SATED IN SARDINIA
Today we bring you a fantastic article written about one of our favourite and best-selling hotels, the Is Benas Country Lodge. Rosemary Behan writes about her Sardinian culinary experience. You can see the original article online here.
The National: Culinary journeys: Sated in Sardinia
Rosemary Behan
Oct 15, 2011
I had to find some way of keeping my travelling companion awake on the long drive from the airport to our hotel, so we played a game.
“Granelli – is it a type of ice cream?” said my friend, clutching the wheel.
“Nope”, I said, reading from my Footprint guide to Sardinia. “Fried ox testicles.”
“What about cordula?”
“It’s a herb.”
Wrong again. Lamb intestines stuffed with peas, tied into a braid and spit-roasted. But my favourite, casu marzu, really disgusted her. Literally translated, it means “rotten cheese”, but as it’s a Sardinian speciality, it’s in Sardu, not Italian, so she’s puzzled again. “A roll of pecorino cheese is aged for months until flies lay eggs in it. The larvae produce enzymes that break down the cheese into a tangy goo, which gives it a tasty, spicy kick. Swallowing the wriggling larvae is all part of the experience.”
I’m a lover of cheese and Italian food in general, but not knowing what I am eating is a major factor in usually playing it safe. And playing it safe when you are a tourist abroad usually means bad, boring, or both. This time, however, was going to be different – I had books, a friend who is fluent in Italian and we had, quite randomly, booked into a gastronomic hotel with bilingual waiters.
Reading the food section of the guidebook further, I’m also drawn to a statement by its resident Italophile author Eliot Stein: “Sardinia’s isolation and poverty have combined to preserve the most distinct regional cuisine in Italy.” Stein went on to outline – somewhat contradictorily – that “as invaders, immigrants and tourists have come and gone, Sardinia has absorbed outside culinary influences”. Whatever the precise origin of Sardinia’s current culinary offering, I was looking forward to being more adventurous.
August certainly wasn’t the time for a beach holiday. From the small coves of the Costa Smerelda on the north-east coast to the sand dunes of Oristano and harbours of Alghero in the west, the beaches were so packed with Italians that from a distance it looked like their parasols were touching. After 10am each day, the car parks were full of Fiats and campervans; by lunchtime it felt like we could hear every child crying and every shouted BlackBerry conversation. Never before have I seen such a concentration of ageing bikini bottoms in one place as Is Arutas, close to where we were staying. Only on the wild Costa Verde, several hours’ drive south of Oristano, did we find the coastal solace we craved.
Yet beaches are also not the place to find the best food in Sardegna (as the island is known locally). At Spiagga del Principe near Porto Cervo, the bay beloved of the Aga Khan and where the number of yachts visible almost matches the number of people sunning themselves, we were reduced to purchasing dry hot dogs and Coke from a mini-van. As with any bad meal, I was distraught at the wasted opportunities. Lucky, then, that we returned to Is Benas Country Lodge, a peaceful villa with just 12 rooms in a scenic rural area close to the small town of Riola Sardo in Oristano province. Every single night, on a verandah with views of the walled garden, we enjoyed a tasting menu offering a glimpse of the simple yet strong flavours this large island is famous for – fish, fresh vegetables, rustic cheeses and gamey meats. Surrounded by high fields of corn, dairy farms and country lanes scented with myrtle, our hosts assured us that all of the food we were eating was, if not from the local area, then at least from Sardinia.
Each meal consisted of five courses. The antipasto (starters) featured delights such as marinated sardines (sardine marinate; fresh, smooth and meaty, barely fishy at all); juicy fried octopus (tentacolo di polpo croccante), succulent air-dried beef with delicious fresh sage-flavoured ricotta cheese (fagottino di bresaola con cuore di ricotta fresca profumata alla salvia), smoked tuna fillet (filetto di tonno affumicato) and deliciously sour Sardinian pecorino (no maggots in sight) drizzled with asphodel honey (formaggi pecorino con miele di asfodelo). Eating in Italy is such a pleasure and a passion that it pays to brush up on your language skills – at the very least, you will avoid ordering something you don’t want. As we had the luxury of our waiters being able to translate the dishes, we were able to indulge in an impromptu language course of a peculiarly culinary variety.
First courses, or primo piatto, were typically a soup, risotto or pasta, such as hearty zuppa di lenticchie (lentil soup), creamy-yet-tart risotto al radicchio (risotto with red chicory), and firm-but-silky tagliolini burro e salvia (tagliolini pasta with butter and sage). Second (main) courses (secondo piatto) were fish or meat, from grilled fillet of fresh seabass (filetto di branzino alla brace) to roasted belly of veal (pancia di vitello arrosto). Each main course came with contorno (side dishes) such as verdurine di stagione alla griglia (grilled seasonal vegetables) and the gorgeously down-to-earth cavolo cappuccino stufato (braised cabbage).
