Fraud.  Just a matter of perspective.  We know all the people in the Fraud Department of our Visa credit card by first name. Why?  We are baffled.  Just because our permanent address is on the mainland U.S.A. and our billing address in Hawaii; we are in Indonesia booking a ticket from Sardenia to Malta; through a travel company in South Africa!

Or we have U.S. dollars USD, paying for a rental in Bali, Indonesian Rupiah IDR, through a manager in Australia dollars AUD to be passed to the owners in Canada CAD.  Simple? Yeah, right.

Maybe that’s why!  Life as a Nomad can be interesting at times.

Sardinians are a proud people – proud of their autonomous island and of their rich cultural heritage.  Sardinians are friendly and polite with a strong sense of tradition and a passion for their island; reflected in their many festivals that take place throughout the year. Sardinians love to indulge in good food.  Families play an important part in society.  Itis not uncommon to see groups of family and friends gathering for an enormous feast, after mass on Sunday; hold the sardines, please.

Life in Sardinia is unpretentious and simple compared to some other European countries. Many islanders are still employed in the agricultural industry and so there are no extremes of wealth. Sardinia is a warm and welcoming island, rich in tradition that will dazzle you with its uniqueness and leave you wanting more.  We felt immediately at home in the small coastal town of Alghero.  It felt like visiting an old Italian Aunties seaside village.  In the evenings townsfolk stroll through the narrow cobblestone streets of the old city (alguer vella), in search of a tempting dish at an outdoor café.  Others promenade along the seaside or sit on well-placed benches visiting with neighbors.

Italian is the first language of Sardinia, although the Sardinian language, Sardo, is still widely spoken. A rich language, Sardo varies greatly from area to area, even from village to village, with Latin, Arabic, Spanish and Catalan influences reflecting the turbulence of the island’s past.  Seems just about everyone has had their way with Sardinia through history.

On the eastern side of the island, Olbia is the gateway to Sardinia’s most popular (and most expensive) resort region of the rich and famous, the Costa Smeralda, developed by none other than the Aga Khan in the 1960s. This area gave the island its wealthy reputation, but Sardinia as a whole is one of the most reasonable areas of Italy.

Nestled in a bay the Romans called the Harbour of the Nymphs, in NW Sardinia, there is a village almost four thousand years old, shrouded in legend.  This Bronze Age settlement is among the most important that the Nuragic civilization left us.  Nuraghe Palmavera ancient prehistoric village is one of the largest and most impressive Nuraghic sites in Sardinia.

The Capanna delle Riunioni was a meeting place for elders of the tribe, with a low stone bench that lined the walls and a fireplace for both warmth and ceremonial functions. Once inside we marveled at the primitive yet interesting construction.  Looking up at the fitted stones shaping the ceiling we realized it wasn’t a good morning for an earthquake!!   There are more than 200 buildings originally on the site, which was constructed and inhabited around the 10th century BC.  These stone towers are seen dotting the Sardinian landscape.

Located in northern Sardinia, is a small village of ancient origins called Bosa.  Founded during Phoenician times, Bosa prospered during the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages it was invaded by Arab pirates several times until eventually in the 12th century the Malaspinas built a hilltop castle that proved vital in defending the town.

Crossed by the river Temo (only navigable river in Sardinia) Bosa is a great old coastal village to get lost in for a day.  An hour’s ride on the local bus dumps you off on the outskirts of town.  A short walk finds you entering the maze of side streets of old town, punctuated with ornate churches and tasty cafes.  A couple miles down the road is where the Temo River opens up to a long beach.  Bosa is characterized by colorful houses in pastel colors with wrought-iron balconies, lining the narrow alleys of the old town; giving it an enchanted atmosphere.  Bosa deserves its title as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy.  In fact, all of Sardinia is spectacular and worth a visit.

And so it goes……………………………Next the romance and history continues with Cinque Terre and Florence.    Until then Be Ever Thankful, Keep Laughing, Keep Living Life to the Fullest, and remember to “Do all the good you can in all the ways you can, for all the people you can for long as ever you can,” like the Sardinian villagers.     Thanks for joining us on our journey!  Take care!

Love, Light & Laughter, 

xo  Nancy & Joseph