Here we are again, from Sardinia's wildest area, the province of Nuoro. In the last few days we have visited some breathtaking sites. In particular we enjoyed very much the area of Paulilatino in the western side of the island and the area around Dorgali, on the eastern coast. They are both a kind of concentrate of true Sardinia and a summary of ancient Sardinian sites. In both little towns you can find old men riding their donkeys and old women still dressed in black, the best of Sardinian crafts (ceramics, tapestry, leather goods, jewellery, etc.) and food (wine, cheese, sweets...).

Let's start with Paulilatino: in the tiny and lovely local museum you can re-discover old traditions, where friendly Franco tells you almost everything about the Sardinian way of life, everyday tools, costumes, artistic breads prepared for special occasions (weddings, Easter, etc.). Near Paulilatino are also two very interesting (and difficult to reach) giant's tombs: Goronna, one of the longest found in Sardinia, and Mura Cuata still having its roof intact. But the most striking ancient monument is probably the Santa Cristina holy well. Inscribed in a temple, it is still perfect, simple and complex at the same time, reminding one of the creations of M.C.Escher. This was a powerful holy site for rituals connected with water and probably an astronomical observatory too (the light of both the Sun and the Moon in particular days goes down the well and hits the water spring). An enigmatic and fascinating site indeed!

The following day was the day of the "peculiar" sites: a couple of nuraghi submerged by the waters of lago Omodeo, the biggest artificial lake in Italy; the Romanesque church of San Pietro in Zuri, with its curious carvings; the giant's tombs of Imbertighe with a 4 m tall and well carved stelae and the tomb of Santu Bainzu where you can find a cupmark carved above the small entrance hole (for offerings?); the "domus de janas" (in Sardinia "houses of the fairies/witches") Sas Concas, prenuragic tombs decorated with strange upside down human silhouttes.We also found a more "traditional" monument, Sarbogadas, a perfect small dolmen with a thick capstone.

Then we drove to Nuoro, one of Sardinia's four main cities (along with Cagliari, Sassari and Oristano). "A nest of crows" according to Salvatore Satta, one of the best writers of Nuoro (along with Grazia Deledda, Nobel prize for Literature back in 1926). Nowadays, Nuoro is undoubtedly a little livelier: last Sunday the city centre was closed to cars and several amusing activities were organized for children and grown ups. And we visited the very interesting Museum of the folklore and popular traditions of Sardinia: a beautiful collection of over 7,000 items of Sardinian domestic and work life. Colourful clothes, interesting jewellery and amulets, musical instruments and the terrifying costumes (the Mamuthones and Boes and Merdules) still used during Carnival at Mamoiada and Ottana villages.

We spent the following night in a nice little hotel among the wild mountains around Nuoro and the following sunny morning we explored the two beautiful giant's tombs of Madau and Bidistili. Then we drove to Mamoiada village, to have a look at a recently discovered stone slab, covered with beautiful decorations and ring-and-cup markings similar to some we saw in Scotland. The stone stands in a private garden, but the extremely friendly owners let us in and also offered us a glass of local wine (the strong Cannonau) and a cup of coffee. In the evening we could also manage to visit Su Tempiesu, an incredibly well preserved holy well dated to the second millennium BC.