For dessert (oddly, there was always space) we were treated to mattonella di soffice tiramisu (home-made tiramisu), semifreddo al croccante (crunchy semifreddo; literally, a “half-cold” dessert), pardula ghiacciata scomposta (smashed pardula cake), mele al forno (baked apples) and a dreamy flan di riso al limone (lemon rice flan). With names such as those for the dishes, who were we to refuse?
For almost a week, we ate only in our hotel, returning ravenous from trips to Alghero, Tharros, Cuglieri and the Costa Verde. Yet after days of eating and trying to run off some of the calories in the surrounding rural lanes scented with wild sage, I had itchy feet again. I had found excellent coffee and more great food at a somewhat out-of-place Illy cafe in Riola Sardo, but it was time to cast the net wider. The owner of our hotel, from Cagliari, recommended I pay a visit to the capital to sample “the best seafood in Italy”, so I jumped on a train from Oristano (€12 [Dh60] return) and was there in an hour and 10 minutes: just in time for lunch.
As soon as the train pulled in, I was excited. A grand old city in a wide bay with a large docks and spread over several hills, Cagliari looked like a cross between Naples and Tunis: geograpically, it’s almost that. I had read about several lovely-sounding seafood restaurants in my guidebooks, but one especially stood out and, unusually, it was the first one listed in my Lonely Planet Sardinia guide. L’Osteria in Stampace, an old neighbourhood 10 minutes’ walk from the station, had all the ingredients location-wise: russet-coloured houses with washing hanging out of the windows, an ancient city gate and cobbled roads. Inside, it was like stepping into the 1950s – old vaulted ceilings, black-and-white family photographs and prints of Cagliari on the bare brick walls, cabinets filled with glasses and elaborate teapots, old-fashioned patterned linen tablecloths, formally laid tables, an old bar and an old lady, dressed in black and white, sitting in a back room shelling peas. “Buon giorno,” I call out, wondering if the place is open. The old lady removes her glasses and comes striding out, gesturing to me to sit. “Vuoi mangiare o bere?” She enunciates slowly, clearly sensing that Italian isn’t my strong suit, and grinning toothily. “Pesce o carne?” I order fileti di spiegola al fettucine (€12; Dh60), and she disappears.
I think I’ve ordered swordfish; actually it’s sea bass, yet it hardly matters because before I can even raise the query, the first of a flurry of antipasti arrives. There’s some lovely warm bread with those meaty, mild-tasting sardines in olive oil and a heavenly salad of prawns, celery and tomato in a light vinegar dressing; this is followed by polpote pesce – fish balls in balsamic vinegar – and then by tentacolo di polpo – baby squid in a rich, salty sauce. “Va bene?” the woman asks. “Si”, I answer. This is probably the best seafood lunch I’ve ever had, and I forget all about the time, the sights and everything else. I’m finishing everything, but having to eat fast to keep up. “She’s finishing everything!” I hear her tell her husband in the kitchen; when she comes back, I say something to the effect that I won’t have room for my main course, but the dishes keep on coming. This time it’s the husband who is brandishing the food – he comes with a mixed seafood salad and stuffed squid (calamari) and then cozze gratinate – gratinated mussels. I decide I must stop him before the mussels reach the table. “Basta!” I say. “Finito!”
The couple, Franco and Maria Antoinetta de Franca, are clearly a fine double act. I’m given a short break before my pasta arrives, during which time they turn their full attention to a party of four which has just arrived – two local couples who get exactly the same antipasti bombardment as me. “Madame, ca va?” Franco asks one of the group. “Perfecto” she says, an her guests agree. “Bonissima,” they add.
A round, shallow bowl of perfectly al dente fettucine with small pieces of fresh fish with garlic and tomato, dressed simply with parsley, appears in front of me and I tuck in. “Va bene?” Franco asks. “Va bene,” I say. The total bill is 40 euros (Dh200) with a tip. When I leave the restaurant to tackle the town’s Roman ruins and glorious old town, I’m giddy with satisfaction. So, too, it seems, is Franco – as Maria goes to the back room to work on the accounts, Franco lights a cigar. I hope they’re still there in decades to come.
For more information on the fantastic Is Benas Country Lodge, you can visit our website or call 0208 9732297 to speak to a member of our specialist team.
WHEN IN ORISTANO.. DO AS THE ROMANS DO..
Feel like discovering… the Oristano province?
Today we bring you an account from Sardinian Massimo Noi, Manager at the Is Benas Country Lodge in Oristano, south west of the island. He describes from his own experience what you will see and do if you visit his hotel and partake on the Is Benas Archaeology Week.
The appeal of this particular piece of Sardinia, which is also relatively less resort-oriented and more Sardinian than the north and east coasts, lies in its combination of breathtaking natural beauty and ancient remains that tell stories one does not hear from the stones of the Italian mainland or Sicily.
