It has been awhile since my last blog entry, so please excuse the jumbled nature of this update. We have now been here three weeks, which his hard to believe. However, we have already settled into the lifestyle of the afternoon riposo (the break in the day between 1-5pm when everything closes), usually facilitated by a glass of wine with lunch, we have braved the local Macelleria to get fresh meats and cheeses (and soy sauce - the only place in town I've found to buy it), learned how to successfully use our cappuccino machine, and sampled the local digestivo, Mirto, which is made from local wild myrtle berries. And, plenty of gelato, too.
We finally got out on the water for a paddle in kayaks rented from the base (since ours have yet to arrive) to a little cove with some protected rocks. The wind here can be quite fierce, so we stuck close to shore and ate our picnic before getting blown all the way back to our put-in spot. We were hoping to go to the other islands in the archipelago over the weekend, but the wind was too strong. So, we settled for a long afternoon passegiata (the customary locals' evening stroll) and a late night dinner in the piazza. We have met wonderful people here already and have been practicing our Italian as much as possible. I just finished the introductory Italian course offered on the base and Chad starts his class next week. The owners of our temporary apartment are Italian and have been very patient with our shoddy communication skills, which involve much pantomiming and puzzled looks. They even brought us fresh figs from their tree the other day.
For our next adventure, we are going to Sicily for a few days. Chad has a Navy course there and I am taking a free military flight along with him to go exploring. A couple that we have become friends with here will be coming as well; he is American and she is from Sicily, so we are looking forward to having a local tour guide. There are so many places to explore even on the tiny island of La Maddalena, and we look forward to the arrival of our car to get around more freely. We have both passed the Italian driving test, though I am a bit scared to drive while all the speedy tourists are still here. So, perhaps it is best that our car isn't here yet.
On another note, we have found a place to live in Palau (on the main island of Sardegna). It is a beautiful spot with a water view and a small yard and porch. It is quite private while still being just a short walk from town. And, we have an extra bedroom and bath for guests. The owner is Italian, so we will have to practice a bit before our meeting with him next week.
We hope everyone is well and to hear from you soon.
Ciao,
Susanna, Carlo, e Manolito
