I can still hear the waves lapping up on the rocks outside our window as I look at the bowl full of sea-glass I found on the shores in Sardinia. When I think back on my trip to this beautiful island I think about eating Nutella filled croissants every morning, drinking endless cappuccinos, the tuna pasta, the wine and most definitely the people. You can walk the busy streets of Cagliari, lounge on white sand beaches, snorkel in the turquoise waters or head inland to discover the more traditional villages where you will see shepherds attending to sheep and families spending quality time together with nothing else on their agenda except for each other.

The best time to see Sardinia in all its glory is between April and June, when the flowers are in full bloom and the weather is perfecto. The summers are warm with many festivals and events to attend if that is your time of year to travel, however, I attended in September and outside of the cold waters, the weather was divine and we avoided the crowds of a typical tourist season.

When traveling from the United States, you have to find a connecting city to fly through as you cannot fly directly to Sardinia. I traveled through Dimitra Yoga in Lewes, Delaware with a group of friends. Dimitra plans and leads several groups every year to fantastic locations she has previously explored, allowing you to feel like a local vs a tourist when traveling. They are small groups so it’s intimate and not overwhelming. She recommended several cities to make our connecting flights through, Rome being the most popular. As a group, we decided that we wanted to hit another country during our layover to make the most of our time. We decided to travel through Barcelona, a city none of us had been to before, which we made a whole mini trip out of! You can find that blog post below.

Barcelona Blog

So why Sardinia? Your first homework assignment is to go to Netflix and watch Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, Episode 2. Once you’re hooked you can binge the other episodes and start planning out your Blue Zone journey. Sardinia’s culture has strong ties to their family and friends, taking care of each other, especially their elders, not out of responsibility, but because that is what you do. They spend their evenings in community with one another, laughing and enjoying a slow dinner and a glass (or two) of wine. They’re not worried about deadlines, school projects or soccer schedules that haunt us most nights. They take great pride in preparing their food, eating mostly whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables with a side of meat they most likely fished or hunted themselves. Their secret to life is simple and it will make you want to bring it home with you.

Day 1: Winery Tour

We attended a wine tour at Cantina Mesa Winery which was just as adorable as our guide for the day, Maria. She gave us great insight into the history of the winery, how it was founded from the love of Sardinia, including how they created the design of the building and wine labels. We got to tour both where they grow the grapes, the inside of the building and enjoyed snacks while we sampled wines in their tasting room, enriching us with stories of their culture with each sip. We all brought a bottle or two home with us to share with our own families.

Day 2: Yoga, Sea-Glass & Carloforte

Following a delicious dinner at a local restaurant and a good night’s sleep, we had the morning to ourselves. We practiced yoga and explored the coastline near our villa, finding an abundance of sea glass and pottery.

**It is important to note that it is very illegal to take sand and seashells from their beaches. They do check your bags in the airport for this specifically. Some say that sea-glass is okay because you are really collecting trash which is helpful. The fines can be upwards of 3,000 euros, so proceed cautiously!

That afternoon, we took a Ferry over to Carloforte, on the island of San Pietro, Italy. This beautiful, charming village was founded by coral fishers and has a long-standing tradition of wooden boat building. It feels like you are walking through a storybook as you wind through the tight cobblestone streets, watching children play in the main square, wandering through shops of art, clothing and decor and exchanging pleasantries with the locals. They are known for their tuna, as is most of Sardinia, so I ate more tuna throughout this trip than maybe in my whole life as it is not my favorite, but there wasn’t a meal I didn’t finish.

We caught the last ferry back to the town we were staying in after another delicious meal, filled with laughter, friendship and pasta! One thing you must know before traveling anywhere is what the custom mealtimes are for your particular location. Both in Barcelona and in Sardinia, dinner started around 8:00 pm and you are there to enjoy the meal and the company you brought. Embrace the culture you are in, pack snacks, and if needed, have that extra cup of coffee!

