“Sardinian women are amusing, so brisk and defiant. They have straight backs, like little walls and decided, well-drawn eyebrows. They are amusingly on the alert. Like sharp, brisk birds they dart along the streets. You feel they would fetch you a bang over the head as leave as look at you. Tenderness, thank heaven, does… Continue reading Eleanor of Arborea
Author: canadaslim
Under the skin
Oh, narrow, dark and humid streets rising like crevices to an unforgiving sky. I long for a Cathedral, a fine old pagan stone fortress, just for its refreshing cold atmosphere. I would even settle for a baroque, homely, altar in a corner hole in the wall, just to squat in the corner and enjoy the… Continue reading Under the skin
Why we walk backwards
Female deities with inscrutable smiles, the Stele di Nora (a stone tablet showing in Phoenician characters the first recorded occurrence of the name “Sardinia”), and spindly, highly stylish, innovative and quirky bronze statuettes of varying sizes are just some of the things possible for viewing at Cagliari’s Museo Archeologico. This is Sardinia’s premier archaeological museum… Continue reading Why we walk backwards
Criminals or heroes?
Three events in our eight-day Sardinian adventure prompt today’s theme: – In San Vito, we meet an Englishwoman who shares with us her despair about having her car broken into while she was on a beach and had stuff stolen from her. Our B & B operator, Cristano Porcu, assures us that this kind of… Continue reading Criminals or heroes?
The Devil’s Saddle and the Alligator
Often when one considers Sardinia one thinks of it as a playboy’s playground. Former PM Silvio Berlusconi is famous for the lavish entertainments (notorious “bunga bunga” parties) he hosted (guests included Tony and Cherie Blair) in his sumptuous Villa Certosa on the Costa Smerlada far north of the island near Arzachena. This coast’s cachet among… Continue reading The Devil’s Saddle and the Alligator
The timelessness of Su Casteddu
Ah, Cagliari! (In Sardinian dialect, Su Casteddu) A city ascending in a choas of golden-hued mansions, domes and facades up to a rocky citadel. Vespas buzz down tree-fringed boulevards and locals exchange gossip and discuss politics and sports at cafes under graceful arcades. Sunset is the best time when soft evening light reveals pastel facades… Continue reading The timelessness of Su Casteddu
VIPs of Cagliari
Roman Emperor Diocletian didn’t like Christians very much, so when Saturninus refused to offer sacrifices to the god Jupiter Caligari Governor Barbarus had him beheaded in 304. A Paleo-Christian basilica marks his burial place. Bishop of Cagliari Lucifer Calaritanus, aka Lucifero da Cagliari, was well-known for his passionate opposition to Arianism, (a nontrinitarian belief that… Continue reading VIPs of Cagliari
Jerusalem lost between Europe and Africa
He was 36, travelling with his wife Frieda (aka Queen Bee), making a brief excursion from Sicily to the interior of Sardinia, a week’s journey. It was January 1921. I am 50. She Who Must Be Obeyed, though younger, has an Age Which Must Not Be Numbered or Mentioned. We made a brief excursion from… Continue reading Jerusalem lost between Europe and Africa
How SHE came to be
Before I tell the marvelous saga of Sardinia and our adventures there, it is necessary to remark that Day One of this sojourn, 27 July 2015, marked the 20th anniversary of how SHE came to be in my life. I am tempted to begin the tale with words like: “It was a dark and stormy… Continue reading How SHE came to be
Travelling with the enemy
It has often been said that the two true tests of a relationship are: 1) Your ability to assemble IKEA furniture together 2) Your ability to travel together In regards to the first test, She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have failed that test. She is impatient with my stumbling efforts, convinced She knows… Continue reading Travelling with the enemy