INSPIRATION

The journey is short, on a beautiful day. I take the first junction, the old road to Villacidro, many olive groves around, but at the old entrance to the village there is no entry sign.

I cycle for a while, a long climb up to the Town Hall. Tommy of Radio Supersound phones me but I’m unprepared and I do not have much to tell. Then, Giuseppe calls, who will host me today, he came to meet me on his bike but we did not find each other, because I passed by the old road! I join him at the Sa Spendula waterfall by bike. The feeling of falling water is always mesmerizing, I would stay here for hours, but we have so much to do!

First of all, Giuseppe takes me to the main entrance of the village where I can put my sticker on the sign. Then we visit the headquarters of the Santa Cecilia brass band, where I can play a beautiful antique piano, donated to the band. I strictly play Bach. Here I also meet Marco and Ignazio, who together with Giuseppe formed the cultural association ArtecetrA.

Before lunch we visit the Town Hall to greet the Mayor and the administration. From her office there is an incredible view of the whole Campidano plain. Just outside the village you can see the industrial area. The Keller, the market Nonna Isa, all productive realities born here.

After a nice lunch at Giuseppe’s home with his wife Chiara and his son Ludovico, we drive out of the village to the church of San Sisinnio. The place is beautiful, surrounded by woods of ancient trees. I lean on a very old and huge olive tree to make it feel the vibrations of the ukulele.

Back in town, we walk into the beautiful old town. Well-maintained houses and pavement, some beautiful historic buildings, plaques with the verses of the writer Giuseppe Dessì, author of the novel Paese d’ombre, which speaks of Villacidro. We pass by the Cadoni Mill, a beautiful renovated space, where there is an exhibition of nativity scenes made by children using elements of the architecture of Villacidro. Then we pass by the old wash house, a beautiful Art Nouveau building.

Eventually, we walk the little streets that go up, to arrive at a nice vantage point from where we enjoy the sunset. The view extends up to Cagliari, with the reflections of the lagoon of Santa Gilla. After all this slow wandering, the sense of Sardinian geography is refining, and seeing there at the end what will be my arrival point next year impresses me, as if Cagliari was still a very distant entity.

 

SOUND FRAGMENTS

Inspired by the movement of the Sa Spendula waterfall.

 

SARDINIAN SHORT STORIES

Ludovico, 10, is in front of the TV while we speak. More or less normal for a child of this age. And he dances in front of the screen. Strange. After a while I realise that he is not just watching cartoons. He is following dance moves, an interactive game. Mmm, interesting.

After a while, Ludovico shows me some drawings. But they are not simple drawings. They are comic strips. Very interesting, even I liked to do it as a child. But these of Ludovico are not just drawings. What amazes me is the content of the stories, a bit absurd, some surreal, a sense of humor, sometimes macabre, sometimes British, acute. Very interesting!

Before leaving, Ludovico wants to play something at the piano. He plays a piece from his piano anthology. It sounds very good. I can afford to make him notice a little imprecision, a note held too long in his left hand, it should be shorter. ‘True!’ He tells me, and he plays the piece again, perfectly, and not happy, he plays it again but at twice the speed!

The time has come to leave again. Ludovico is dressed in a cyclist’s suit. He and Giuseppe will accompany me by bike to the exit of the village. I cycle behind Ludovico, making sure that he always keeps to the right, hoping that these glimmers of talent and creativity will accompany him for a long time.