Spring in Sardinia

The sunset view from our hotel looks upon the Sardinian coastline along the Mediterranean Sea.

 

We flew to Sardinia in May to attend the European Chiropractors Union’s annual conference, where I was invited to present a paper, and we took advantage of the opportunity to exhibit.

 

Team Neuromechanical lead instructor, Dr. Jim Gudgel adjusts conference delegates with the Impulse iQ Adjusting Instrument.

 

When Dr. Gudgel is adjusting, there is always a crowd.  Instrument adjusting, although the 2nd most popular chiropractic technique in the USA, is foreign to many in Europe – where chiropractic legislation is only decades old.  It doesn’t take long for chiropractors to quickly learn the benefits of instrument adjusting with the Impulse iQ.

 

The conference was informative and full of social events to keep us busy.  A hosted dinner for the

delegates was held at a near by venue in old world Sardinian style.  We were welcomed with small glasses of Sardinian wine, Charcuterie, and local cheeses.  Yum!

 

Dr. Jim and Kathy Gudgel with Mindy enjoying the local flare.

Dinner that awaited was also, of course, traditional and in pure Italian style – the food kept coming and coming.

 

Yet, an opportunity awaited to work off all of that food when we journeyed North to visit Grotte Di Nettuno, or Neptune’s Grotto.  There are two ways to enter the marine caves – by land or by sea.  We chose land and just look at the trek down – 656 steps – but who’s counting.

 

The entrance to the Grotto lies at the bottom of the 350 ft descent, just about three feet above sea level.  As we descended, I thought to myself, what goes down, has to come back up – these stairs were going to be a workout on the way back!

The views were spectacular on the walk down to the grotto.  The crystal clear Sea and birds catching a breeze all made for a relaxing and enjoyable view.

 

We stopped off often to snap a few pictures and say hi to passers by climbing back up.

 

A gorgeous day, a successful conference, and a couple of days of holiday, I thought to myself.  C’est bon la vie!

 

Alas, the entrance to the Grotto…

Arriving at the entrance, we were able to tour the inside of the cave.  Once inside, it was absolutely incredible!

Stalagmite formations like organ pipes decorate the grotto.  We slowly walked through the caves admiring and appreciating this wonderful gift from nature.

 
The climb back up wasn’t as bad as I anticipated.  Nevertheless, I took my share of opportunities to stop off and snap pictures as an excuse to bring up the rear of our convoy.

It was time for lunch, and we found this cool little town near the Grotto with a square to grab a bite.

 
Mindy was digging the pizza being her first trip to Italy and “when in Rome.”

We took the opportunity to take in some of the sights including a church dating back to the 14th Century.

I always marvel at the stone architecture anywhere in Europe.  There is something about the longevity of stone and the craftsmanship that always makes me stop and appreciate the hard work and the beauty of this history.

With afternoon upon us, it was time to hit the beach. Ah, the white sand, the beautiful sunshine and the sea!

I took a dip followed by a siesta.

The next day, we decided to spend the morning doing one of my favorite things – exploring local wineries – and the afternoon, back to visit another glorious beach.

Our first stop was at Cantina Santa Maria La Palma.  We tasted their traditional Sardinian varietals, Cannonau (red) and Vermentino (white) among the other wines that they make including Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

While we were enjoying out tasting, we noticed locals coming in to have their wine jugs filled up, much like you would fill the gas tank in your car.

They actually had a nozzle with a digital display to sell their wines by the liter directly from the tanks.

This was a cool idea and impressive.  Plus, hey, much like finding a restaurant where the locals like to eat, you can be assured that if the locals like the wine – it’s probably pretty good.

We then drove to our next destination winery, Stella & Mosca.  On the way, the Sardinian scenery was true Mediterranean in style.

Stella & Mosca is a well known wine producing property in Sardinia with renowned wines.  The Estate was as impressive as their wines.
 
 
 

We had lunch at a near-by bistro serving up lots of delicious starters.


The Spanish influence on this Italian island is apparent, and if it reminded me of anywhere I have visited, Portugal comes to mind.

From the architecture, to the island beauty – from the beaches to the food, Sardinia was all I thought it would be.

So long, Sardinia – I hope to visit again one day!