Day 3: Porto Flavia & Cagliari

We packed our bags, sad to leave the rocky coastline and the sweet staff who made our stay at our first stop in Sardinia so magical, and headed for Cagliari with a stop at Porto Flavia.

An important thing to know about me, if you didn’t read my Barcelona blog, is that I get motion sick pretty easily. It’s always been a bummer about the way I was constructed, so I come very prepared! I take Dramamine, wear behind the ear patches and step on a boat cautiously. So, like many of my kind, we call front seat dibs on a bus or in larger vehicles, both for our own benefit and the benefit of all those we travel with. The trip to Porto Flavia included many curving roads, the ones you “meet your ass on the other side” kind of roads and that “oh shit” handles were made for. Needless to say, we were all grateful to get some fresh air at Masua beach. We had a little time to enjoy the sunshine and sand while watching the dinghy boats take groups of people out to the Pan di Zucchero sea stacks and see the other side of Porto Flavia loading terminal, a mineral production hub named after the harbor’s engineer’s daughter.

We did a tour of the Masua mine tunnels that were built and designed to improve cost and steamboat loading times. Again, our tour guide was very knowledgeable, easy to follow and was full of pride for her country’s historical site. There is a decent hike to get up to the cliff so that is something to be mindful of depending on your mobility. Then once we were at the top, there is a restroom and a snack bar if you need either of those services before you put on your hairnet, hard hat and head into the tunnel.

Disclaimer: If you struggle with claustrophobia and not being able to see an exit, this tour might not be for you. I do not struggle with this, but it was also not confined or tight. There is plenty of space above your head and around you, but it is not for everyone!

After our tour of the tunnels, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and then had a scheduled time to get on a dinghy boat to see the hub from the sea side, go through the sea stacks and explore more of the coast. I almost didn’t do this because of my boating experience in Barcelona but I’m so glad I did! It is more like being on a speed boat and it was one of the most fun experiences of the entire trip for me, ironically! Seeing the tunnel from the water was very majestic. There were lots of great photo opportunities, including one of the more famous locations where you go inside a cove and the opening is in the shape of Sardinia.

One thing I continue to learn about myself is overcoming the fear that the story inside my head tells me. Many of us love to travel or see new places, but that doesn’t mean that there are limits to what we can or cannot do as individuals. Don’t rule out experiences because of that story, but also understand your limits.

We finished the afternoon with a little more beach time before loading up and heading to our final location; Cagliari.

Days 4, 5 & 6: Exploring Cagliari

Cagliari is the largest city on the island of Sardinia. The streets twist and turn, going from historical sites to gelato shops, clothing stores and tables awaiting customers outside of restaurants. We thankfully had a map from our hotel as we went out to explore the streets so we didn’t get lost but in the few days we were there I figured out how to get to most places without it, providing comfort in a foreign city.

We climbed approximately one hundred stairs to reach the top, give or take a few. The views were worth every step as you can lookout and see the entire city from all around. There was even a school that was currently in session while we were there. We saw alphabet posters hanging on the classroom walls from the window, the front doors to the school wide open with no bullet-proof glass to be seen anywhere. We are lucky here in the United States in so many ways, and yet still not hitting the mark in so many others. It was refreshing to see a school so freely apart of their community. However, we did get to see that no matter the language or country of origin, all children do in fact throw temper tantrums. Phew!

On our final day, we opted for a relaxing beach day at Frontemare in Quartu Sant’Elena. It was a beautiful beach club, where we did nothing but finish our books and swim when we got too hot or were bullied into it. Oh, and eat pasta. Always pasta.

After relocating our family just weeks before this trip and stepping away from my profession to stay home during our transition, it was a refreshing reminder that it’s okay for life to slow down. In other phases of life I had worked hard to perfect my skills in teaching; learning and adapting to the ever-changing expectations for educators. So whether you are hustlin’ or have taken on a role that is within your home, Sardinia reminds us that when we sit down at the end of the day, take time to enjoy some good food and a glass of wine; filling our evenings and in the end, our lives, with laughter and love.

Thanks for stopping in! Let’s stay connected and see the world together!