Aperitivo in Orgosolo

Sardinia Tours Cappuccino

We met our hosts Martino and Michele, father and son, for an “aperitivo” in the piazza of Orgosolo wanting to get a glimpse into the village life with the help of these two local new friends. Orgosolo is a little town in the Sardinian mountains and it’s famous for the “Murales” that can be seen on the walls throughout the village. It is also part of the bluezone of Sardinia where you can find many centenarians.

Martino and Michele will be our tour guides on our longevity tour to the Montes mountains and provide us with a firsthand experience about culture and tradition in this remote village in the Sardinian mountains.

Our meeting unfolds as expected talking about the tour when the evening life on the streets around the piazza started to get busier around us. There were no “motorini”, mopeds, which in most Italian towns and villages are an indispensable tool for male adolescents to show off their masculinity when the girls are going for their evening walks, the “passeggiata in piazza”. Boys on motorini will pass by in groups, sometimes even daring some stunts and all this with the right amount of noise and smoke in order to be noticed.

This looks a bit different in Orgosolo,.

To our surprise a couple of teenagers showed up on donkeys, racing down the street without saddle. In two, in three on the animals and some standing up. A couple of smaller boys were running behind them as if waiting for their turn. They paraded back and forth near the piazza and all this was done with a substantial amount of yelling and laughter.

The adults were just watching and smiling. Michele explained that every boy shows up with his own donkey and that this is a tradition in Orgosolo. It is about getting used to the animal and becoming a good horse-rider with the approval and under the supervision of the whole village. It is about continuity “continuita”, a word that he used very often when we spoke about the traditions of these people. Clinging to the old ways is what makes them feel safe and happy and gives them purpose in life.

 

If you want to learn more about culture and traditions in Sardinia on our longevity tour have a look at our website and book a tour:

http://yhg.e3d.myftpupload.com/