By about 6000 B.C. the Sardinians, probably the same people who had been painting caves in paleolithic Liguria and Provence, had crossed over a land-bridge from Corsica. The neolithic culture that developed was agro-pastoral (farming and sheep), but thanks to obsidian, the volcanic glass used to make sharp weapons and utensils, and other minerals, also did very well in trade. As a result the Sardinians had plenty of contact with other neolithic and later Bronze Age peoples.
By 1500 B.C. they were building odd massive towers of granite or trachite, most often conical and about 40 feet in diameter and about 50 to 65 feet high, that are still the most frequently encountered man-made feature of the entire Sardinian landscape — hills, dales, coast and hinterland. They are called nuraghi, and embody — both in the popular imagination and on cork souvenirs — the strong and independent spirit that has always characterized Sardinia. It has never considered itself Italian, and the nuraghi are there to prove it.
They were used, and reused, until the Roman conquest in 238 B.C. and even later. None are completely preserved, but small model nuraghi are preserved and show that the top was probably a protruding battlement. Experts can identify remains of parts of about 7,000. Spotting ruined nuraghi is a fascinating aspect of driving across the Sardinian countryside and along the coasts. Our first of this trip was positioned like a watchtower over the famously beautiful coast road south of Alghero. The advanced version of the game is spotting stones recycled from ruined nuraghi into enclosures for olive trees and sheep.
Some nuraghi, however, maintain their imposing majesty. One such is Nuraghe Losa, northeast of Oristano, near Abbasanta, the first of the great nuraghi to be excavated, in 1891. With some surrounding structures and an enclosing wall, it gives a reasonable idea of the function of the towers. Theories ranging from tombs to air-traffic control towers have given way to the prevailing opinion that they were like medieval castles, offering a defensive stronghold. The nuraghe was probably the residence of a chieftain, a shepherd-king, and around it grew up villages, cult places and cemeteries.
Nuraghe Losa is roughly triangular, with a central tower about three stories high with niches (one with sleeping bat hanging upside down) surrounded by three lobes. You can climb up what passes for a staircase between two thick walls.
A few miles away is the so-called Nuragic complex of Santa Cristina — a sort of park around a rustic church with scattered ruins and plenty of spots for a picnic — whose showpiece is a fine, though heavily restored, example of the sacred well, another type of stone monument of prehistoric Sardinia, strikingly similar to monuments of Mycenean Greece with its pointed dome and entrance corridor containing a staircase down to where water still flows.
The ancient world’s most formidable navigators, the Phoenicians, were the first outsiders to make permanent settlements on Sardinia, starting in the eighth century B.C. Their main port was at Tharros, just outside of Oristano, on the Sinis Peninsua, which encloses the Gulf of Oristano. The promontory was easy to defend; its stone provided building materials; it enjoyed good winds, and it was well positioned for travel to and from not only inland Sardinia but also Spain, Marseilles, Africa, Greece and Etruria.
Relations between the nuragic peoples and the Phoenicians were peaceful: the Sardinians traded their valuable minerals for pretty glass beads and gradually withdrew to the interior, while the commercial superpower set up shop on the coast.
Much of what is visible today, and certainly most of what is most easily readable on the large and somewhat confusing site, where excavations are still in progress, is a Roman city, with houses, temples, baths and streets — a result of Roman building over and improvement of the Punic city in the third century B.C. The Cardo Maximus (the main north-south street), with an open drain running down its middle (now conveniently covered with wooden planks), is a particularly fine example of a Roman city street of A.D. 200. Here one can see Rome from the point of view of the vanquished, as the finally victorious power that obliterated civilizations it did not acknowledge as such.
Driving around the Sinis peninsula is a pleasure to see lagoons and salt flats of the Sinis peninsula, a protected haven for wildlife with lagoons where you may spot flamingos. Oristano is just over a thousand years old, founded in 1070 and capital of the giudicato, or kingdom, of Arborea. A nondescript modern periphery has taken the place of the medieval walls, but the well-kept center fairly gleams with restored Baroque houses and palaces and the beautiful, if much rebuilt, cathedral (begun in the 12th century and containing some interesting Pisan Romanesque sculpture). Oristano was defended in the 14th century against the Catalonians just to the north by Eleonora d’Arborea, an impressive enough historical figure who was raised to legendary status by the Risorgimento, and whose image is much in evidence.
Installed in the Palazzo Parpaglia, the friendly Antiquarium Arborense contains a sampling of artifacts from the various ancient peoples who occupied the area; unfortunately, the best material has been stolen, and the best finds from Tharros are in London.
Ancient Greek authors derived the word sardonic from the name of a poisonous Sardinian plant that distorts the face. The surviving pride of the Arborense collection is a terra cotta Phoenician mask, the mouth drawn up in, well — a sardonic grin at us, visitors who were returning to his hated Rome.
