Pine woods, dolphins and... so much more!
Punt'e Trettu is a little beach very close to the place where I live. I can easily reach it with my bike in a few minutes, and it's one of my favorite destinations when I can’t allow myself the time for a longer ride.
There are many different reasons to have a walk in this area: beautiful pine woods, a suggestive scenery of trees bent by the northwind, a wooden pier from which to watch the sea. From this vantage point, it's even possible to spot some dolphins, sometimes, when they get close to the coast.
As I mentioned before, this place is particularly exposed to the Mistral, the typical Mediterranean wind from North-West, fresh in summer and very cold in winter.
This wind is so strong and insistent that some of the pine trees grow severely curved towards the South-West.
Looking at these trees, when I come here, I always think about how tenacious and stubborn life is. These trees never give up. The wind bends their backs and forces them to look down, yet they survive and continue to grow.
Because of this strong wind, over the last few years, Punt'e Trettu has been discovered by a growing community of kite surfers. Some of them, coming from other regions of Italy, opened the first kitesurfing school - named Kite Village Sardegna.
The arrival of these kite surfers has changed this place a lot.
When I used to come here as a kid, all I met on this shore were fishermen. I watched them sailing and coming back, cleaning their boats, preparing their nets, taking away the fish.
They were authentic Sardinians, people of a few words, gruff in character but wise and with a good soul. Sometimes, I stopped to talk to them.
Nowadays, the boats are still there, but the fishermen are very rarely seen; and this sharp change also shows me how much time has actually passed since my childhood.
I was just watching the sky
It's now very difficult to meet Sardinian people in this place. There are people from all over Italy and also from Europe, maybe even from further away. They have different ages and characters and come from different places of the world, but they gather here inspired by the passion they have in common.
It’s very nice for me to observe them. I don’t always talk to them: some of them don’t speak English, others just want to play sports and I don’t want to disturb or interrupt them. Anyway, I’m happy even just looking at them.
When I watch them flying in the air, I end up looking at the sky more than usual, without even realizing it. They’re just catching the favorable wind, learning to ride it and taking it as if it was a game... it’s something we should all learn in life. Another nice metaphor, I think.
After spending about half an hour on the beach, I decided to retreat back towards the pine woods, in an area less exposed to the strong wind.
It's a nice area where you can have a walk. The foliage of these trees give you a shelter against the wind and the rays of the sun, particularly appreciable in the days of Mistral or during the summer.
All around you, nature is a little spectacle.
This plant is named lentisco (mastic in English). It is widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin, from Spain to Lebanon, especially in sea areas. In Sardinia, above all, it's a distinctive element in every landscape that you can admire.
My grandfather used to say that this plant brings the spring, because its red fruits are particularly visible in this season; they will slowly turn black in winter, at the height of ripening.
In the past - he used to say - its fruits were used to produce oil by the families who could not afford to own olive trees, mostly poor families of the countryside. It also has countless beneficial properties: it helps to soothe pains, wounds and skin problems, lowers cholesterol, has anticancer properties. Even, the shepherds chewed it to clean their teeth and refresh their breath.
When I was kid, I loved to spend time with my grandfather, but I wasn't so interested in his teachings: nature was something I used to take for granted. Now that I'm adult and he's gone, even an ordinary bush reminds me of his presence.
Even behind the most common detail of the landscape we are looking at can hide wonderful mysteries, stories and memories.
Cuttlefish bone carried ashore by the tide.
The pier to which the fishermen moor the boats.
Other trees bent by the northwind.
Thank you for your attention, your time and your support. If you have questions or curiosities, you can find me in the comments.
See you on the road,
Alessandro