Walking on Roses in Sardinia

Sardinia (Sardegna) is mix of contrasts woven together into a rich and colorful tapestry. Sandy beaches and elegant resorts on the northern Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) lure yachts and movie stars, who come for the beaches, dining, sailing, golfing (at the famous Pevero Golf Club), polo and designer shopping. Yet high in the mountains, simple shepherds still tend their sheep and make cheese in time-honored ways. The island offers the purest water and cleanest air in Italy, and its food and wine are healthy and delicious. The people, known for their longevity, revere their traditions with stunning festivals. The most famous is the Saint Estevio procession in May, when five thousand participants in traditional dress with decorated ox-drawn carts walk on rose petals through the streets of Cagliari. It is a sight you will never forget.

Sardinia is an island where every exploration uncovers layers of past civilizations, from the impressive and monumental "nuraghi" to ancient Phoenician sites like Nora, believed to be the first town in Sardinia.

"For us to go to Italy and to penetrate into Italy is like a most fascinating act of self-discovery — back, back down the old ways of time. Strange and wonderful chords awake in us, and vibrate again after many of hundreds of years of complete forgetfulness."— D.H. Lawrence, "Sea and Sardinia"