Sardinia Has the Best Donkey
The Italian island of Sardinia (Sardegna) brought out the adventurer in us. Our first stop was Sassari, a city of about 120,000 with a rich history dating back to the early Middle Ages. A college town, home to the University of Sassari with about 18,000 students that opened in May of 1562.
Our host, Gianluca, a treasure trove of Sardinian lore, put us up at the Hotel Vitorio Emanuele in the center of the old city. As we walked around the meticulously persevered town centre, we found cobblestone roads, ancient buildings and streets so narrow we could touch the walls on each side at the same time (yet locals navigate cars, trucks and scooters with side mirrors-tucked-in ease). The dialect of the people around us, especially the children, sounded beautiful, like music.
Sassari can seem so foreign to modern, New World eyes, yet we soon discovered that behind the ancient veneer were 21st century conveniences. In our hotel, we found motion sensor lighting, video security, wireless access and a staff that spoke an amazing repertoire of languages, seamlessly moving from guest to guest. Just a passing glance, or in Veronica’s case an intentional snoop, into the open doors of the homes revealed all of the newest gadgets. State of the art kitchens with gleaming, compact appliances, LCD screens on widescreen TVs and computers and furniture to die for.
Over the first night’s dinner, conversation turned to local food and customs. Gianluca mentioned that horse and donkey were the "national foods" of Sardinia and that people who are not from the island can find them hard to eat. It wasn’t meant as a challenge, but to us, the gauntlet had been dropped. Since David had tried horse on a previous visit to Italy, it was obvious that we must eat the ass.
The next day we noticed an intriguing little local haunt called Trattoria da Peppina in a tiny piazza near our hotel. Turns out assenello (little donkey) was one of the least adventurous menu items. Spinal cord, small heads of lamb, three kinds of snails, various entrails, and goat feet were all available, as well as several things we couldn’t decipher even with our fairly complete dictionary. This was it--we’d found our place. The obvious jokes preceded our meal--"That’s some nice ass", "There’s just nothing like a good piece of ass", "How’d you like to bite my…. Well, you get the idea.
We were hoping a nice sauce might cover our ass, but as we were enjoying our pasta "first plate" we heard the distinct sound of meat on the grill. Sure enough, the ass was served straight up, all alone on a plate, grilled to perfection. They even went so far, perhaps by accident, perhaps not, to serve it in a shape that could be seen as a toilet seat or a human butt.
Lemon and salt were added as we summoned up our courage. The steak was cut, rather tentatively, and the first bite sniffed and inspected. Smelled good, looked OK…. Here we go. It’s good! No, really, it’s good. Fully expecting to only try a bite or two, we ate every bit. It’s really good. So now, best of all, at dinner we could truthfully say, "No thank you, I had ass for lunch."
After lunch, it was time for more exploring. Sassari sleeps during this part of the day, so it felt as though we had the whole place to ourselves, but we did find the Museo Nazionale Sanna open. The museum has very convenient hours and houses some of the earliest Stone Age and Neolithic finds on the island. Phoenician and Carthaginian objects like pottery and gold jewelry, Roman finds with statuary, a sprinkling of coins, bronze belt buckles and a stash of heavy Roman boat anchors that pay homage to Sardinia‘s seafaring history share the space with the art collection of Giovanni Sanna, whose family built the museum.
Next we visited the famous fountain, Fontana di Rosello, crafted in 1606, which first supplied the aqueduct for the nearby seaport of Porto Torres. Later, the citizens of Sassari hauled the water away in buckets by hand and on donkey--we assume before dinner.
At one point during our walk we happened by a souvenir shop hocking tee shirts that read "No Mirto, No Party." Intrigued, we stepped in to ask the proprietor about Mirto. With little language in common, we learned through hand signals and interpretive dance that Mirto is a traditional Sardinian liqueur that tastes harmless, but in a half an hour all hell breaks loose. Immediately upon arrival back at the hotel, we started our research. Mirto, we found, comes in two varieties, red and white, and is made from the myrtle plant--the red (rossa) is made from the berries, the white (bianca) from the leaves. Nothing about hallucinations. Since we were not sure who to trust--Wikipedia or the guy at the souvenir shop (could he have been exaggerating just to sell us a tee shirt?)--we felt that further, more personal research must be done.
