Sardinia: The heart beats slowly
Signora Antioca has been living for 83 years on the farm Costiolu near Nuoro.
The Signora Antioca has poured the geraniums and oleander in front of the stable and plucked a few withered leaves from the myrtle bush with its white flowers. Now she sits next to me on the wooden bench in the shade of the arcade, smoothing out the "fardetta", the black, pleated widow's skirt, and takes a few deep breaths. What an absurd question! She shakes her head vigorously, so violently that the put together white bun at the back of the head gets dangerously shaky. Bathed in the sea? Of course, she did not bathe in the sea, "per carita," for God's sake!
The sea in question is the Tyrrhenian Sea around Sardinia. It shimmers crystal clear in the brightest azure and emerald tones and is so beautiful that on its shores half the Italian mainland population usually spend the summer holidays. On the small, secretive bays of the Costa Smeralda in the north vacation Premier Berlusconi and exponents of the jet set. On the east coast between San Teodoro and Dorgali spreads a more affordable, but rather sprawling holiday home landscape. On the south coast bathing around Pula and Villasimius, and in the town of Alghero, which is located in the northwest of Sardinia, landing charter flights from all over Europe. Which leaves the Signora Antioca cold. And me too. Because I did not come to doze on sun-warmed beaches. I want to experience the true Sardinia. Feel his heartbeat. And what could be more heart than the Sardinian inland?
Three million sheep graze on the second largest Mediterranean island.
In Sardinia, it is said that there are about one and a half million people and three million sheep. On Costiolu, 230 sheep will come to five people: Antioca, her sons Giovanni Antonio and Giuseppe and two helpers. Sheep farming is the epitome of the Sardinian economy. But because they are barely able to cope with these days alone, Antioca's sons have raised the farmhouse by one floor and furnished ten guest rooms with seven bathrooms. Now Costiolu is a "Azienda agrituristica". This means that the family, in addition to the flock of sheep, 15 horses, a bull, the peacock kept for decoration and a white-wooled dog crowd also supplies paying guests. With food, accommodation and insights into the Sardinian shepherd's life.
Hearty and good: olives, smoked sausage and pecorino, a Sardinian specialty made from sheep's milk, salt and rennet
At the Barbagia I can not pass if I want to get to know the island. A barren mountainous country, it is said about the Barbagia, sparsely populated by taciturn, solitary shepherds who tend to self-justice and blood revenge. On the other hand, a pristine landscape full of beauty, as I discover the next day, as I walk through the Lanaittu Valley. In the shade of holm-oak forests, I climb up, walking over high plateaus where Ilex trees and pink rock roses grow. Deep down, the valley shines green. Later, I descend to Flumineddu, on whose banks tree-high oleander bushes bloom, take off the sweaty hiking clothes and jump into fresh, crystal-clear water. The air smells of thyme and wild fennel.
On my second trip to Barbagia I take the car. It is a ride through quiet mountain villages. A young mother hangs laundry between two fig trees and gives me a friendly nod. In the bars, boys and old men sit side by side in silent harmony, in front of empty espresso cups, motionless. At a train station, I see the "Trenino", the narrow-gauge cattle that winds from Arbatax on the east coast through the mountains down to Cagliari in the south; 230 kilometers in six and a half hours, with an absurd meandering route. Again and again it crosses the street. For me, there is nothing more romantic than Sardinian railroad crossings. When a train arrives, an employee of the railway companies - in the sideline, I suspect - pulls a chain across the road on both sides of the tracks and waves a red trowel in the air, just in case. If the train is through, then he collects the chains, starts the Fiat and drives ... I do not know. To the next transition? Home? In the bar?
The heart of Sardinia is beating slowly. Also in Bosa, which I discover on the west coast. A town that has fallen into a deep sleep at some point. The river Temo lazily flows through the city. Half-ruined Gerber houses line the river and lemon trees, where thick forgotten fruit shine.
The town of Bosa rests at the mouth of the Temo.
On the shore are town houses with peeling facades.At lunchtime, the fishermen in their blue-and-white boats come tucking up the Temo and heave buckets of lobsters ashore. One is only a wooden box, filled with the green and purple shimmering housings of sea urchins. A touch of melancholy blows over the water. Opposite the cathedral, I refresh myself in a red-tiled restaurant. Behind the counter stands a tall woman with cat's eyes, handling a two-liter bottle of honey-yellow shimmer. It is "Malvasia di Bosa". 15 percent alcohol has the sweet wine, the strong and spicy trickle down the throat. How is she doing so well? The winemaker has a simple recipe: "I leave the wine as the Lord God has created it!" The glass costs one euro, an affordable pleasure, and the striking skills of Signora are free. "Una viiiita," she sings with a vibrating alto voice, "senz 'amoooooore!"
Travel Info Sardinia
phone Area code 00 39 for Italy, then the area code always start with 0.
Stay Agriturismo Costiolu: nice but simple rooms, not all have their own bathroom. For a paradise of tranquility, the guests are integrated into the shepherd's everyday life. (on the state road Nuoro-Bitti, about 10 km outside of Bitti, Tel./Fax 07 84/26 00 88), www.agriturismocostiolu.com.
Agriturismo Sa Tella: A beekeeper's farm near the little overcrowded Costa Verde. Nice and comfortable rooms, decent kitchen. The house is run by a cooperative. (Guspini, Loc. Sa Tella, Tel. / Fax 070/97 01 61) www.agriturismosatella.it.
Agriturismo L'Agnata: neat atmosphere in an ivy-covered villa in the countryside, pool; the olive oil and the sausages are homemade. DZ / F from 140 Euro (Tempio Pausania, Tel. 079/67 13 84, Fax 63 41 25, www.agnata.it).
