Finally!

Since last Wednesday, Carlo and Ines are officially engaged!

It's a very good feeling knowing you have found the person you want to share every moment of your life with.

The "standesamtliche" or "legal-wedding" at city hall will take place on December 6th, 2008 here in Munich. We are planning a bigger celebration for next year and will share more info as we go along.

Cheers!

Sardinia! Amore mio!

Well, once again Carlo and I headed south to Sardinia! This time for 10 days, which was a fantastic getaway from the daily grind in Munich. We fell in love with this area last year and knew we wanted to return for longer.

The crystal clear waters, blue skies, wild, beautiful landscape were wondeful!
We took a day-trip to the nearby islands of Maddalena and Caprera. On Caprera we visited the house and tomb of the Italian Nationalist Guiseppe Garibaldi. He was an instrumental figure in the unification of Italy. Here, along its shores, we also discovered some of the most azure water on the entire trip. On Maddalena we came across a flea-market where you could buy cheeses, fruit, sandals and everything else you could imagine. We ended up purchasing two tablecloths and Carlo had to drag me away before I bought more! On the way to Caprera which is connected to Maddalena by a VERY narrow, wooden bridge, we spotted a herd of sheep dozing in the hot afternoon sun. It was nice to see them as we had been enjoying some of the wonderful sardinian pecorino cheese at our dinners.






On our way to the islands La Maddalena and Caprera...

Sardinia - Rena Bianca

One of the nicest beaches with the cleanest water and softest sand was near the town of St. Teresa di Gallura on the northern tip of the island.

We visited on a Sunday and the beach was pretty crowded but nevertheless, the water was fabulous!

Sardinia #6 - Hotel Le Dune

Our hotel is located on the top of a cliff overlooking "isola dei gabbiani" (Island of the seagulls). The view from the hotel "terrazza" is a real treat even when there are storm clouds on the horizon, as there were on our last day...
The beach arching into the peninsula is a haven for all windsurf and kitesurf enthusiasts. Carlo got in some good hours on the boar..

Sardinia #5 - Agritourism

Dinner at the Agritoursim was a really neat experience, especially since the view was amazing and some very cute animals were greeting us upon arrival..

Sardinia #4 - SelfPortraits

Ok, the every-present sel-portraits have to find their place somewhere...:-)
Along with a few other silly shots...

Sardinia #3 - Dinners

Since we stayed in a hotel and didn't have a kitchen to cook for ourselves we sampled the local cuisine of many local restaurants and "agritourisms". It was a feast and may good times to be had...:-)

Sardinia #2 -Wilderness

The vegetation shows similarities to California and Texas. (No wonder I feel at home here!) Yuccas, bougainvillias (have to check spelling later) canna grasses, cactus, olive trees and the ever-present oleander in all colors never let your eye tire.