IS BENAS ARCHEOLOGY WEEK
Six thousand years of history are waiting to be discovered during your stay at Is Benas, just at a short distance from the hotel full day or half day self guided trips, driving around in freedom to discover unique and interesting monuments, in relax admiring the charm of the country side discovering and the story of this beautiful island.
Sardinia is like an open air museum, mysterious civilization await you, so many sites and many museums that cover a long period in the history of this island and that appears to be the same as the Mediterranean one, where he occupied a leading role for millennia.
Our staff at the reception will arrange itineraries, visits according to your tastes and your needs.
Want to spend a whole day to discover the secrets of the area? You need a basket lunch, our staff and will prepare everything so you can rest easy and enjoy an open air lunch.
Is Benas Archeology & Gourmet
A unique opportunity to visit and discover about 6.000 years of history through the well preserved remains of Oristano’s province.
Includes:
• 7 Nights at Is Benas Country Lodge on Half Board Basis
• Welcome Cocktail
• 7 Gourmet Dinners at the Carduus Restaurant
• Concierge Service for Self Guided Itineraries
• Entry tickets to the Archeological Sites and Museums of the Oristano Province
• Return flights on Sardatur’s privately chartered British Airways flights from London Heathrow or Manchester
• Car-hire included for you to explore the island at your own pace
• Maps and information
Archeological Sites: Nuraghe Losa, Nuragic Sanctuary of Santa Cristina, Costal Settlement of Tharros, Cabras Museum, Antiquarium Arburense, Roman Baths of Fordongianus.
Visiting sacred sights, gazing in wonder at ancient Nuraghe structures, even bathing like ancient Romans in the Roman Baths of Fordongianus.. Is Benas brings you a different, cultured and secret side to Sardinia. For more information you can call our specialist team on 0208 9732297 or visit our website for more information on the Is Benas Country Lodge.
TIME FOR TEE
Britain has caught olympic-fever. It’s everywhere. There are hints of it in the current fashion trends on the high-street as Stella McCartney prepares the designs for our team’s uniforms. The architecture of our capital is being influenced by stadiums being slotted into our busy sky-line. The Arts sector prepares for the cultural Olympiad, seeing YBAs open exciting exhibitions. Everyone in the UK is suddenly thinking about their health and their fitness. It only seems natural that the travel industry would compliment all this well-being in body and soul with fitness-themed holidays.
So with this in mind, we asked ourselves about the best sport to be enjoyed in Sardinia – there’s boat racing, walking, horse-riding – but today we’re going to be talking about golf – not the most exerting sport but certainly one that reigns supreme in elegance and skill.
And what better way to take in the breath-taking views and scenery of the island that to play a leisurely game of golf – looking out onto the turquoise ocean or some pretty speculator mountain backdrops?
So hopefully golf-enthusiasts will enjoy this little blog post as we’ve picked out 3 of our favourite and what we feel to be the best championship golf courses of international reputation in Sardinia:
1. PEVERO GOLF CLUB, COSTA SMERALDA
Pevero Golf Club on the Costa Smeralda, is an 18-hole (par-72) golf course which is located between the bays of Cala di Volpe and Golfo del Pevero.
An extraordinary position for an equally extraordinary golf course. Everything is special starting from the design by Robert Trent Jones, who, at the beginning of the Seventies (in 1978, Pevero Golf Club hosted the renowned Italian Open), implemented a very exclusive course scattered with terrible hazards created by nature itself more than by man and with a strong wind often blowing across it.
The whole area between Cala di Volpe and Golfo del Pevero was completely covered by the typical Mediterranean bushes, by rocks and natural ponds; the designer did not want to spoil the beauty of it all. So, he made the decision to simply prune and preen areas where the vegetation was too thick. By doing so, The Pevero is considered one of the most beautiful courses in the world, is second to none thanks to the spectacular foreshortening taken from the magnificent Costa Smeralda, stretching from Porto Rotondo to Porto Cervo. The view from the club house over the gulf of Pevero and the bay of Cala di Volpe are unforgettable.
We would recommend the Hotel Petra Bianca to compliment this amazing golf-course.
2. IS MOLAS GOLF COURSE, PULA
Number two belongs to Is Molas Golf Club near Pula, on the south east coast, a 27-hole (par-72) golf course. The course has an excellent layout that boasts views of the surrounding sea from a number of tee boxes.
The championship golf course was opened in 1975 and is now rated as the 9th best course in Italy. Is Molas Golf Resort has played host to the Italian Open on four separate occasions with the most recent won by Englishman Ian Poulter in 2000. Designed by Piero Mancinelli, it is a lovely golf layout set within bushes and trees and there are water hazards on no less than six of the eighteen golf holes.
We would recommend the Baia di Nora to enjoy this stunning golf-course.
