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April 24, 2025

Rucksack Foodie

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Tag: eels

In Search of Eel Pie

I didn’t have a definite plan of action when arriving in London last week. I had walked the streets before, a few years back hitting …

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Eat good, Live well, Enjoy Life!
Food-Whisky-Travel

The perfect-off-season travel spot is Bosa Sardini

The perfect-off-season travel spot is Bosa Sardinia. This is a VERY special place! It could have been the pre-season timing, or the chance encounters, perfect weather or maybe the stars and tides were aligned? But the importance of chatting with locals never more proven than by my time here. The people i met during the visit (even with very little Italian & them no English) were possibly the highlight but there is SO MUCH to experience in this relaxed corner of the world!
I found the preseason spirits to be high here & Easter week seemed more of a celebration amongst the locals rather than a traditional period of somber reflection. There is so much beauty & tradition to be found amongst this colorful stacked community! The only Sardinian town, on the only navigable river (Temo River), only a mile from the sea. Ancient prehistory roots lie buried under hints of Roman settlement in the nearby river valley, as well as under the medival hilltop castle and cascading residential area down to the river banks. Narrow stone streets, that wind their way through an ever narrowing maze of footpaths. Your nighttime wanders are lead by hearty laughter emanating from small ground level stone archway entrances with ancient wooden doors or vintage curtains camouflaging private cantinas (personal wine cellars/drinking caves)
During the day cafe sitting & sipping is the main sport for all ages. Old friends & family sharing Buongiornos over strong coffees in the morning and delightful glasses of Cannonau/Grenache with fresh local pecorino & pane carasau (flat bread) during Apertivo.
Here in Bosa back alleys can also lead to stumbling upon beautiful traditions… the local Canto (traditional chanting men’s choir) practicing for an upcoming holiday, women sitting in their doorways embroidering their famous Fillet Lace upon their laps, local produce or homemade Malvasian wine for sale on thresholds, passing fisherman coming home from a day out at sea.
A short walk from the center can lead you to …. (⬇️ CONTINUED IN COMMENTS⬇️)
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#oneofmyfavoritesplacesintheworld
#sardiniaroadtrip
#sardinia #bosa #bosasardegna
#eatgoodlivewellenjoylife

My last sunset in Sardinia for a while… how apro

My last sunset in Sardinia for a while… how apropos that I’m sitting on the steps of a 12th century church, where before was an ancient Nuraghi site, watching the sun set over mountains. in a small hilltop town, waiting for our pizzas to share with new friends made at the local cafe(bar) ❤️
What a month it’s been on this beautiful island paradise of endless traditions, fabulous wine & cheese and beautiful hospitality from the lovely locals.
Tornerò! (I will be back!)
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#sardinia #sardegna #sardiniansunset
#bestkepttravelsecret
#eatgoodlivewellenjoylife

The songs and dance of Sardinia are hypnotic and t

The songs and dance of Sardinia are hypnotic and today at Tonara Sardinia’s Pasquetta Festival you could see in this community’s smiling eyes when the music started, how much they truly love their traditional songs and dance! Uniqueness found only here like their polyphonic woodwind instrument the launeddas & sulittu created from reeds, tuned with beeswax and mastered by shepherds in the mountains centuries ago. To lightening like button pushing on vintage accordions of all sizes.
The lively continuous threads of song seem to feed the stamina of the musicians as well as dancers, and it was so impressive. Most the songs seemed to go on for at least 10 minutes.
Melodic, slightly off center to the ear and typically very lively, it was obvious these traditional songs are still very much a part of life for every generation as they all danced the Ballu tundu (or ballu sardu) a traditional Sardinian folk dance which is typically danced in a closed or open circle. Both the young and the old immediately would start to bop up and down with a partner, slowly joining others, all instinctively in step no matter where they’d step in to join the circle.
In the past, the Bally Sardu had very important and strict rules that had to be followed during the dance. Married or engaged couples could hold hands palm to palm with fingers entwined, but a man could not do this with a young girl or another man’s wife. If a stranger entered the circle, he had to do so to the woman’s right so as not to come between her and her husband.
I’m not sure how much these old rules still are followed as so many were on the dance floor at the end of the day, pairs of friends, couples, young and old all circling up, ring after ring, small stepping, heads bobbing in unison, the musicians playing endless reels with no obvious patterns but do how the group of about 100 all knew exactly what steps to take and when!!
It was what a lovely thing to see all ages of a community singing & dancing together like they have for 100s of years.
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#sardegna #sardinia
#tonara #launeddas #sulittu
#ballutundu #ballusardu
#traditionaldance #traditionalsong
#sardegnatradizioni
#pasquetta

