entire nation still in wonder. Continue reading
Hunting season is a rite of passage for most young boys in Sardinia. Their father and their father’s father have passed down generations of knowledge and whereabouts of the islands fine animals. Hunting on the island of Sardinia has taken place since the first inhabitants set foot on this sprawling lush island.
For those that love to exercise outdoors (like myself) it’s good to know when the hunters will be roaming the mountains that I run oh so close to. Last year I had just turned a corner, making decent pace when Continue reading
Traditional Sardinian Dress
The Sardinian wild boar is a beastly animal weighing between 110-200 pounds with a compact head and short legs. The colours range from chocolate, cream, black and spotted boar. Its fur is stiff and was once used as bristles for a toothbrush. The adult male boar develops tusks which continuously grow and has teeth that protrude from the mouth. They use these tusks in self-defense. Continue reading
One hundred and twelve years have passed since the first Cavalcata Sarda took place to honor King Umberto 1 and Queen Margherita, who made a visit to Sardegna in 1899. This colourful folk festival is held on the second-last Sunday of May, every year. Continue reading
Happy Smiling Sardinian Children
The smiles are wide here. They are full of hope and filled with laughter. This I learned at a family gathering last night. There were twenty-one Sards, one Italian and one Canadian at this festival which was held a few mountains over from ours. From the moment we entered the door with our ‘permesso,’ the radiant smiles never stopped.
After making the round of the usual kiss on both cheeks to everyone in attendance we set upon duties for the nightly meal. Mine consisted of grating five pounds of Continue reading
I have eaten the deeps of the Mediterranean and sampled the rich earthy reds grown from my own backyard. The strange sea creatures placed before us at our late, late evening meal are bizarre, stinky and shiny. One dish (locally known as Cannolichi) reminded me of cheese covered rain worms with olive oil and a few herbs. I dared to try it but only a small bite. The crunch and the image in my mind turned my taste buds off and vowed to never eat or see this food again. One night when browsing the menu I was surprised to find Continue reading 
My Sardinian Life 