3. IS ARENAS GOLF COURSE, ORISTANO
Last but not least is the Is Arenas Golf Club located north of Oristano, an 18-hole (par-72) golf course. Designed by Von Hagge and set beautifully amongst the pine forest and lush vegetation, it has been named by golf magazines as one of the 20 best new golf courses in Europe; enjoy it now before the masses discover it.
The beautiful Is Arenas Golf and Country Club boasts 1,853 acres of pine forest. This pristine, private and secluded golf course will inspire you with its relaxed, unwinding environment; perfect for a unique golfing experience.
Is Benas Country Lodge has specialist golfing holiday packages on offer for the Is Areas Golf Club.
For more information about any of these fabulous golf courses or to organise a golfing holiday, please call our specialist team on 0208 9732297.
PHOTOGENIC SARDINIA
Sardinia; it’s picture perfect.
We saw this on the internet and couldn’t help but smile because it’s just so true! In inspiration of this clever collection of photographs, today on our blog we thought we’d write about some of the best spots in Sardinia to photograph.
Bosa
Bosa lies on the banks of the river Temo, the only navigable river in Sardinia, a few kilometres from its estuary. The city has its origins in Phoenician times, although the centre is of a later date. During the Middle Ages, the village moved to the slopes of the Serravalle hill under the protection of the Malaspina family, to escape attacks from marauding pirates.
Bosa is of indisputable fascination, with the Sas Conzas buildings (warehouses which were once used for the tanning and working of leather), mirrored in the calm waters of the river, and the Sa Costa quarter, with its narrow streets and steps, where women still sit in their doorways, working lace. The towers and external walls still remain of the Malaspina Castle, which was built in 1112 by the Marquises of “Malaspina dello Spino Secco”. Inside the walls, the Church of “Nostra Signora of Regnos Altos” has also remained standing: it was built in the fourteenth century and a number of frescos of the Catalonian school come from here. The Cathedral of Bosa is noteworthy, and still conserves the majesty of its renovation in late Piedmontese Baroque style, carried out in the nineteenth century. On the left bank of the Temo, the Romanesque ex-cathedral of San Pietro rises in the countrified area of Calamedia. Built in red trachyte, it dates back to the second half of the XI century.
Setzu
Setzu is situated on the slopes of the basalt plateau of the Giara, and is a small village, whose structure still shows its close relationship with the countryside. The houses are typical of an economy based on farming, characterised by an entry portal that opens onto a roomy courtyard or “lolla”, overlooked by the house.
The Giara di Gesturi
The nature reserve of the Giara di Gesturi includes the vast balsaltic and calcareous highland of the Giara, edged by steep walls and covered by seasonal ponds. Within the park, there are many luxuriant woods of cork oaks, downy oaks, holm oaks, olive trees and areas of Mediterranean maquis. The area is most famed for its wild and unspoilt beauty, home to many rare animals. It is in fact, the habitant for the only herd of wild horses, (better known as the “small horse of the Giara”), in existence in Italy and Europe. Fairly small in size, their origin is bound in mystery, a point which further enhances the charm of these strong, calm animals.
The Giara is however, not only alive with the sumptuous gallop of the little horses, but is also famed for its wild boars, hares, ducks, woodcocks, jays and other animals, which are all protected from hunting. A visit to the highlands not only stirs intense emotions for its evocative inhabitants, but also for the splendour of its natural configuration, in which we find Sa Zeppara Manna and other hills that interrupt the level flow of its flatlands. The various bordering towns (Gesturi, Tuili, Setzu, Generi, Sini, Ginnisno, Albagiara, Assolo and Genoni) have opened up access roads, making it easier to reach the nature reserve by all forms of transport. Pleasant rest areas in strategic points have also been added to welcome the visitor. The area is not only of great interest for its natural patrimony, but also because it includes many important archaeological monuments, such as the proto-Nuraghe of Brunci Madugui and the famous Nuraghe of Barumini, declared by the Unesco as patrimony of humanity.
Tharros
The ancient world’s most formidable navigators, the Phoenicians, were the first outsiders to make permanent settlements on Sardinia, starting in the eighth century B.C. Their main port was at Tharros, just outside Oristano, on the Sinis Peninsula, which encloses the Gulf of Oristano. The promontory was easy to defend and its stone provided good building materials. It enjoyed good winds and was well positioned for travel to and from not only Sardinia, but also Spain, Marseilles, Africa, Greece and Etruria.
Relations between the nuragic peoples and the Phoenicians were peaceful: the Sardinians traded their valuable minerals for pretty glass beads and gradually withdrew to the interior, whilst the commercial superpower set up shop on the coast.
Much of what is visible today on this large and fascinating site, (where excavations are still in progress), is a Roman city, complete with houses, temples, baths and streets – a result of Roman building over and improvement of, the Punic city in the third century B.C. The Cardo Maximus (the main north-south street, with its open drain running down its middle, now covered), is a particularly fine example of a Roman city of A.D. 200.
