https://giannifava.org/2afzqnwox Who thought Sardinia has surfable swell? And the real kind of waves, not only the small moscioni (the name Italians give to those small fat waves) I would surf but the real deal – I mean the rough stuff the good guys ride!

https://musiciselementary.com/2024/03/07/7ldf7yktf4z I landed at the airport of Olbia on a Wednesday night where Mattia walked passed me without recognising me with the mask and my adorable pink hair. Weird choice for a first impression when meeting his mother for the first time that night. Judgeless, they kindly invited me into their home and we shared one big carb-stocked dinner with all kinds of fresh bread, all sorts of cheeses and salamis.

http://countocram.com/2024/03/07/y3l4lhg4cpr First things first, in the morning we headed to the local store to get some freshly cut slices of prosciutto crudo, some wine and cheese before directing ourselves towards the beach. Finally, I was seeing the ocean again since Sri Lanka. The beach was beautiful and most surprisingly – not crowded. That was where I got to paddle out to show off my skills for not catching any waves. Although I believe my board is a wave catching machine, I’m definitely not doing it any justice. The following days it got a little bigger and my shoulders took a hit, surprised to be used so much. The rare times they are usually needed is to carry my insane amount of wine up the stairs to my little flat in Zurich. Anyhow, Mattia was patient and appreciated my motivation and coached me through some nice sets. After my shoulders gave up, Mattia took my Aloha for a few real surfing runs. He made some nice carves and cutbacks while I broke my board with my knee by just catching a wave… go figure!

https://www.lcclub.co.uk/v3zel13v2 The next few days we enjoyed the good life: breaky home, little surf, food, naps, more food, fishing, more food and bedtime. I never ate that much bread and pasta (meals I rarely cook for myself) which made me very tired in combination with the heat and surfing… or might be that I’m just a lazy ass.

https://worthcompare.com/ea9mpirc We met a few Italian friends of Mattia. And I thought I was a loud person… Damn those people talk! They are lovely and I feel very comfortable to conversate with them, it’s always interesting and filled with energy. But I’m used to the polite, calm and slow Germans which think I’m the loud one. Suddenly I felt like my ticinese family is pretty chilled comparing to our fellow neighbours from the south.
Beside the shocking intensity of the discussions, I never felt so welcomed and taken care of. I got offered meals, housing, drinks and even presents. Italians took a new place in my heart for sure <3

Pictures: Nicki Antognini & Mattia Steiner
Words: Nicki Antognini & Laura Fritzenwallner
Location: Isola Rossa, Sardinia