Sardinia, Italy
Sometimes even on a trip brimming with information on the natural and cultural history of the destination, the most important thing you might learn is to simply appreciate the present. Although we gleaned much about Sardinia’s history today, I suspect that the memories we all keep will have much more to do with how we spent the day rather than what we learned from our expedition staff, excellent though they are.
Sardinia is the Mediterranean’s second largest island and has a long human history known at least back to the 7th century B.C. because of Phoenician ruins found on the island. Of course, its geologic history goes back even further, as far back and probably beyond the 240 million year-old limestone cliffs that dominate the island’s northwest coastline. And even older still is the marine biology of the Mediterranean Sea that once belonged to a much larger Tethys Sea wherein the marine sediments that became limestone were first laid down upon its sea floor. We learned much about all of this and more throughout the day that included a locally guided interlude in the quaint town of Alghero, a stop at one of the island’s many fascinating archaeological sites, and a local boat ride out to Neptune’s Grotto, an enormous cave system that mesmerizes visitors with a myriad of colors, sounds, and reflections. Still, the true character of the day was not accurately surmised from these events alone, but rather from our first few hours at the island and before any of formerly-mentioned activities had even begun.
Our dawn anchorage found the ship nestled in near the island’s enormous cliff faces awaiting the sun’s first rays, which beautifully highlighted the limestone’s more subtle tones. The sea was calm and the winds barely above slight which meant conditions were ideal for a morning spent enjoying the waters with a little more intimacy than our ship can offer. So we set out in Zodiacs, kayaks, and swim gear in an effort to get up close and personal with this rugged and wildly scenic corner of the island. As the day wore on, the experiences began to mount an impressive tally. Whether kayaking in and out of the secluded cliff-side caves, swimming in the refreshingly brisk waters, or delighting in the sweet, cold mouthfuls of genuine Italian gelato, each of us embraced the island’s offerings with gusto. Somewhere along the way, we must have all daydreamed (for a moment, or two, or three!) of a lifetime of Mediterranean days like these rather than just those that come from passing through for a few days at a time, but we will surely take them while we can, here and now.
Sometimes even on a trip brimming with information on the natural and cultural history of the destination, the most important thing you might learn is to simply appreciate the present. Although we gleaned much about Sardinia’s history today, I suspect that the memories we all keep will have much more to do with how we spent the day rather than what we learned from our expedition staff, excellent though they are.
Sardinia is the Mediterranean’s second largest island and has a long human history known at least back to the 7th century B.C. because of Phoenician ruins found on the island. Of course, its geologic history goes back even further, as far back and probably beyond the 240 million year-old limestone cliffs that dominate the island’s northwest coastline. And even older still is the marine biology of the Mediterranean Sea that once belonged to a much larger Tethys Sea wherein the marine sediments that became limestone were first laid down upon its sea floor. We learned much about all of this and more throughout the day that included a locally guided interlude in the quaint town of Alghero, a stop at one of the island’s many fascinating archaeological sites, and a local boat ride out to Neptune’s Grotto, an enormous cave system that mesmerizes visitors with a myriad of colors, sounds, and reflections. Still, the true character of the day was not accurately surmised from these events alone, but rather from our first few hours at the island and before any of formerly-mentioned activities had even begun.
Our dawn anchorage found the ship nestled in near the island’s enormous cliff faces awaiting the sun’s first rays, which beautifully highlighted the limestone’s more subtle tones. The sea was calm and the winds barely above slight which meant conditions were ideal for a morning spent enjoying the waters with a little more intimacy than our ship can offer. So we set out in Zodiacs, kayaks, and swim gear in an effort to get up close and personal with this rugged and wildly scenic corner of the island. As the day wore on, the experiences began to mount an impressive tally. Whether kayaking in and out of the secluded cliff-side caves, swimming in the refreshingly brisk waters, or delighting in the sweet, cold mouthfuls of genuine Italian gelato, each of us embraced the island’s offerings with gusto. Somewhere along the way, we must have all daydreamed (for a moment, or two, or three!) of a lifetime of Mediterranean days like these rather than just those that come from passing through for a few days at a time, but we will surely take them while we can, here and now.