Sinus Peninsula
The Sinis Peninsula is a protected marine area, encompassing lagoons and several lovely beaches including San Giovanni di Sinis, Is Arutas and the famous Mari Ermi; a long beach of bright white quartz, with areas of fine, ochre coloured sand.
Travelling north, the coast becomes high and imposing at Capo Mannu. Beyond, low reefs alternate with sandy beaches until one reaches the dunes of Is Arenas, which stretch inland for 8 km, forming a true desert. Close to Capo San Marco, there is the Catalano, an ancient volcano 230m in diameter, with deep fissures at its centre.
The Sinis Peninsula is a landscape of great natural beauty. Cabras lagoon is one of the largest in Europe and is inhabited by a wealth of fauna, including wild fowl and heron. The lagoon is teaming with a great variety of fish, including gilt head, mullet, eel and bass. The Scoglio del Catalano reef and Mal di Ventre island also form part of the Sinis peninsula. The reef is un-polluted and has many small beaches on its western side.
Oristano Province & City
The province of Oristano, also known as the Sardegna Region, is a sparsely populated area on the west central Mediterranean coast. It borders on the Sassari province to the north, the Nuoro province to the east and the provinces of Medio Campidano and Cagliari to the south and includes 88 municipalities. There are over 90km of coastline ranging from sandy beaches to imposing cliffs. Two rivers cross the province: the Tirso, which opens to the Gulf of Oristano, and the Temo, the only waterway of the island, although it is not entirely navigable. Much of the area was once covered by marshes, and several towns such as Arborea, were created when Mussolini’s government decided to drain some of the wetland areas.
Oristano Province is a rural area, largely known for its farming and seafood industry and the local dishes are unique. Beyond Torre Grande, stretches the fertile Campidano Plain, that provides much of the province’s agricultural output.
Several Roman and pre-Roman ruins are to be found at various sites. In the north-west approximately 25km from Oristano, is Fordongianus, with its Roman aqueduct, amphitheatre and thermal baths. Just outside the village, is the church of S. Lussorio, built in the 12th century on a Paleo-Christian hypogeum, where S. Lussorio was allegedly buried after being martyred during the persecutions by Roman emperor Diocleziano in 304.
The capital city, also called Oristano, is situated on the River Tirso and is the largest in the province, with over 30,000 residents. The city itself hosts regular cultural events and festivals during the summer, which include colourful costumes and parades. The area near the city has been inhabited for over 3,000 years.
For more information on more amazing places to photograph and visit in Sardinia, call our specialist team on 0208 9732297.
THE SARDATUR BUCKET LIST: THE PORTO CERVO WINE FESTIVAL
Here at Sardatur we’re looking forward to all the exciting things that 2012 is going to bring.
For those who worship the grape, one event not to be missed on the Sardinian calender this year is the Porto Cervo Wine Festival on the north of our favourite island.
From the 4th-6th May, the Costa Smeralda toasts its 50th birthday with the stars of Italian wine and the finest products that Sardinia and Italy have to offer.
This kermes is the first of the many appointments that the beautiful and exclusive chain, Starwood Hotels – Cala di Volpe, Cervo, and Romazzino – will propose to celebrate this beautiful destination founded in 1962 by Prince Aga Khan.
The Porto Cervo Wine Festival is an important rendezvous between sixty producers that represent the principal enological territories around Italy, enthusiasts, consumers and wine lovers of the Costa Smeralda.
The tastings, held from 3 pm to 7 pm at the Cervo Conference Center, will be accompanied by a number of exciting events.
“Wine in the Facebook Era”
For the social media savvy there will be a workshop: “Wine in the Facebook Era”.
Can social networks and web marketing really help small and big producers to make their self known and to sell out of their regional and national borders? This will be the theme on which journalists and industry experts will confront Saturday the 5th from 10 am to 1 pm, offering interesting case studies and simple practical advices on how best to use Communication 2.0.
“Eat Parade”, the book
The journalist Bruno Gambacorta, historical face of the TG2 news, presents the book that collects 35 of the most interesting stories of the first 13 years of his famous TV show. With him, on Friday the 4th from 5 pm, Gilberto Arru, food and wine expert, Antonello Salis and Vittorio Castellani (aka Chef Kumalè), two of the protagonists of his stories.
‘Incontri Di…Vini.’
Don Pasta, DJ and economist, food and wine enthusiast, will be one of the guests of the appointments “Incontri Di…Vini”, where entertainment, sport and music personalities will share their common passion: wine. Saturday afternoon, Don Pasta talks about Wine Sound System, his multimedia project that offers a unique way of experiencing wine and vinyl.
