Somewhere in the Middle

I'll take 3 Letter S's for Pure Relaxation please.

Sun + Sea = Pure Relaxation in my book. lol! And our last leg in Villasimius was no exception. Our last two days were filled with trips to the beach and a hike to the Spanish tower from Porto Giunco.

My favorite beach was Porta sa Ruxi, a private little beach that was a wonderful exploring area for Artsy Boy. And being able to walk on a sandy beach was a big bonus too!

C loved climbing the rocks! And he followed the rocks out quite far too.

While we were in Cala Gonone, Artsy Boy developed a rash on his face and it quickly spread to his torso, legs, and arms. We weren't sure what was causing the rash. When you're on vacation there are so many new variables it's hard to pinpoint it on one thing. But I have a feeling the sunscreen was the cause. So we tried to keep C covered up as much as possible.

Luckily, he didn't mind hanging out in the shade and reading.

We also went to Spiaggia di Porto Giunco which was beautiful but the wind made it impossible to enjoy. It was just too windy to do anything. So we left and hiked to the Spanish Tower. It was a really easy hike... in fact I did it in my cheapy flip flops. It probably took us about 40 mins due to some land mines and plenty of photo ops.

The scenary from the top was fabulous!

After our hike, we went to another beach hoping to find calmer winds. But unfortunately, the beach was a bit crowded. It was the first time we encountered so many people. We decided our hotel pool would be more relaxing so we packed up and left. But before we did we came across this interesting cactus flowering plant.

Here's another interesting flower we found at Porta sa Ruxi...

Swimming, napping & reading by the hotel pool was wonderful! In fact, we loved it so much that C & I would stay outside reading until late in the evening. So late that neither one of us wanted to go out for dinner on our 2nd night. S was so sweet & went out for "take away" and we had pizza on our balcony that night.

On our last night we stayed out by the pool until late enjoying the peaceful surroundings/ We were able to muster the energy to get dressed and go out for dinner! It was a great ending to a wonderful vacation.

On our way to Villasimius

Before leaving Cala Gonone we had a relaxing breakfast at the hotel taking in the beautiful day that lay ahead.

C even took his markers and drawing pad and went to the lounge area to sketch.

He created this beautiful drawing that will always remind me of our hotel and the gorgeous sea.

Our time in Cala Gonone was spent mainly on the beaches leaving little time and energy to discover the little town. So before leaving we walked around a bit and took in the lovely area.

Take a look at these rosemary bushes! Would love to have one like this in my home.

Our plan was to stop at Gola Goroppu where I was hoping we could do a little hiking.

The view along the SS125 was breath-taking. Gola Goroppu looks amazing! Most of the articles I read on Sardinia referred to this area as the Grand Canyon of Europe. I can now see why.

Once we reached the start of the hike we found ourselves sharing the road with goats and some cows.

There was even a little calf that was running around like a rambunctious puppy. It was pretty funny to watch him running in circles.

Once we looked at the map we decided that it probably wasn't the best idea to go hiking. We had a met a couple in Cala Gonone that told us the hike was far more difficult than the guide had explained. So based on this info S was convinced we should do the hike on another visit. Plus, he doesn't think my Converse are good hiking shoes. They're better than ballet shoes! Remember my disasterous hike near Turin!

The drive to Villasimius was really pretty. Along the way we stopped at a farm and bought two different types of Pecorino cheese to take home.

We also ran into lots of farm animals out of the road.

By the time we arrived in Villasimius and checked into our hotel  it was time for a nice dinner at Sa Tankitta, a place one of my Sardegnian friends recommended.

Everyone's happy in Sardinia.

What do you do on your last full day in Cal Gonone? Artsy Boy & I were all for renting a boat... Me for the freedom of going where you want and C likes adventure. But ask S & he'd say...drop me off at a beach & let me relax while someone else worry about the boat. So we compromised and rented a private boat but promised S he wouldn't have to dock. Lounging in the boat is just as good as relaxing on the shore. And if we got hot, we could just jump into the water. Everyone was happy with this decision.

It was a great plan up until we reached Cala Mariolu. All was good for a while but then the sea got the best of me. I'm prone to sea-sickness and I just couldn't handle the waves. Reading may have been the final straw.

But I couldn't help myself... I was reading, "The Hunger Games". So after supplying the fishes with a tasty breakfast we drove to Cala Biriola. In fact, we let C drive the boat. He did it fabulously!

I felt much better when we got to Cala Biriola, the waves weren't as rough. Although after a while I wanted to be on solid ground so I jumped into the cold water and swam to shore. It took C a lot of convincing to swim with us. He was afraid of the large rocks underwater but he after much coaxing he jumped in and swam to shore. We had the place all to ourselves which was really wonderful.

