How to tell you’ve had a good time at Carnival | Tempio Pausania, Sardinia, Italy

How do you define a good time? Is it with music or dance? Is singing in your repertoire? What if we combine all those ingredients and throw a six-day festival in honour of a dead King?

The party starts here:

The festival parade of masks and floats generally occurs before Lent. People of all ages and walks of life come out to celebrate the King of Carnival – King George (or Giorgio if you’re in Italy). Many of the ancient traditions have disappeared over the centuries, but one thing clearly stays the same –  Carnevale Tempiese, The Carnival of Tempio Pausania.

Tempio Pausania is in the Gallura region of northern Sardinia and is the administrative capital (along with Olbia) making the province of Olbia-Tempio.

The 14,000 inhabitants know how to throw an impressive Carnival and have shown up by the thousands to pay homage (and party) in honour of the King.

In just a few weeks time people from all over Europe will take part in dance, costume and play, at one of Sardinia’s biggest celebrations, after brushing out the winter cobwebs and hailing in the new sun shine.

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How Not to Make Sardinian Seadas

Seadas or Sebadas is a traditional Sardinian dessert made with flour, fresh sheep cheese, honey and lemon zest.

Seadas is a dessert similar to ravioli and is produced mainly in the areas where shepherds roam. Pecorino is sheep cheese, it’s strong in flavour and the perfect filler for the seadas. If you can’t find pecorino in your local supermarket, try looking for a strong cheese for the filler.

How NOT to Make Sardinian Seadas. Continue reading

How to Eat a 12lb Sardinian Snapper

A few nights ago we were invited to a friend’s birthday celebration. With all celebrations in Sardinia the food was endless, and well, big.

On the table before us sat a beautiful 12 pound Sardinian Snapper. In Italian this fish is appropriately called dentice, the root of the word denti means teeth, and this snapper was full of them.

Sardinian Red Snapper - Dentice

Never in my life have I seen a fish so big and never in my life had I partaken in eating a fish this size. Continue reading

How to Pickle a Wild Sardinian Mushroom

Pickling a wild Sardinian mushroom is no easy task, if you’ve never pickled anything in your life. I’ve eaten pickles, been pickled (a few too many times) and even, yes, had a pickle party, but I have never pickled a wild Sardinian Mushroom.

Wild Sardinian Mushrooms

I had no choice in the matter when Husband came home from the mountain top with six pounds of the freshest of fresh wild Sardinian mushrooms. You could smell the dung. We all know where mushrooms grow, right?  Continue reading

How to Tell if it’s Bloody Hot Outside

Shaded Flight

If the pigeons are catching shade, it’s a good sign that things are heating up. Follow nature.