In gamba

photo credit: internet

It’s been a while since I wrote anything because I have been busy living my new life in Alghero, Sardinia. I have come to realize that with every passing experience we are moulded and refined like Bernini’s masterpiece sculptures. The process of refinement takes time and works on different levels at various moments in our lives. To quote Edgar Cayce: "There is the physical body, there is the mental body, there is the spiritual body. They are one. They each have their attributes. They each have their weaknesses. They each have their associations. Yet they must be all coordinated"

I have been busy with work and have met some truly lovely people. However, I was warned early on that there is a certain stubbornness and self-aggrandizement that also comes with the Sardinian from Alghero. For example, some think Sardinia should be its own country and separate from the rest of Italy. Some like to argue just for the sake of arguing and others have what I call “small-island” complex. That’s when you try to make yourself more important than you really are.

Alghero attracts unbearable amounts of tourists during the months of July and August. Somewhat like Venice, where it’s just impossible to move around without bumping into someone who doesn’t speak Italian. But during the winter months it’s considered boring and as my brother said when he came to visit, riding a bus makes you feel like you’re in a third world country. It also feels like the Caribbean at times. One day it’s pouring rain, 10 degrees Celsius with thunder and lightning, and the next day it’s hot and sunny and 20 degrees.

The emotional climate is much less moody than the weather though. Generally, the average person is easy going and at times also has a good conscience. When my brother was visiting we were walking in the old town at night when I found € 40 on the ground. I felt quite lucky for a moment, until I saw a woman and her boyfriend walking towards me. She looked upset and was searching her pockets. I knew instantly that it was her money that I had found so I returned it to her. She was a tourist and very grateful. The look of astonishment on her boyfriend’s face was worth it. He said, “you are very honest.” I then heard that someone lost his UK passport. What were the possibilities of finding it, everyone wondered. I secretly thought in Alghero, someone will surely return it. When he went to the police station he arrived five minutes after someone had turned it in. On the other hand, I have been short changed at the store at least three times already. I’ve inquired if it’s because I’m a foreigner and the answer I got was, “there are people who will try to rip you off everywhere.” True. But the fact that I’m so relaxed here helps me realize that I’ve been short-changed before it’s too late. I suppose that's why my Italian friends say I'm "in gamba" which means, "on the ball."

But I still feel like I’ve found a little piece of paradise. I’ve continued exploring some new recipes such as sardine crude con limone e aglio (raw sardines with lemon and garlic). I even made a mean pizza rosso con acchiughe, melanzane, zucchine, pomodori freschi, formaggio parmeggiano, olive neri e capre (pizza with tomato sauce, anchovies, aubergine, zucchini, fresh tomatoes, parmesan cheese, black olives and capers). And I repeated my favorite dish, spaghetti con cozze, limone, vino bianco e aglio (spaghetti with mussles, lemon, white wine and garlic) only to find out later that I had left them in the fridge too long and was dealt a fine case of food poisoning for several days. Thankfully the kind pharmacist across the street was no stranger to my case seeing that this is a port town after all.

Speaking of food, persimmons are in season and are simply delicious. My fruit and vegetable grocer sells six for € 1.69. Chestnuts are also in season as are winter melons which are always sweet as honey.

I continue to enjoy a little piece of heaven.