The Blue Zone: Sardinia - 27 giugno, 2014

Many of the Italians we know have told us that Sardegna is their favorite place to vacation so we decided to check it out for ourselves.  Our friend Lauren was visiting us so she joined Dave and me as we caught a Friday evening flight on a discount airline (Ryanair) for the hour and half trip. Sardinia (as it is known in English) is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and is roughly the size of the state of Minnisota. We landed at the airport in Cagliari in the southeast corner of the island and since relaxation was the goal of this three day weekend trip, we didn't see much of the island beyond a 30 km radius of our hotel.  We found out quickly that the beautiful coastline, beaches and turquoise waters are what people love about this place and we couldn't agree more.

We stayed at a hotel that once was a monastery (Il Monastero in Geremeas) located in the hills a few kilometers from the beach. It was rustic and simple; meals were served under a pergola pool-side. The chaise lounges and hammocks tempted us to hang out there all day but the true reward was found when we went in search of the beaches.  In the region of Sardinia where we were, it appears that almost all of the coastline is wild and natural except for the occasional beach every mile or so that is reached by walking down trails from roadside parking spots. There are areas closer to resort areas that have concessions that rent umbrellas and beach chairs and have a snack bar but still we saw very little commercial development at the water's edge.

This area also has a protected marine environment and the water is startlingly clear. The colors of azure, green, blue, and turquoise are mesmerizing as you can see fish swimming by your feet in shoulder deep water. The coast line is rocky and several beach areas had a narrow isthmus that we could cross to climb up on small offshore islands. We took a sailboat trip along the coast and the captain told us the nearest landmass to us at that point was Tunisia in Northern Africa.

                                               

Sardinia has been identified as a primary "Blue Zone" in a book by Dan Buettner. He wrote about research that was done there by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain that discovered a high concentration of males over the age of 100. Five regions including Sardinia,  Okinawa, Japan,  Nicoya Penisula in Costa Rica, Icaria, Greece, and (Seventh-day Adventists in) Loma Linda, California were found to be areas of extreme longevity.  The shared characteristics of people in these cultures include having family life as a priority, constant moderate physical activity,  a healthy diet, a low smoking rate and positive social engagement.  

Just staring at the water made me feel like my stress level was decreasing and that I was going to live longer. Unfortunately, Monday afternoon arrived and we had to head back to the airport for the trip home. But now I know that Sardinia truly is a magical, beautiful place to which I definitely hope to return.

Sicily and the Roman God of Fire - 31 maggio, 2014

The word 'volcano' comes from the little island of Vulcano which is located off the coast of Sicily.  Long ago, the people of this area believed that Vulcano was the chimney of the forge of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. We just returned from a four day weekend in Sicily and much of that time was spent in the shadows of still-active volcanoes. Our flight from Milan landed in Catania on the east coast of Sicily; our destination was Taormina which is about 25 miles north of the airport. As we drove there, we caught our first glimpse of Mt. Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. At 10,992 feet, it is an imposing sight and it is usually spouting a waft of smoke coming from one of its craters. 

Mt Etna looms over the city of Catania

Taormina is a small city perched high on a hill overlooking a rocky coast line. It is believed to have been inhabited since before the Greeks arrived in 700 BC to found the nearby town of Naxos. There is an ancient theatre attributed to the Greeks that is still used for concerts and theatrical performances; its seats overlook both Mt. Etna and the beautiful coastline  After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city was taken over by Arabs, then Normans, Spaniards and later even occupied by Americans in the 1800's. Although the area is very popular with tourists, Taormina is still a vibrant and very attractive city.

Ancient (Greek) theatre of Taormina

San Giuseppe Church - Taormina

Mazzaro Beach and view of Isola Bella

As much as I try to expand my horizons and learn about the ancient world, I have to admit that I am still a fan of popular culture. That's why we ended up driving up into the hills looking for the town where the Sicilian scenes for the film The Godfather were filmed.  The town of Savoca was used to represent the town Corleone, which does exist in Sicily, but is in fact a larger, more modern city. Sure enough, Savoca is dusty and sepia-colored and we appeared to be the only tourists poking around that afternoon. We visited the bar where Micheal and his bodyguards met Apollonia's family and we saw the church where Micheal and Apollonia were married.  Now if only, a young Al Pacino had come walking over the hillside, my day would have been complete!

The Godfather introduced me to Sicily

Savoca

Chiesa de Santa Lucia (Savoca)

On another day, we headed to Caltigarone which is an old city known for ceramics and terra cotta pottery. Much of the outer ring of the city seemed abandoned and rather desolate but the center was alive with craftsmen's shops and classic architecture. The pride of the city is the painted ceramic stairs that ascend for about three blocks to a church piazza overlooking the city. We had fun shopping for a classic ceramic pot that will remind us of this interesting and hauntingly beautiful place.

Caltigarone

Ceramic stairs in Caltigarone

On our last full day in Sicily, we drove north to Milazzo where we took a boat trip to the Aeolian Islands.  These islands are part of a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhanian Sea. We stopped at Lipari and Panarea and then headed toward the perfectly shaped cone of Stromboli. Once there, we wandered along the shore covered with black sand and lava stones. We walked up into the village of whitewashed cottages and shops and were captivated by the views of both the volcano and the sea. Our boat left for the return trip as the sun was going down. We circled the island and waited with our fellow passengers for signs of an eruption. And sure enough, we were rewarded with several small explosions which could be seen in the night sky. It was exciting yet a bit sobering to remember that the god of fire is still rumbling just below the surface here.

Panarea (Aeolian Islands)

Cacti in bloom

Black sand, lava rocks

Stromboli (Aeolian Islands)

What we were waiting for ....a glimpse of an eruption

The view from our hotel