Most of our European getaways are three to four days at a time
then it is back to work and day-to-day in the English countryside.
June saw a proper getaway for us – a week long Italian holiday.
Marco and I were lucky enough to join our St. Tropez crew (plus a
few new additions to the group) on the Italian island of Sardinia for seven
blissful days under that Mediterranean sun.
We rented a villa in the town of Porto Rotondo on the Costa Smeralda. We enjoyed the sleepy vibe of the yacht town. It had just a handful of cafés, restaurants, gelato stands, and great upscale shops catering to the yacht life clientele that briefly stop through or use the port as home base for the summer. June is the perfect time to visit Italian holiday destinations as it is just before the high season.
We rented a villa in the town of Porto Rotondo on the Costa Smeralda. We enjoyed the sleepy vibe of the yacht town. It had just a handful of cafés, restaurants, gelato stands, and great upscale shops catering to the yacht life clientele that briefly stop through or use the port as home base for the summer. June is the perfect time to visit Italian holiday destinations as it is just before the high season.
On Saturday morning Marco and I arrived well before the rest of
the group and before we could get into the rental villa. We killed time
by hitting up the market for some fresh ricotta, prosciutto, and crusty
bread. We had a picnic along the port watching the crews of each yacht do
their morning cleaning routine. Ever seen a dirty yacht? Those
massive things are kept so sparkly.
The mornings were always slow moving. Some went for runs to
the beach or along the port. Some cooked up a spread of eggs, the
previous night's leftovers, and sliced + salted tomatoes for those who were up
and milling around the house. And as I was officially alcohol free - I
enjoyed clear headed/quiet house mornings collecting empty wine
bottles, emptying ashtrays, and enjoying fresh fruit and Italian coffee on the
terrace until I felt it was an appropriate time to wake my husband for a walk
down to the café for due cappuccini e cornetti
co crema.
Once the entire group was up and corralled
on Sunday morning we hit the beach for the day. We relaxed, waboba-ed,
read, and strolled the path to the nearby quaint yacht club for some cold ones.
On the sand we chatted up a girl from New Zealand who spends her summers
working on a private yacht. Her clients are Russians
who come to their Sardinia home for the summer using it as their home base.
Their yachts (a separate one for the kids!) sit in the waters just down
the hill ready to leave at hours’ notice for where ever they want to set off to in
the Mediterranean. We drilled our new Kiwi friend with questions, fascinated
by her job. As massive as the boats look, it is just she and her captain
that do everything to make things run smoothly - cooking, cleaning, planning
routes, captaining. We were surprised to hear that the privileged, jet-setting,
Ivy League educated kids were great to tend to.
Sunday night we hit up a restaurant in Porto Rotondo for
Neapolitan pizzas and Aperol spritzers before calling it a night as we had to
be up early Monday morning for big plans.
Major V.I.P. of our group, Chris, set up a
day with one of his dear clients, Pala. We
managed to get the group up and out of the house by 8 AM for a three hour drive to
the southernmost part of Sardinia to visit Pala winery and their estate
vineyards.
We arrived and were graciously welcomed by Fabio who works for
Pala and Mario Pala, the fourth generation at the helm of the 60+ year old vineyard. It was Mario’s grandfather who produced Pala’s
first vintage in 1950.
After introductions, Mario and Fabio drove us up the nearby hills
dotted with Pala vineyards. We strolled
the gravel roads learning about the grapes, the history of the region, and
taking in the vista views (aka finding the best vantage points for Instagram
documentation). Squinting from the
bright Italian sun and mentally blocking out my regret for once again not putting on
sunscreen, I was in awe of being surrounded by vineyards and olive groves that stretched
as far as the eye could see.
After visiting several of Pala’s vineyards and a historic Roman church
that sits nearby we drove back down to the winery to take in the barrel room,
steel tanks, and bottling warehouse. We
enjoyed a glass of Pala’s rosé before heading to nearby city Cagliari for
lunch at Luigi Pomata.
We all felt honored to dine at renowned chef Luigi Pomata’s
restaurant. Fabio, Mario, and Luigi planned
a six course tasting menu paired with Pala wines. Nothing will make you appreciate each swirl,
sniff, and sip more than enjoying it next to the gentlemen who KNOW. Then there was the charismatic character that
is Luigi who came out to introduce each course to the group. The wine flowed,
the courses kept coming, and Fabio told story after story about Sardinia: its history,
must do’s and must see beaches, and my favorite – all Sardinians are dubbed borderline
stalkers because they are so kind. We all felt we owed our first
born to our gracious hosts and expected to say our goodbyes after wonderful morning
and lunch but the guys proceeded to insist on being our city guides. They escorted us around Cagliari for the afternoon. Fabio even
insisted we follow him out of the city to insure we didn’t get on the detour
highway route.
We headed back north armed with cases of Pala Rosé, Vermentino,
and Cannonau that Mario so generously gifted the group.
It was just the beginning of the blissful week.
So gorgeous, great photos! Can't wait for "Sardinia part II" :)
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