INSPIRATION

Again today, the road is short and not very pleasant, clouds and fine drizzle. I cycle the short distance to get to Sant’Anna Arresi, municipality without Mayor (it is the fourth after Sarule, Austis and Ortueri).

The village stretches along the main road for quite a long bit. On one side the roads rise steeply. I take one towards the Town Hall for my ritual photography. Then I cycle further on and I find myself in the famous square that houses two churches and a nuraghe! Obviously the church of Sant’Anna, old, and that of San Pietro, modern. Right in the middle of the two, the well-preserved nuraghe, the only nuraghe inside a village (except for the ruined one in Villaperuccio), a ‘sacred sandwich filled with layman’. From here you can enjoy a beautiful view towards the sea, but the rain increases and I move on.

I get to Lucia’s place, who will host me for the day. Her two dogs Tristan and Isolde welcome me, at first barking at me from inside the gate, then being super firendly once I enter! I settle down, have lunch and in the meantime the weather improves so I decide to take the bike for a ride to the sea.

I go on the country roads which, as in the previous municipalities of Masainas and Giba, cut through artichoke fields and vineyards. And also here the areas are named after the owners of the farmhouses or medaus: Is Pigas, Is Cinus, Is Peis, Is Faddas and others. The road climbs and enters the hills. I head towards Porto Su Trigu, a beautiful stretch of rocky coast just in front of the island of Sant’Antioco. The sea is rough, I remain in the sun to enjoy the sound of the waves and to observe the small islands of Toro and Vacca. Only a man passes by me, with a very long white beard, who has collected some beached sponges.

When I leave, going back from the hills, I enjoy the view of the village in the distance under the mountains. I turn to the right and pass by the area of ​​the ponds, four, in which there are many pink flamingos and other species of birds. I arrive at the entrance of Porto Pino, a famous tourist destination, now deserted. Through the small bridge over the canal harbor, where several boats moor, and I arrive at the beach number 1. From here I enjoy the view, the sea, the sky that has cleaned up, the beach, in the distance you can see the famous dunes, the hills behind.

I return to the village from a long straight road. I see a sign indicating an archaeological site, but it’s a bit late and the light has already fallen, so I abandon the idea of ​​going to see it. I go back to Lucia’s house for a quiet dinner with Tristan and Isolde taking part!

SOUND FRAGMENTS

In the village of the historic festival ‘Ai Confini Tra Sardegna e Jazz’, now in its XXXIII edition, I could not avoid an improvisation!

SHORT SARDINIAN STORIES

Woman entrepreneur 3. From the first phone call I realize that Lucia does not have a Sardinian accent but of northern Italy. Today we know each other and I can find out why. Although born in Sardinia, her family moved when she was very young in Turin, where she lived for most of her life. She returns here initially to stay close to the elderly parents when they returned to Sardinia. When they die, Lucia decides to stay here and gets busy with her main passion: dogs. After many efforts Lucia manages to create the beach for dogs in Porto Pino, a space between the first and the second beach where the owners can share the experience of the sea with their four-legged friends. Furthermore, Lucia works to find a solution for stray dogs in the area. And between one dog and another she also dedicates herself to the hospitality of the people, renting out some apartments.

Lucia also hosted me because she has a twenty year old son who lives in Germany, and tells me that she likes the idea that if her son needs hospitality, someone can offer it. At Lucia’s house dogs are part of life, around the table, on the sofa. This scares some guests (and she sends them quietly elsewhere!) But not me. And so she tells me about when the cyclist Janus Rivers (of whom I have already spoken on the page of San Giovanni Suergiu) asked her hospitality and she offered him a nice house just outside the village. But Janus demanded a house in the center! Or she tells me about the great American jazz musician Butch Morris, guest of the festival ‘Ai Confini Tra Sardegna e Jazz’, who also did not want to stay in the countryside so he stayed here. One day he asked for green tea. Lucia brings him a cup, but he laughs and asks her only for the dry leaves, to make ‘another use’ of them than a simple herbal tea!