14 June 2008

sardegna

The remainder of my trip in Sardegna was spectacular. The country is beautiful and has truly it's own culture, outside of Italian culture yet still a part of the nation... that's what these island nations are like though.

We spent a few days with one of Kris's students and her family. Bruna, Giuseppe and piccolo Pierpaolo showed us Sardegna's most amazing beach, Stintino, Giuseppe's hometown of Bosa, and above all else, AMAZING Sardinian food. Pizza of ridiculous proportions, a lunch of seafood that prolly could've filled a cubic mile of seawater accompanied by Sarda beer Ichnusa, mirto, and so much vino. Delicious. So much food it was stunning.

By far my favorite food from Sardegna is the flatbread, pane carasua, originally created to last for weeks so shepherds could take it into the fields and mountains without having to worry about it spoiling. But the ultimate way to eat it is as pane guttiau, where it is sprinkled with salt and olive oil and then warmed in the oven or over a grill. Who knew stale bread could be so simply amazing!!!

On Monday, the three of us took a day trip to Bonifacio in Corsica... France. It's a small, beautiful town perched on the cliffs above the Mediterranean looking out towards Sardegna. I ate the most amazing crêpe of my life from a tiny vendor and we marched all over the town and it's medieval walls.

We watched a few matches of EuroCup, drank wine, beer, coffee, and liquore in the piazzas and cafés, ate well, lived well. Sassari is a very authentic city with a unique Sardo culture and identity. Mi mancherà la Sardegna.

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