Gourmet dinners
The haute cuisine at the Porto Cervo Wine Festival provides two really tasty appointments: Friday the 4th the Cervo Hotel will host a dinner signed by its Executive Chef Stefano Spanu and the Michelin Star Chef Stefano Masanti, from Il Cantinone Restaurant in Madesimo (Sondrio). Saturday 5th The Pitrizza Hotel will be the location for “Vini Buoni d’Italia”, a dinner organized in collaboration with the wine guide, the Chic group and the Ersa (Regional Authority for Agricultural Promotion and Development of the Friuli Venezia-Giulia Region). For this occasion traditional Sardinian specialties prepared by the creativeness of Chef Maurizio Locatelli and Pastry Chef Manuel Arcadu, will meet with the aromas of wines from Friuli to create a menu that highlights the excellence of two great Italian regions.
Private Tasting Lounge
An exclusive lounge reserved to the guests of the Starwood Hotels (that for the Wine Festival are offering a special package, sector operators, buyers and journalists, for the tasting of vertical and special vintages, but also valuable labels of rum, distilled drinks and chocolates.
Give our specialist team a call on 0208 9732297 for more information about how to visit this unique and interesting event.
www.portocervowinefestival.com
A NEW LEASE OF LIFE IN CHIA
Sardinia is still a well-kept secret of the Med, with people in-the-know mostly flocking to the north-east of the island known as the Costa Smeralda. This is where the rich and famous spend their summers cruising the transparent seas in their impressive yachts.
The brilliant thing about south-west Sardinia is that it’s still generally unknown to a lot of UK travellers and so remains uncrowded and unspoilt by mass tourism.
This summer brings some exciting changes and refurbishments to the Chia Laguna Resort, with the entire Chia Village accommodation seeing beautiful upgrades to all of its room interiors.
The Chia Laguna Resort is located in a splendid position, occupying a rugged knoll, surrounded by typical Mediterranean flora, with panoramic views of the magnificent bay of Chia and its broad expanse of sand dunes. The Resort is composed of 2 different types of accommodation; the Chia Village and The Laguna Hotel. This resort has been a long standing favourite with our clients.
The Laguna restaurant has been redecorated and now has a terrace for dining outdoors. There is also a brand new pool restaurant, specialising in Sardinian cuisine for guests to get a truly authentic cuisine experience during their stay.
In addition the resort’s facilities have seen a total renovation of the main swimming pool, fitness centre, (which now boasts state-of-the-art Technogym training equipment, a spacious Hammam and emotional shower)
Guests can also now enjoy the Chia Leisure Card, which includes complimentary group lessons for tennis, golf, five-a-side football and fitness classes as well as free access to the 18-hole Pitch & Putt. It really has never been a better time to visit.
With excellent facilities this haven is ideal of families as well as couples. The best thing about Chia is the long stretch of beautiful sandy beach that gently slopes into the ocean, making it an ideal spot for families with young children.
The Resort also has a 5* luxury hotel named the Laguna Hotel for those wanting upgraded accommodation designed beautifully in soft Italian decor.
If you’d like to experience a different side to Sardinia, you can give our specialist team a call on 0208 9732296 or visit our website for more information on the Chia Laguna Resort.
THE ELEMENTS BEHIND A BRILLIANT PHOTOGRAPH
Runner up of our ‘It’s all about Italy’ competition, Claire Taylor Hughes shared this with us on Friday and we thought it was so lovely that we had to talk about it right here on our blog.
She thought she’d take us behind the scenes of how she created her clever photograph and her team involved..
The final product of the collaboration is below: a prize winning photograph!
WINNER
It’s been a really tough week for David Fettes, trying to decide the winner of our ‘It’s all about Italy’ photography competition.
But pick a winner he must…
It was a hard call between 3 photographs: We are pleased to crown the picture below as the one to claim the prize of a holiday to The Forte Village in Sardinia!
THE WINNER:
This photograph says so much about Italy. It’s beautiful; atmospheric. It speaks so much in narratives about the artistic, stylish and romantic nature that is associated with Italy. We absolutely love it.
RUNNER UP:
‘Although this is not the best photography technically, it certainly fitted the brief in every way… very clever and creative. You can see how much thought and effort went into it and that deserves to be rewarded also’
As the runner up to our competition for their effort and creativity we would love to award this photo a £100 voucher to be used on any of our holidays.
Give us a call on 0208 9408399 for further details and how to claim your prizes!
Again we would like to say a huge thank you for everyone who has taken part with sending in their photographs and for keeping in touch with us on Facebook.
But this is not the end, we’ll be running many more competitions in the near future with excellent prizes so stay tuned with our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages!
T&Cs for this competition apply
SHORT-LISTED
With the ‘It’s all about Italy’ competition deadline now passed, we’d love to thank everyone who has taken part in showing us what they believe Italy to be all about.
The brilliant photographer David Fettes made his way into Sardatur HQ yesterday to help our team decide which photograph was the winner of our truly fantastic prize..
