We were greeted by beautiful, sunny weather this morning. The captain assessed the conditions and soon the sailors ‘hit the rig’ for an enjoyable morning under sail. Certified Photo Instructor Guilia Ciampini offered a presentation on “Smart Phone Photography” followed by an introduction to “The Sacrificial Well of Cristina” by Historian, Tom Heffernan. After a delicious outdoor lunch on the lido deck, we boarded the coaches to pass through Oristano and into the surrounding areas.
Our first stop of the afternoon was at the Archaeological Park of Santa Cristina. Here we encountered the superbly crafted Holy Well of Santa Cristina, giving us a glimpse into the mysteries of early Sardinian civilization. Nearby, we explored the spiraling walled passageway and inner chambers of the imposing fortress at Nuraghe Losa as well as several other structures built of impressively large and well fitted stones.
This evening, we had the pleasure of dinner ashore at the Agriturismo Archelao accompanied by traditional Sardinian folk dancers. As round after round of traditional food were brought to the tables, the traditionally costumed performers delighted us with a number of fancy footwork dances. During several of the dances the men balanced a shot glass of liquor on their heads and at the end triumphantly drank them down with what seemed to be a mix of satisfaction and relief. Each of us also had the opportunity to try a small glass of a selection of local liquors before saying goodbye and returning to Sea Cloud.
