la vita sarda

I made it to Sassari, found Nick and Kris, and we've been having an amazing time drinking vino (Buio Buio and Cannonau), mirto (a typical Sardo liquor/digestive made from myrtle) and most of all eating delicious, strange foods. On Thursday night we ate pizza al metro (pizza by the meter). Six of us ordered a quarter meter of the pizza we wanted and they brought out a long pizza on a huge board with three of our selections. We had things like salmon and cream, different types of mushrooms, spicy sausage, peppers and onions... and so many other kinds. We chowed down and then a few more meters emerged with our last three choices. Liters of beer accompanied as well as the Sardo equivalent of moonshine... filu 'e ferru. The name basically means an iron rod because long ago the alcohol was buried, hidden underground with a piece of iron sticking out to show where it was hidden.

Last night's appetizers at L'Assassino (The Assassin) included snails in a tomato sauce, small octopi in a spicy sauce, and beef tripe in a tomato sauce. All were amazing. My pasta was a large gnocchi-type pasta filled with potatoes, cheese, and mint all in a tomato sauce. After came pig with roasted potatoes and a doughy desert filled with sweet cheese and covered in sugar.

We also spent the afternoon in Castelsardo (named for the castle that towers above everything else) where we wandered around the town, which is perched on the cliffs above the ocean and practically surrounded by water on three sides. We then hiked down some trails below town and picnicked on prosciutto, cheeses, bread and salami. The rest of the afternoon was spent sampling some locally-made sweet vino and mirto in a wine shop, beers in a cafe, a nap on the beach, and a Magnum bar, classico.

Tomorrow we'll tour some more of the island with some friends of Nick and Kris and Monday we're gonna take a day trip to Corsica. La vita sarda è veramente bella.