Between Maccia and the sea: "Hotel le Dune" on the lonely beach of the Costa Verde
Hotel Le Dune: stunningly beautiful, totally secluded location on the kilometer-long dunes of Piscinas on the southwest coast. The hotel is a former mineral ore deposit from the 19th century when zinc and lead were mined here. Salons furnished with antiques. The audience: chic peace seekers, mainly from Italy. (Piscinas di Ingurtosu, Tel. 070/97 71 30, Fax 97 72 30, www.leduneingurtosu.it).
Albergo Enis: simple mountain hotel high above Oliena, with gorgeous Barbagia view, large terrace and sporty mountaineers. A shady, terraced campsite is also included. (Oliena, Loc. Monte Maccione, Tel. 07 84/28 83 63, Fax 28 84 73, www.coopenis.it). Su Gologone: highly tasteful gourmet paradise near the same source, from which the beautiful pool is fed. The complex consists of several low Sardinian-style houses connected by gardens and courtyards. Lovingly furnished rooms, great cuisine, (Oliena, Loc Su Gologone, Tel. 07 84/28 75 12, Fax 28 76 68, www.sugologone.it).
eat Borgo San Ignazio: Fortunately, signs point the way to this hidden place in Bosa's old town. Fast service, fresh fish and original pasta, e.g. with artichokes or "arselle", a kind of mussel; (Bosa, Via Sant Ignazio 33, Tel. 07 85/37 46 62). Sa Pischedda: traditional hotel restaurant where Bosas dignitaries meet. Specialty: fish soup "alla bosana" with lobster. (Bosa, Via Roma 2, Tel. 07 85/37 30 65).
Su Gologone: Covered terrace with a wide view over the green valley, perfect for an unforgettable gourmet orgy after old, elsewhere long forgotten recipes. Try the onion potato bread "pane e chipudda" or the pig's feet with bacon and cabbage! One of the best cuisines of Sardinia. (Oliena, Loc. Su Gologone, Tel. 07 84/28 75 12).
CK: It stands for "Cenceddu and Killeddu", the two owners, and pronounced "Chikappa". Warm atmosphere, pizza and traditional farmer kitchen, z. B. casserole with game or pasta with young sheep's cheese. Menu about 25 Euro (Oliena, Via Martin Luther King 2, Tel. 07 84/28 87 21).
Ciusa: classically the furniture with room palm, collected porcelain jugs and antiques. What comes on the plate, however, is fresh, z. Quails with endives! Menu about 30 euros (Nuoro, Viale Ciusa 55, Tel. 07 84/25 70 52).
La Rosella: In the sweet southern Sardinian Sulcis it tastes different than in the rest of Sardinia. With Lucia and her daughter Stefanie, there is pasta flavored with fennel, as well as lamb stew and strawberry tree honey with sheep's cheese. Menu about 28 Euro (Giba, Via Principe di Piemonte 135, Tel. 07 81/96 40 29).
flat-rate The special organizer "Campagna & Mare" offers hiking and gourmet holidays on Sardinia (Am Wingert 5, 50999 Cologne, Tel. 022 36/698 73, Fax 698 75, www.campagnamare.de). Worth seeing Tiscali: The last Nuragher before the Roman invasion were brought to safety in the rocks of the Supramonte of Oliena, probably 2,500 years ago. The ruin village in the interior of the crater with its rocky walls can only be reached within the framework of a three-hour, relatively challenging hike, but worth every effort! Since the trail is badly marked, it is best to go with a guide. Tiscali tours (and other walks through Barbagia) are organized by Cooperativa Enis (Oliena, Loc. Monte Maccione, Tel.07 84/28 83 63).
Cala di Goloritzé: whitewashed dream bay, yet there are few visitors. The reason: You can only go by boat or after a good hour's walk. The trail starts on the high plateau of Golo and leads through holm oak forests, past juniper bushes, down to the sea. The towering karst needles on the shore are a popular destination for free climbers.
Orgosolo: long known as the particularly grim bandit village of Barbagia. Even today impress the shot holes in the city hall door! Absolutely impressive in the otherwise rather dismissive mountain village are the socially critical Murales, who have been growing on the walls of the house since the 1960s: the protest of a silent, oppressed minority against the state and exploitation.
Museo Nivola: A delightful contrast to the traditional village life of Orani are the modern stone and bronze sculptures of painter and sculptor Costantino Nivola, born in 1911 in Barbagia village near Nuoro, then married to Ruth Guggenheim, lived and worked with her in America worked very successfully (Orani, Via Gonare 2).
Museo delle Maschere Mediterrane: In the Barbagia village of Mamoiada you can take a look at the eerie wooden masks of the mamuthones, those wild figures in Sardinian mythology wrapped in black fur, who are hunted through the village for carnival every year (Mamoiada, Piazza Europa 15) ,
Giara di Gesturi: The high plateau at Oristano is under nature protection. However, on foot - or by bike, borrowing at the entrance above Gesturi - you can enter and search for the small wild horses, which are mainly found on "paulis", the shallow pools of water.
Su Nuraxi: The most important, because the largest and very well preserved Nuragher fortification of Sardinia. The ruins of the formerly more than 100 stone circular huts counting village are surrounded by several wall rings fortress. Not even the Romans succeeded in cracking Su Nuraxi (at the village of Barumini in the southwest, only group tours).
book tips Informative and with maps the Dumont Travel Paperback "Sardinia" (12 Euro). Interesting background stories in the Merian Guide "Sardinia" (7.50 Euro). info Sardinian Tourist Office (ESIT), 09124 Cagliari, Via Mameli 97, Tel. 070/602 31, Fax 66 46 36, www.esit.net. Many of the brochures are also available in German.
