Keep looking up

Our deck gave us a sky high view of midnight fireworks honoring the town's saint. A few days later we got mooned by a lunar eclipse. Moonstruck by my photo of the full moon framed by dramatic searchlights, I showed it off to Arlo who brought me crashing back down to Earth when he illuminated me that it was just sunscreen on my lens.

Noodling around

Our daily consumption includes more than just gelato. A pizza our hearts goes out to the delicious personal plate-sized pies. Not wanting to miss the regional specialty, I tried culurgiones one night — a homemade pasta that's a bit like large gnocchi stuffed with potatoes, cheese, and herbs. (Julie K, this one's for you!) As elite ocean swimmers we also needed some of Stephi's homemade carbo(nara) loading. Pasta la vista!

Water you waiting for?

Planning where to base yourself in Sardinia is tricky without any experience. Most people seem to make it a driving trip, moving every day or two. Others spend a week in the north and a week in the south. We picked our spot based on finding a house with a pool and the fact that it was in the central part of the east coast, thinking we could make day trips north, south, and west. But the bumper-to-bummer driving isn't easy on winding mountainous roads in the heat, even with two entertainers on either side of me in the back of the van. So instead we steered clear and enjoyed the beach two minutes away by foot and our pool on the way there and back. To infinity (pool) and beyond!

Shore to make us smile

Our location is near the launching point for boat tours up the Baunei coast to not-so-sea-cret Instagram beaches and caves only accessible by boat. So we climbed aboard for a full day tour, swimming at three beaches and spelunking in a fig grotto and a few caves. Sardinia is best seen by boat. It's mountainous and the roads are small and curvy like good fusilli.

Go nuts!

In a nutshell, Sicily is the place for pistachios but Sardinia's proximity gives us ample samples of pistachio cookies, croissants, pesto, pasta, grappa, and, yes, gelato.

Game of cones

Sep 5

A gelato a day keeps the meltdowns away, especially when traveling with two kids. And by that I mean Arlo and me. Arlo said he didn't care if he weighs 300 pounds by the time he leaves and has to buy a second airplane seat, he will have a gelato (or two) every day. And I'd never let him eat a cone alone.

Beach beauties

Hearty sea daffodils watched over us beach bums. The white daffodils pop out of the dunes, most of their stems and leaves buried under the sand, and seem to thrive in wind and salt spray. Like us. Beach hair, don't care.