C had a great time trying to catch these little black fishes. He quickly realized how difficult they were to catch!

After a few hours, it started to rain so S brought the boat to shore. Yes, he actually brought the boat in! And effortlessly I might add just like Paolo did on the previous day! I was sad to leave Cala Biriola but when we saw the lightening in the distance I realized we made the right decision. I was worried the ride would be a bumpy like our first day but S apparently picked up some tips from Paolo and followed the waves in such a way that it was smooth sailing the entire ride back.

Day 2 on the beach :: Sardinia

With the adventure we'd had the day before, I let S plan the 2nd day. As you can probably guess we signed up for a tour. That day S wanted nothing to do with anchoring boats and swimming to shore.

The tour was actually really nice. Paolo, our fabulous navigator was really sweet. He took us inside numerous caves which we would have never done.

There was one particular cave that had this blue sparkling effect on your skin.

It was pretty cool. Paolo told us we could jump into the water and swim around a bit if we liked. The water was much too cold for my taste but S jumped right in!

Afterward we stopped at Cala Biriola. Which I loved! This was actually my favorite beach in Sardinia. The rock formations were incredible and the waves were pretty calm. C had a blast jumping from the rocks.

After soaking up the rays at Cala Biriola, Paolo took us out to Cala Goloritzé.

Next stop... Cala Mariolu.

This beach was deserted when we arrived. And while it was breath-taking the water was much too rough.

Our last stop was a visit to the Grotta del Bue Marino. On the way Paolo asked C if he wanted to drive the boat. Definitely!! C was in heaven; he loved every minute!!

The Grotta del Bue Marino tour was fascinating. We walked near subterranean lakes, saw amazing stalactites and stalagmites formations, and even got to see some Neolithic graffiti.

Up until the 1980's, the Mediterranean Monk Seals lived & birthed their babies in these caves. Because we were the last tour of the day, we had the place to ourselves and the guide even let us snap a few photos.

That night we ate dinner at Agriturismo Nuraghe Mannu. Our experience was a different from other Agriturismo's. Usually, it's a very friendly, family style type of dining. But each course was brought out with no explanation. And there was just one French couple with us in the dining room.

But no worries... we enjoyed every course!

C especially enjoyed the Seadas, a traditional Sardinian dessert. These delicious fritters were stuffed with a very mild pecorino cheese and drizzled with honey. And while C was enjoying his fritter I was busy licking my plate clean eating warm, home-made ricotta!

If I could only eat fresh ricotta everyday, I'd be one happy grrrl!

Rest + Relaxation = Sardegna

For our 20th wedding anniversary, I was hoping to receive a big, brillant rock to wear on my finger but I think S misunderstood and thought I wanted to SEE some amazing rocks! lol! 

And did I ever get my share of rocks! lol! We spent an amazing week in Sardinia, Italy. I absolutely fell in love with the island. I wouldn't mind visiting Sardina every year!

We spent 4 days in Cala Gonone & 3 in Villasiumius. Both areas were GORGEOUS but Cal Gonone was by far my favorite. The vibe was more low key and more rustic. I fell in love with the landscape... I mean how can you not fall in love with these beaches. The coastline is breath-taking.

Every morning we were greeted by the sun.  When you live in a sun deprived country, waking up to clear, blue sky and lots of sunshine is something I've learned to appreciate and savor. This was our view from our hotel in Cal Gonone.

While driving to Cal Gonone, I couldn't help compare the landscape to Southern California. Very dry and arrid.

It took us almost 3 hrs to drive from Cagliari to Cal Gonone.

At certain points the roads were very narrow & quite windy. When we were close to arriving we turned a corner and wow, the ocean came into view.

It was really beautiful.

Once we checked into our hotel, we drove down to the city center and inquired about the boat options. According to the research I did on Cal Gonone, the most beautiful beaches are only accessible by boat. There are tours, taxi's, and of course you can rent your own little boat. Since it's not high season yet the taxi service was only going to Cala Luna. Of course I already made up my mind of what I wanted to do. The idea of choosing which beaches we wanted to visit was very appealing. But S wasn't completely comfortable about renting a boat since... well neither one of us has ever navigated a boat! lol! But everyone assured us that driving the boat would be no problem and because it's so small you don't need a special license to rent the boat. In my mind it was a no brainer. But we didn't make any final decisions that night.

The next morning we ate a wonderful European breakfast by the pool that included prosciutto, a variety of local cheeses, and a delicious range of cakes and pastries. And they also had my favorite.... fresh rocotta drizzled with some local honey. I had to restrain myself from taking the entire bowl to my table and eating it all! lol!