Tradition is beautiful and curious to me. Seeing,

Tradition is beautiful and curious to me. Seeing, tasting & experiencing life happening in ways I’m not familiar, that’s what this month’s journey has been for me. Today’s Easter morning procession in this small village was a lovely way to wrap up Holy Week, and my agnostic tail sat through ALOT of mass which I’m sure my Dad will be proud of… lol … but it was an interesting, beautiful and reflective time. Here in Aggius, like many small villages in Sardinia, there are multiple churches (some only used for special days) and multiple Confraternities (brotherhoods and keepers of special items and traditions like singing & processions) Today the two confraternities brought Mary & Jesus statues for a meeting in the square and then the proceeded back to church for final mass. It was lovely seeing all the villagers out in their finest wears, greeting each other with Buono Pasqua (Happy Easter). 🤍🤍
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#eastertraditions #BuonaPasqua
#sardegnatradizioni #sardinia #sardegna
#eatgoodlivewellenjoylife

Ever wondered why we put grass in our Easter baske

Ever wondered why we put grass in our Easter baskets?
Grass & Easter & Spring traditions are seen across cultures in many different forms even predating Christian faith. Here in the once remote mountain village of Aggius Sardinia, centuries of immigrant influences evolved an Easter grass tradition called Li Sippulchi at Chiesa di nostra Signora d’Itria (loosely translated Church of the Mary Worshipers) a perfect representation of a mother’s love for her son & a too short life.
“Li Sippulchi” is known to have very Ancient Greek origins, supposedly of the gardens of Adonis. The tragic death of Adonis since ancient times has been commemorated in the spring, when women would plant “gardens of Adonis,” a ritual practice women would grow wheat in baskets or pots for a period of eight days, to mourn the death of the god Adonis & celebrate his rebirth which would wither & die quickly,representing his short life. For many generations Aggius village women have prepared vessels of seeds forty days before Easter, in makeshift containers such as old broken pots or ruined baskets. Once “lu Sippulcu” is prepared, it is stored in a dark & dry place & watered regularly; the plants grow & develop thick and luxuriant shoots, which being in the absence of light (without chlorophyll) remain a white color tending towards yellow-green. In a few weeks the shoots become tightly aligned stems, & then are ready to be decorated with colored ribbons & flowers. In Aggius they decorate the plants with the flowers of “Balcu” (wallflower) a spontaneous plant that grows in the cracks of the granite walls & that blooms in Spring during the Easter period. Dressed in sacred red wrapping, Lu Sippulcu, once ready, is taken to this church on Holy Thursday & placed on the altar at the foot of the Cross. recreating the all too short cycle of life (ie: Adonis/Jesus)This custom represented the birth, growth & death of the son-vegetation of mother-earth who was born with the winter solstice, grew and died and then resurrected at the spring equinox.⬇️More history/myth geek notes in the COMMENTS⬇️
#eastertraditions #eastergrass
#lisuppulchi
#chiesadinostrasignoraditria
#aggius #aggiussardegna #sardinia

Check-out mornings have been a coin toss when it c

Check-out mornings have been a coin toss when it comes to destination and yesterday I headed for an ancient holy well with mythical healing properties… but then found something absolutely gorgeous next door!
The well temple called Predio Canopoli, in Perfugas from approx 1800BC is similar to most ancient sites in Sardinia, the original builders and function are unknown but they do know wells & temples such as this were a place of pilgrimage and ceremonies.
This site was only discovered in 1925 when a local man was digging in his garden. Over the last 100 years further excavations and removal of a couple medieval buildings uncovered even more that included artifacts from the well (see pic of bull statue) & a larger temple ruin. What’s truly remarkable about this well is the exact precision in which these original granite building blocks were cut and tightly positioned. It honestly looks like new construction! Finding it perched behind a locked gate in the middle of a medieval residential area of a small town, I had to enter the neighboring 16th century church to find a docent for access. (Because you can almost always be certain where there is an ancient/pagan site of worship, there will be a church!) BUT THEN that’s when I saw something really magnificent…..
(…CONTINUED in COMMENTS ⬇️)
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#retablodisangiorgio #perfugas #ancientwell #sacrocanopoliwell #saintgeorge #sangiorgio #sardegna #sardinia #altarpiece
#discoverytravel #sardiniaroadtrip
#eatgoodlivewellenjoylife