We don’t want to get you too excited, but the winner will be receiving a 7 night holiday for two to the fantastic Forte Village in Sardinia, with flights included and transfers! Wowzers.
It was a really difficult decision as there were so many interesting and fantastic entries. We have been considering creativity, technique, popularity on Facebook and most importantly the brief: ‘It’s all about Italy’
‘Is it all about Italy?’
‘Does it say more about Italy than any of the other photos?’
In the end we whittled it down to 17 photographs. So without anymore delay, and in no particular order, we’re delighted to tell you that if you see your photo below you’ve been short-listed!
ENTRY 1:
David: ‘This photograph says so much about the importance of family and women in Italy. I really love the fig trees overhead’
ENTRY 2:
David: ‘This is a very well-taken photograph. The framing is beautiful and the colour of the Vespa is stunning’
ENTRY 3:
David: ‘Although the quality of this photo is not as strong as others, the narrative of this image is incredible evocative. It says a lot to me about the importance of passing on tradition to younger generations of family in Italy.’
ENTRY 4:
David: ‘This image proved quite popular on Facebook, very good colour and composition’
ENTRY 5:
David: ‘This photograph is very beautiful. I get a strong sense of peacefulness when i look at it, possibly an early morning scene in Venice. Very well composed in difficult photographic light and good detail’
ENTRY 6:
David: This photograph is very interesting and creative; a different way of capturing the essence of Venice and of Italy. I like the way you can see how the man is working. Very well taken photograph.’
ENTRY 7:
David: ‘This photo is great because you great a true sense of vitality and zest for life in the child. Italian food, family meals – this image says a lot about Italy’
ENTRY 8:
David: ‘This is a very well taken photo, the composition is good, very lovely detail of the froth on the coffee, makes you want to drink it! You can imagine sitting in a cafe, trying to plan your day sight-seeing with the map of Italy’
ENTRY 9:
David: ‘The lighting on this photo is quite lovely. A different view of Venice, where people live rather than tourists.’
ENTRY 10:
David: ‘This is Italy in a nut-shell. Men sitting around talking in the piazza. A very typical scene in Italy and important part of Italian culture.’
ENTRY 11:
David: ‘Lovely colours. Brilliant use of a a fish-eye camera’
ENTRY 12:
David: ‘I really like this photograph. Women are the matriarchs of Italian families. I like the way she is standing holding up the grapes so we can see the fruits of her hard work’
ENTRY 13:
David: ‘This was the most popular photograph on Facebook so we just had to put it in the list. The composition is great, nice framing and very colourful’
ENTRY 14:
David: ‘There is a very good narrative in this photograph. Its very moody, atmospheric and interesting’
ENTRY 15:
David: ‘A very Italian scene. The vespa, the old man walking down the street. Good shadows and light across the street.’
ENTRY 16:
David: ‘An incredibly romantic photograph. This photo says it all about the romance of Italy. A very well taken photograph, stunning lighting’
ENTRY 17:
David: ‘This is very clever, a lot of thought and effort has gone into it – a very good answer to the brief!’
We’re going to have a long, hard think about it and let you all know the winner on the 9th March!
What do you think? We’d love to know your thoughts on the photographs, why you like them and which photo you think should win!
THE SARDATUR BUCKET LIST: BRUSH UP ON YOUR ANCIENT HISTORY
Here at Sardatur we’re looking forward to all the exciting things that 2012 is going to bring.
Sardinia is known for its beauty, for its transparent seas, golden sands and rugged mountains. But, as well as its visual appeal, Sardinia has a deep and fascinating history and culture that dates back to pre-historic ages.
History fans will be pleased to know that archaeologists and conservation experts in Sardinia have been able to re-assemble thousands of fragments from once smashed sculptures of a small yet unique army of life-size stone warriors, which according to historians, were originally destroyed by enemies in the middle of the first millennium BC.
These fascinating figures are the only group of sculpted life-sized warriors ever found in Europe, making this discovery ground-breaking in archaeological history.
Experts have proven that although the figures are of much smaller quantity than the famous Terracotta Army in China, the Sardinia specimens are actually 500 years older and carved from stone rather than pottery.
Sardinia’s re-created ‘stone army’ is set to focus attention on one of the world’s under appreciated ancient civilizations. The remains of 7000 Nuragic fortresses (the oldest castles in Europe) still dominate the landscape in Sardinia and are strikingly beautiful and mysterious.
The re-assembled stone army is expected to on display from this summer at The Cagliari Museum, in Sardinia’s capital city.
If you love to lose yourself in ancient history then maybe Sardinia is for you this summer, you can call our specialist team on 0208 9732296 or visit our website for accomodation at The Forte Village, a fantastic property that is close to Cagliari and would be appropriate for children and families alike wishing to become archaeologists for a week!