You may remember that we had a nice evening with our British and German table neighbours at the restaurant the other night? They ended up inviting us to their village in Sardinia, and of course we didn't hesitate to accept such a nice invitation! In the middle of the day yesterday we packed up the motorhome and drove to Scano di Montiferro, not far from Bosa. Wow, what an experience!
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Asking around
We weaved FREEDOM through the narrow alleys of the small village, asking one fabroree after another until we found the tall house by the piazza with the fountain. Angelo and Hilary welcomed us into their four-storey house and offered champagne on the terrace.
Once the bottle was empty, we moved to the couple's German (he called himself "Bavarian") neighbour Ernesto - an eccentric but wonderfully hospitable man, who gave us an experience by opening up his magnificent home! And then we were treated to even more champagne... including a 1995 Dom Perignon!
In the highest house in the village - which is like a museum.
Ernesto lives in the highest house in the village - a five-storey house that is a complete museum. Ernesto is a collector, and the fascinating stuff fills the walls, floors, ceilings and staircases: ancient farming tools, porcelain, Roman statues, French tapestries, Märklin train tracks glazed all around the walls, stuffed animals, dusty champagne bottles throughout the basement, wines on their own floor, and catalogues with labels from previously uncorked champagne bottles.
Ernesto is a bit of an inventor too. He doesn't like plastic and has designed ingenious wooden solutions for everything from shutters to storing champagne bottles. And how about an outdoor shower and hot tub on the 4th floor terrace?
Dinner party
The afternoon grew late as we sat and talked and suddenly we were offered dinner, which we couldn't refuse! First we had to go shopping at the butcher and in the small local vegetable and spice shop.
None of the shops we would have found without a local guide - they are effectively hidden behind small 'secret' doors without a single sign. When you enter, you find locally produced vegetables and meat from pigs here on the island. Imagine being able to buy fresh produce that way!
Fantastic wines
Once back, we were invited to Antipasto (lots of goodies) at Angelo and Hilary's house and then to dinner at Ernesto's house. Our fantastic dinner host really didn't waste any time!
Dressed in a chef's jacket and chef's hat, he poured absolutely fantastic red wines (French wines from 1994 that he dusted off!) and served tasty starter salads of courgettes and white cabbage, beer-marinated pork that had been left in the oven for a long time and thyme-spiced potatoes. Then there was a sorbet of strawberries, banana and 30-year-old grappa as well as orange and grappa. So, what an evening! We were completely speechless...
Breakfast at the local bar
We slept well in our campervan on a small street in the village, and at 9am this morning we met our hosts again for breakfast at the local bar. In this village everyone knows each other and we kept stopping to talk to one and another. And the same at breakfast of course!
When it was time to leave, we got both zucchini (absolutely huge) and salad that Angelo and Hilary grow themselves and fresh Salsiccia that we bought from the butcher. Now we are back at the campsite and trying to digest all the impressions!
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Henny says:
What a guy, I wouldn't mind hanging out with him for a whole summer 😀.
08 July 2015 - 16:20
Bosse and Gerd says:
What a wonderful memory you will take with you for the rest of the trip - and you are probably still rolling your eyes after all the good things you were served...!
08 July 2015 - 16:48
Madelene Fryklind says:
What bon vivants! Lovely! And what fun to be introduced to a small village. As a campervan driver, you are often relegated to the country roads and don't really dare to enter small crowded villages. Next time we go south, we'll be more daring! (and have a smaller motorhome...)
08 July 2015 - 17:00
Mr Tony says:
What wonderful experiences you will have!
08 July 2015 - 17:17
Mr Steve says:
This was not just a rare event, it was an amazing adventure.
It is a particular pleasure to have the opportunity to meet local people, far from the tourist trail.
There are undoubtedly many different ways to choose to live your life.
08 July 2015 - 17:33
Maggan and Ingemar says:
Great fun! What memories you will take with you. Meeting the locals and being invited to their homes is something you wish everyone could experience. It is usually the best memories from a trip.
Are they good?
08 July 2015 - 18:07
Lisa & life on the bright side says:
What an amazing experience! Travelling and meetings. Magical.
Keep up the good work!
And congratulations in retrospect to Peter, because I didn't catch him on the other channels in time. 🙂
08 July 2015 - 18:25
Åsa says:
Ernesto seems to be a great guy, and what a wonderful place and what a fantastic memory! Things that only happen because you are nice people!
08 July 2015 - 18:32
Ama de casa says:
What a FANTASTIC experience! Absolutely enormous 🙂
08 July 2015 - 18:58
BP says:
WOW! Such meetings are memories for life. Oh Ernesto was absolutely incredibly hospitable to you who are total strangers to him really. Fantastic! Then you suddenly feel less like a tourist, right?
The snake was disgusting though - yuck;-) Then I try to imagine how and where you parked Freedom;-)
08 July 2015 - 20:53
Ditte says:
Fantastic! What an experience you had! Hospitality and care and so much more...
Thanks for letting us in on a little corner...
08 July 2015 - 21:16
admin says:
Henny, it was a great experience (albeit an intense one) 😉.
Bosse and Gerd, this is the kind of thing you really remember - we will never forget this evening if you say so!
Madelene, it can be a bit tricky to get into too narrow alleys if you have a big car (but on the other hand, the pace is quite calm in small villages so you don't have to be so insanely stressed)! And yes, I think you should dare a little more! 😉
Tony, sometimes you have to take the chance and say yes! 🙂
Steve, we think this is a real adventure!
Maggan and Ingemar, it is probably the best way to experience a place! We got to know and experience so much, which we never get when we only stand on campsites.
Lisa, right? Travelling and meetings! And thanks for the congratulations!
Åsa, haha that was nice of you! Yes, sometimes you have to dare to be a yes-man! 🙂
Ama de casa, can only agree! 🙂
BP, you are absolutely right! He had only met us briefly the day before - very hospitable! Fantastic! And Ernesto helped us find a suitable car park 😉.
Ditte, it's so much fun that you want to be involved in a corner! 🙂
08 July 2015 - 21:17
Monica says:
Says like everyone else: absolutely marvellous! You become curious about these people. How did they find this village, how long have they lived there and do they live permanently. Ernest's uncle seems to have been a chef in the past and an incredibly wonderful guy. How lucky you were to meet them! First tourists in the village, can it really be true? Now there will probably be more! What a wonderful and original life, it is a bit like that we also feel in our village with bakers and butchers with the most incredible raw materials. A calmer and more natural life simply. Now we go across the road and hope to avoid this scary heat. Be glad you didn't, it's actually unbearable, especially when it lasts this long!
09 July 2015 - 10:44
JoY says:
What an evening you had! How exciting it is with these meetings and if you are just open and curious, anything can happen. Cosy.
Hugs
09 July 2015 - 11:49
admin says:
Monica, the English have had the house for seven years and live there permanently now (but not from the beginning). The husband has an Italian father and therefore spoke fluent Italian, but they seem to have found the village by chance! No idea if we were really the first tourists... but apparently the tourists just drive by! I understand that you also like this life with bakers and butchers etc, fantastic!
Yes, that's right! The key is to be open to the opportunities and say "yes" 😉.
09 July 2015 - 11:51
Motorhome Helge says:
Oh, yes, this is the raisin when you are out with your motorhome! Wish you continued Goa days!
10 July 2015 - 9:21
Discovering The Planet says:
Oh what a fantastic meeting and what a memorable day!
11 July 2015 - 1:00