The celebration of Lunissanti is an ancient one in

The celebration of Lunissanti is an ancient one in the town of Castelsardo, the medieval town’s special confraternity the Brotherhood of the Oratory of the Holy Cross, conducting a long day of dramatic religious rites and ceremonies on Holy week Monday.
Nearly 700 years of tradition, evolving from the Spanish & catholic occupation of this northern region of Sardinia dating back to the 1400s.
Before dawn, the members of the Brotherhood gather at their Santa Croce chapel located within the medieval walled city perched atop a volcanic promitory overlooking the sea. The Brotherhood are keepers of holy items that represent the trials of Jesus, a “mystery” to the faithful as they believe they will never truly know the suffering. The Brothers traditionally dress in white tunics (the abbidu) & a white cap (lu cappùcciu), are local men who are very proud and respected amongst their neighbors. Each having a very specific roll to perform.
Some serve as Apostles confreres who carry the SOS Misterios (items representing the Mysteries) in the procession, while some are the Cantors three choirs of four voices each: the bogi (the tenor), lu bassu (the bass), lu contro (the alto) and lu falzittu (the falsetto). The songs performed are of pre-Gregorian origin and enchanting to witness being performed in such a place… To see them sing in their circles, each man preforming the songs of generations before them, remembering their very specific cadence and tonal changes, long segments of remarkable endurance was moving.
The day is a long one….
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#lunissanti #sosmisterios
#Confraternitadelloratoriodisantacroce
#castelsardo #castelsardoturismo
#sardegna #sardinia
#holyweek #sardiniantradition
#faithcomesinallforms
#tergu #italianromanesque

Easter in Sardinia is a very special time, today b

Easter in Sardinia is a very special time, today being Palm Sunday kicks off the Holy Week traditions. And here in Sardinia, like most parts of the old world, food is such a huge part of celebrating, their love of baked goodies comes alive at Easter time! Today at Palm Sunday events I found Italian Girl Scouts with bake sale tables set up selling fresh loaves of traditional of Pane Coccorroi locally by my friend’s mother. Sometimes referred to as Pane di Pasqua (Easter Bread)This is a traditional decorated Italian holiday yeast bread that usually contains hard boiled eggs—baked right into the bread. It’s often eaten as a snack with honey or jam.
It is believed that Pane di Pasqua was created as a way to celebrate the end of the Lenten fast, which traditionally forbids the consumption of rich and indulgent foods. Palm Sunday, based upon a story of celebration makes this lovely yeast bread with fresh local honey perfecto for Pasqua !
Part of this months journey is hoping to see even a few of the many beautiful and extremely special Easter traditions that can be found in nearly every small village and town across this island. This morning I made my way to the starting-church of the local Palm Sunday procession in Bosa, following the locals all carrying handfuls & bags of palms, laurel, wild flowers and various greenery from their homes, all to be blessed by the priest before following the procession through the medieval narrow streets.Seeing some of the lovely locals I’ve met over the past few days, smiling & nodding Buongiorno as they spotted me in the crowd.
The main men of the church decked out in their bright red cloaks leading the group to the Cathedralcarrying a large cross, a young man walking in the crowd singing ancient traditional hymns along the way with his handy modern blue tooth speakers projecting the holy songs to the furthest back of the procession. Locals sitting in cafes along the way standing in respect as the cross passed by.
For me, a peaceful morning of reverence for Boza’s traditions & lifestyle.
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#palmsunday #pasquale #holyweek #eastertraditions #pasqualetradizione #sardegnatradizioni #sardinia
#panedipasqua
#eatgoodlivewellenjoylife

Tonight was a night made for a documentary! Sittin

Tonight was a night made for a documentary! Sitting here listening to these men of the local organized choral club, practicing for the upcoming Holy Week… from the first note in that quiet piazza, emotions bubbled to the surface. The 4 part harmonies rattle the core, moved me though I had no clue what they were singing this tradition is special here in Bosa & how lucky for me to be in this moment! This entire trip has been me basically stumbling into new friendships that present amazing moments. Tonight was astounding!
My bnb host msg’d me to inform me of the locale Canto (local choir) practice that was happening tonight… I had plans to drive over the hill to a neighboring village to watch an Easter holiday procession , but those plans immediately changed. This choir,
Bosa Sardinia’s throat harmony singing (aka ‘cantu a tragiu’)is special. There is no written history of origin or reason or even of the songs about it, it’s a practice of life here in Bosa and has been passed on to generation after generation orally. Most of the music traces back to the 16th century, after the Council of Trent, when through Franciscan monks, Jesuits and others, the practice of falsobordone was brought to Sardinia. Tragiu singing as it is known, is a polyphonic practice based on four male voices: bassu (the lowest voice), contra, tenor and cuntraltu. Normally each part is given to a soloist but, during the rites of Holy Week, it is customary to sing with more than one person per part. And although most of the songs are religious, I was told that there are some that are story telling or love songs of every day life.
And it’s a bit renegade as well!! After the group practice my new friend Paolo, invited me to come along to a back alley/ guerrilla group practice (where there was a woman singing along!!! This is shocking actually) We wound ourselves through the back medieval alleys to one of many of Bosa’s private bars, hole in the walls that don’t exist 😉.What a night! A night that my head will hit the pillow after many mini glasses of vino, the rhythmic & melodic echos of the evenings voices lulling me to slumber. Dreams are meant to be of Bosa, I’m sure of it!
#bosasardegna

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