We made our way to Piazza Italia, home of the only clock in Sassari that told the correct time. It resides on the provincial capital building, the Provincia di Sassari. After dark, Sassari really comes alive. The plaza was filled with outdoor cafes, strolling families, necking teenagers and, as always, the old guys sitting on benches, watching.
Situated at an outdoor table, we decided to start with the Mirto Rossa. Very sweet, 32 percent alcohol, with a back taste of herbs. We enjoyed some people watching, letting some time pass, hoping that the effects of the drink would not be too harsh. Still coherent, we decided to share a Mirto Bianca. The herbal taste of the Bianca is more obvious, as the sweetness of the berries has been eliminated. Again we wait for the hallucinations. Nothing.
Our study concluded that while Mirto will warm your spirit, it’s probably best not to expect a mind-expanding experience, but it may make you want to exclaim the local howl of "Aiooo!"
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
About the Author
David & Veronica are experiencing the collision of baby boomer with empty nester. They have decided to grab life by the horns, sell the nest and become GypsyNesters.
Read more at www.GypsyNester.com
Did Anchor Hocking make any green depression in the Old Cafe pattern?
I have a light green pitcher that looks exactly like the pink Old Cafe pitchers.
Do not know if you will get many responses to this question. I bought a candy dish at an auction a couple of years ago. I search ebay candy dishes until I saw one like it to find out the name and maker.
Anchor Hocking Glass Jar Review
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Collecting American Artistic Glassware by Eddie Lamb
Beautiful artistic glassware was a symbol of luxury in Europe and Asia before America was an independent country. America was founded by a bunch of can-do people who accepted harsh living conditions as a matter of fact. Luxury was rare, but throughout the history of this country, art and beauty have been a part of life as those harsh living conditions. No matter how harsh life is Americans find a way to bring beautiful items into their homes.
A person could collect Venetian artistic glassware from some of the oldest glasshouses on the planet. You could collect French artistic glassware from Provence, or Imperial Russian artistic glassware. All of these collections would be beautiful enough to take your breath away.
A uniquely American collection of artistic glassware might not be as elegant, delicate, or beautiful as some other collections, but it could celebrate the American spirit. It would include examples of artistic glassware that are a little cruder, not of the same quality as European glassware. This glassware would, however, demonstrate how Americans beautified their homes during the harsh times of WWI and the depression. It would show that art and beauty are a part of American life, and not something reserved for the privileged few.
Depression Glass
Depression glass is probably the most collected American artistic glassware. Depression glass was poor-quality glassware made during the 1930's and 1940's. It was cheap and could be purchased at the five-and-dime, and it was often given away as a premium. You could get plates for buying groceries, cups and saucers in oatmeal or laundry soap, and other pieces for starting a bank account or getting your oil changed.
Depression glass was cheap, poor quality, easily obtainable - and beautiful. At a time when people could barely afford to keep body and soul together, they collected these beautiful pink, green, or blue pieces of artistic glassware. Because the quality was poor, there are not so many pieces around anymore, and they are very collectible.
Milk Glass
The Fenton glass company opened in 1905, and they have created a number of patterns and designs of glassware. One of the more collectible is milk glass. Milk glass pieces are white with a hobnail texture. The openings have a ruffled appearance. Some milk glass has a faint blue cast, similar to skim milk. Other manufacturers have made milk glass, but Fenton glass is the most popular.
The Fenton glass company made it through the depression and war years by manufacturing practical items, such as mixing bowls. It started to produce milk glass and other artistic glassware items in the 1950's. These items are still being produced, and even newer ones are collectible.
Carnival Glass
Another product introduced by Fenton glass was carnival glass. They began marketing carnival glass just prior to WWI. Carnival glass is iridescent and comes in a variety of colors. Carnival glass continues to be produced today.
There are other uniquely American artistic glassware products that you can collect, and many come from the early 20th century. Anchor Hocking, Pyrex, and Fostoria glassware are all American collectibles. Collecting American artistic glassware is one way to celebrate the American spirit.
About the Author
Eddie Lamb publishes an abundance of information on a range of topical subjects. Clicking on these links will take you to more information about acrylic glassware, plastic glassware and engraved glassware.