I am Canadian. Io sono canadese. (in Sardegna/Sardinia)

Posted on February 17 by Jennifer Avventura

Canadian Maple Leaf

The muscles in my calves are aching as I make my way up the mountain, bags in hand. At home I unpack the groceries to our six-foot two fridge. In an hour M. will be home, sweaty from seven hours of pane and he’ll be hungry. He likes and wants me to prepare the meals, its part of his culture; that’s just what the women do. I’ve seen it at many dinner parties thrown by his friends. And this woman doesn’t mind. He’s home and greets me with a bacio and we eat. I wash the dishes in the bathroom sink; our cucina finished within the next few days, Sardinian time. In my reality of time our cucina will be finished in two to three more weeks. I’m ok with the fact that things here happen slowly, I can’t change the hand of time nor can I move a culture to rapido. After all, I am in their country trying to speak their language be it dialect or Italian; and I find myself becoming the traditional Italian housewife with the exception that I AM CANADIAN, eh!

Let the Sun Down

Posted on February 13 by Jennifer Avventura

The View From My Room

Here’s a little peek into my piece of heaven. And all from the front row seat of my living room. Bliss. Happy Sunday.

The People From Here

Posted on February 7 by Jennifer Avventura

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 →

My Hood.

Posted on February 3 by Jennifer Avventura

So instead of my usual or not so usual ramblings here on WordPress, I’ve decided to show you around my town. The name is not important but it’s in Sardegna. The most beautiful place on the planet. Enjoy the following pics. Continue reading →

You’re distracting me! Go away.

Posted on January 29 by Jennifer Avventura

While I should be writing my piece on ‘Asparagus Hunters,’ I’m well, just not. It’s there in my lazy head wanting to come out, needing to come out. But it’s just too lazy. All it wants to do all day is surf the net and read other super fine blogs by super strange people out there in cyber space. As well as eating one two many carbs in the day, smoking like a wet Sardinian chimney, consuming copious amounts of Nutella and local pecorino cheese (fresh sheep cheese. There’s some in the fridge … want some?) believing that thirty minutes on the indoor bicycle will get my bikini bod back, yeah just doesn’t cut it. I NEED to focus! Capital F. With too many goodies to devour out there in life I find my self distracted by life’s little pleasures. Maybe it’s the Sardinian air, food or even … sex. Who knows? Chi lo sa? My day dreaming must come to an end and I must finish that piece on … wait, what was I rambling on about? Oh right … Asparagus Hunters.

My New Year starts February 1st 2011. Blessed Be.

How the Italian Postal System – Blows my Mind.

Posted on December 20 by Jennifer Avventura

Living on an island in Italy has its up and downs. I’ve lived here for almost three years and every day the ‘system‘ changes, a new law passed, the Prime Minster can buy votes, and maybe the post will arrive domani. It’s no wonder most of the habitants here are ‘fuori di testa.’ How can anyone possibly trust/rely on a system that is corrupt and changes only for the good will of the already made billionaires. Continue reading →

Horse Eats

Posted on December 9 by Jennifer Avventura

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 →

Town’s People

Posted on December 5 by Jennifer Avventura

The towns municipal police officer is playing street cop and directing two-way traffic on a street built for one. He wears the aviator shades that Tom Cruise sported in his film Top Gun, which two decades later are still all the rage. Continue reading →

Empathy is the same in every language.

Posted on December 2 by Jennifer Avventura

The sirens wailed in the wet mountain air and stopped. They are close, too close. I put down my book and surveyed the damp valley below. But I can’t see them. The sirens start again. I see the ambulance turn … Continue reading →

I’m a Klutz and I’m Proud of it.

Posted on December 1 by Jennifer Avventura

It’s roughly 10:30am and I’ve been up and alert for three-point five hours. I’ve ran my pre-dawn run and it’s time to head into town to collect fresh food for the day. The red house on the corner is always sparkling clean, the flowers blooming daily and heavenly, the sweet smell of homemade pasta sauce drifting in the mountain air, tiny cars edge their way through town and I find myself walking… Continue reading →