Sunday, December 17, 2006

Advent Ball, December 17th

The "smoking" fountain, Nuoro

Ciccio & Jacinto have just come back from a week’s tour of Sardinia, the island that graces the Mediterranean, its high peaks reaching the blue skies. They travelled in the central region of Sardinia: the Barbagia.
They met with friends there, shared conversation, and enjoyed the local food.
Cicco adored the Bottarga, especially enjoying it the day it was served on raw artichokes, sliced finely, with a drop of lemon, and, of course, the delicate olive oil! The Bottarga is a typical Sardinian delicatessen, made from fish eggs, dried and compressed together – either to grate over your spaghetti, sprinkle with parsley, don’t forget the olive oil, or use the powdered version. For fish lovers only!
Driving on the roads, they came across herds of sheep, and sometimes goats as well, and once, even found a few cows grazing peacefully along the motorway!
Perhaps technology lags behind, perhaps the locals feel left behind, wish for larger streets and faster cars. Perhaps too many holiday villages puncture the landscape, abandoned during the winter months. Time has not stopped in this island, yet it takes on a different quality – simply because it exists, it’s there, to live with, in, and use.

With a promise to return soon, they send us this picture, taken in Nuoro, while visiting the exhibition at MAN (Museo d’Arte della Provincia di Nuoro) – a smoking fountain!

They wish us to inform everyone that tomorrow they’ll be in London, to see the Christmas lights in Regent street. Faxes, from there, should be easier to send as well!

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