when mistral winds and ice cream collide
by Phenelle Segal with Jill Terry

Not a single tour book or Web site said anything about mistral winds in Sardinia. So when the wind woke us up at 5.30 am one morning, we were more than a little surprised. We thought Tanca Manna, the resort complex we were staying in, was falling down. We got up and couldn't believe what was previously Arzachena's calm bay suddenly had waves. We stepped outside and knew that we were in trouble.

"We squeezed ourselves into a tiny alcove on the rocks, ignored the discomfort and sat there staring at the ocean."

Did that deter us from attempting the beach? Of course not, so off this family of four went, umbrella and all (to shade the sun) to the beach. We deduced that if you try and put an umbrella up when the wind is blowing at about 35 miles an hour, it will take your umbrella and turn it into a piece of mangled wreckage. Realizing the fury of nature, we nixed that idea. We then drove to another beach towards the Costa Smeralda which looked shielded from the wind by the rocks.

We squeezed ourselves into a tiny alcove on the rocks, ignored the discomfort and sat there staring at the ocean. The children went to play in the sand but got stung by it, so they came back to the rocks. It must've been a strange and funny site to see : 4 people huddled together on the rocks, eyes closed to keep the sand out. Why stay on the beach?? Because we were on vacation. That's why!

see also... *Direct from Sardinia *Takin' care of business *Extreme Sardinia *Wind & ice cream *Sardinia quiz *A Sard Feast *Sardinia region *Travel Forum

These mistral winds affected our beach time for 2 days. Supposedly, they last for 3 days, according to the locals. We persevered the first day. For the next two days, we did some sightseeing and shopping at the tiny little villages in the Arzachena region. Shopping requires no sunscreen and is wonderfully free of sand.

But our time in the village did not pass uneventfully. I unknowingly insulted the owner of an ice-cream shop at the very ritzy Costa Smeralda Mall when I asked if the ice-cream was pasteurized. He laughed at me, babbled something to his co-worker and said to me "Madame, what do you think"? I wonder if I was responding to his challenge when I let the children eat it?? I hoped for the best. They survived!

Such were our adventures with sand and ice cream. Sardinia offers all kinds of delights, though, and so many of them remain vivid in my memory. I would love to return to Sardinia and explore the southern part.