When we got to the port, we went over our options again and Artsy Boy & I pressured convinced S that renting a boat was the way to go! I even said I would drive. I mean how hard could it be if there are so many people who do it! Right? After a short lesson we were off on our adventure!

S did a great job navigating and we were having a great time.

Our plan was to go to the farthest beach and work our way back throughout the day. We didn't have to return the boat until 5:30. But what we thought was Cala Mariolu was actually Cala Luna. When we realized our mistake we laughed how silly we were to think we had already reached the last beach. We were completely disoriented! lol! It's a rather big coast when sprinting along in a little boat. Deciphering which beaches are which was a little confusing since there aren't any signs and it was our first day out. Now if you're looking at a map that would help since the beaches are recognizeable by theire landscape but we were enjoying the scene so much the map got stuffed into a backpack. 

S managed to pull the boat into the shore without much difficulty and C & I got out and found a spot on the beach while S took the boat out again.

Cala Luna was beautiful. It's recognizable by its three caves.

C enjoyed exploring the caves. The next beach we visited was a little inlet we found right next to Cala Mariolu.

We spent most of our day on this beach with it's huge boulders and crystal clear water. The boulders reminded me of the beaches S & I visited years ago in Virgin Gorda. Gorgeous! But the boulders in Virgin Gorda are surrounded by colorful tropical fishes.

At this time of the year the water along the Golfo di Orosei is freezing! At least for this grrrl who's used to the beaches in Florida and the Carribbean. lol! C dared me to jump in and when I did I thought I had jumped into ice water. But if you let the sun warm you up sufficiently the water wasn't too cold.

As the day passed, the sun was overtaken by shade so we left in search of a beach with a few more hours of sunshine. And we found it at Cala Sistine. When we arrived there was just one family there.

Poor S, by the time he docked the boat and swam back to shore he was absolutely exhausted! I'll admit the rocks at Cala Sistine were huge and after a day of walking on rocks our feet were screaming. But on the bright side, there was plenty of sunshine and we spent a relaxing time lounging on the beach.

It was about a quarter to five when we decided to leave and by this point we were completely alone. S went out to get the boat and we packed everything up. But when we or I should say S tried to get the boat out far enough to start the engine the waves were so strong it completely washed the boat ashore. And everytime S tried to move the boat the waves pushed it further onto shore. Our little boat kept filling up with water as each current came in. It was awful. I can still see him now using every muscle in his body to move that boat. I'm sure he was thinking, "WHY, Did I agree to this?!" It's funny now but at the time it was a completely different story. I jumped out of the boat and tried to help. After a few minutes we developed a rhythm and were able to get the boat out to shore.

Once we were out on the water the current were so strong that the boat was bouncing like crazy! C & I were hanging on for dear life! At any moment I thought the boat was going to flip over. But thank god, we got back safely. A little tired & beat up but we were safe and happy to be back on land. ;)

Saying Goodbye

It's that time of year again... when we have to say goodbye to our special friends. This year Backgammon Grrrl & her family are going back to the US. She will be greatly missed and I know C feels the same way about Lil' J. We've shared lots of good times!

This year though I'm going to try my best not to say any final goodbyes. When Lil' C & I said goodbye to Numeracy Grrrl and her family two years ago is was so incredibly sad. During their last playdate, Lil' C was so brave. He didn't cry while in Lil' J's presence but when we got into the car he completely broke down and it broke my heart. I just can't let him go through that again. So this year I'm going to try and keep it light. We all hate to say goodbye and would rather say, "... until next time" but it's easier said than done.

Yesterday, I met Strawberry Shortcake & Meditterean Man for coffee. It was great catching up with them. Meditterean Man & I both signed SS's Belgian flag with well wishes. What a great idea! I'm sure it will bring her lots of good memories when she looks at it years from now.

In the afternoon, I met up with my English conversation group for our last meeting of the season. I'm really lucky to have such a fun group! These ladies always make me laugh.

Today we all discussed our summer plans. The ladies that are not permanently moving are all planning to visit their home countries... it's funny when you talk to them and ask how long they'll be gone... "Oh, just for 6 or 8 weeks." lol!! Is that all! lol!

God save the Queen!

Lots of festivities surrounding the Queen's Diamond Jubilee! Everyone including me showed our spirit today by wearing red, white, and blue or tees and dresses with Jack Union Flag! That's the great thing about living in an international community... we all share in celebrating important events from our home countries.

All the children in school were able to decorate their own crowns. Here's a little peak into how some of the children help celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee!

I love how one of the signs says, "Girl Power!"