I promised myself that I wouldn’t start another post with “It’s been a whirlwind week” or something along those lines, but I really feel like that is the most accurate statement of almost every week.
It seems as though time is going faster… and faster… and I can barely keep up! It’s a blessing and a curse.
So what have I been up to? Let’s Catch Up!
Surprise! We’re in Sardinia!
On Thursday of last week we hopped on a plane and flew out of Bologna to the gorgeous island of Sardinia.
When we started this trip, Sardinia wasn’t even on our radar, but after spending time with our Italian friends they assured us it is not a place to be missed. We are currently staying in the sleeper beach town of Putzu Idu, away from the tourists hubs, and well, almost anything. There are a handful of restaurants, a beautiful beach, a small market in order to stock up on supplies and that’s about it. But hey, what else do we really need?
Here are a few facts about Sardinia:
– It is the second largest island in Mediterranean measuring in at a whopping 24,090 km2
– Approximately ten million tourists visit each year
– Sardinia’s coastline (1,850km) makes up over a quarter of the entire Italian coast
– The island is one of the most ancient bodies of land in Europe, geologically speaking, dating back 500 million years
-The per capita consumption of beer on the island is 60 litres almost double that of mainland Italy.
My girlfriend came to visit
Emma is here and she’s the first visitor I’ve had on this trip! I was so happy to see her face, and so grateful that she took the time to make the journey. We have had so much fun over the past few day; we’ve been on a few day trips (more on that in the coming weeks), lounged on the beach, chatted until the wee hours of the evening, and drank far too much wine. I am so thankful for her friendship and that her love of travelling and adventure allowed her to be a part of this trip! Woo Emma!
Speaking of wine
As we all know, wine and Italy are synonymous. This is for a variety of reasons, but the main one being that Italy is the largest wine producing country in the world – responsible for almost 20% of the planet’s wine. We have had some AMAZING wines during our Italian tour, they are so good I’ve even indulged in a glass or two of white (which I haven’t drank in almost a decade). Recently in Putzu Idu I discovered the best “wine deal” of my life, a full litre of wine for $8… and yes, it was delicious! You can’t even get a terrible bottle of wine at the liquor store in Canada for $8, so this is a deal for the books!
Italy vs. Italy with Italians
To be perfectly frank, the first time I visited Italy I wasn’t left with an overwhelming lust for the country. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful, the food was fantastic, and the history is truly unprecedented, but I wasn’t dying to get back to Italy. I thought, “I’ve seen Italy. I’m good.” However, that all changed when I arrived for this trip and had the pleasure of experiencing Italy with real Italian friends. Their knowledge and passion for everything Italian literally oozes out of their pores. They allowed us the opportunity to see Italy in a way that tourists rarely have the opportunity to. Small towns, restaurants off the beaten path, islands I didn’t even know existed (Elba island, never heard of it). It was a pleasure and a privilege to experience Italy with them and because of it, I haven’t even left and can’t wait to come back!
We’re officially on the two-month countdown
I can’t believe it and I’m not ready to talk about it! The good thing is, I have so much going on in the next two months that I don’t really have time to think about it. Of course, I’m excited to get back home and reconnect with friends and family but as fellow travellers know, it can be a tough transition from life on the road to life in the homestead. Therefore, I’m making the decision to not think about… it quite yet 🙂
How do you transition from holiday-mode to back-at-home mode? Any tips?
