Goodbeye, Farewell, Hello

Spherical Pano of Perda S’Oliu Mine

It has been a while since I posted a photo and story from Sardinia and now I say goodbye, farewell and hello from the Perda S’Oliu Mine . With pain in my heart and tears in my eyes I leave this last panorama photo of a visit to an abandoned cobalt mine in the mountains near the town of Fluminimaggiore at the end of June in the hope to return soon. In my new live, I shall try to continue the creation of panorama photos showing scenes from Ankara  and the rest of a rapidly modernizing ancient Byzantine-Ottoman empire, inviting you to visit me once in a while at my new site ANKARAMAS.

Get Screensaver Two

Asphodelus microcarpus morning

Early morning, on my way to Nuraghe Piscu near Suelli, I got lost and found myself on the high plain direction Balao, just west of Sant’Andrea Frius, midst fields with Asphodelus microcarpus. You can download a larger copy for non-commercial use by left-clicking on the thumbnail below, then right-click the image on its new page and finally left-click ‘save image as.’.from the pop-up menu:

Get Screensaver One

Nuraghe Piscu near Suelli (Sardinia)

Unfortunately I lost a crucial part of my tripod and before I get a replacement, there will be no more panorama photos from SARDARAMAS. Fortunately, and I hope you agree, I have still some other photos that I like to share with you. I call them screen savers as they fit nicely on a computer screen with aspect ratio of 1366 : 768 pixels. Sharing means also that you can download a larger copy for non-commercial use by left-clicking on the thumbnail below, then right-click the image on its new page and finally left-click ‘save image as.’.from the pop-up menu:

Tempus De Brunzu

Spherical pano of the outside of Nuraghe Piscu

Scattered all over the island of Sardinia, one finds some 7000 remains of towers and even castles surrounded by villages that were constructed during the Bronze Age or ‘Tempus De Brunzu’. The ‘Nuraghe de su Piscu’ (‘nurra’ or  heap of stones of the bishop) is one of them, found along the road between the towns of Suelli and Mandas. This Megalithic structure is thought to have been build during the late Bronze Age (1500 – 1200 BC) and consists of a central conical tower with four smaller ones connected by walls and surrounded by a village of huts of which traces are still visible on aerials. Outside Nuraghe Piscu, it is the endemic perennial Magydaris pastinacea that rules these days.

Little Green Train

Spherical pano little green train there

Almost a century ago in 1921, the English writer D.H. Lawrence, author of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, together with his wife Frieda, wherever they went for breathtaking journeys as told in his ‘Sea and Sardinia‘, used the little green train there (spherical pano). At that time, ‘Il trenino verde’ was the fastest means of transport connecting Sardinian villages along steep and winding tracks traversing the mountainous areas from the center of the island.

A Noisy Beast

Spherical pano of Generruxi

Every day, early in the morning, my usually so very quiet Cagliarian neighborhood Genneruxi is brutally disturbed by a noisy beast. Midst the sound of awakening birds, roaring and howling approaches in the distance, turns corners, passes other streets and finally appears below my house. Several nights I got out of bed, trying to trap the thing on photo in the light of late sodium-vapor lamps and early rising sun. Only once a year, just after Labor Day, the three come together and when I am finally ready to catch my prey, around the corner appears a disappointing miserable little creature, as the operators of the large garbage truck are still sleeping-off their holiday hangover. Fortunately I have that earlier sound recording.

Surreal Metaphysical Master

Spherical Pano Surreal Metaphysical Master

Through wide shut eyes, about to enter a day-wake dream brought to me by modern medicine, I encountered a real surreal metaphysical master. One like Giorgio de Chirico (1888 – 1978) who first presented colorful metaphysical images with sharp contrasts of light and shadow, often depicting desolated Italian squares containing objects and figures in a dreamlike scene of that ‘which cannot be seen’. Or like the subsequent surrealists juxtaposing objects out of normal context in distant subconscious relation;

Cagliari Port Sunrise

Zoomable flat pano of the port of Cagliari

This weekend I remained hidden in the house dreaming of far away places and thinking of leaving for long voyages, maybe even taking the boat at Cagliari port sunrise. Remembering sitting on a bench watching the ships come and go, I contemplate following in the wake of the Romans that conquered the port of ‘Caralis’ from the Carthaginians and exported wheat, salt, lead, copper and silver from the island of Sardinia to the ever hungry continent. The port of ‘Callari’ once was the maritime center of the western world until the discovery of the Indies and Americas and then remained an important hub for the Mediterranean with more than 5000 ships passing annually, transporting over half a million containers. Somehow, I and my meager possessions might have to fit into that traffic going sometime somewhere elsewhere .

Baccu Locci Springtime

Spherical Pano Baccu Locci Springtime

Since February my car and I had been a bit out of order and only last week we were finally able to get out and back into the field again, enjoying a beautiful day of Baccu Locci Springtime (3D Pano). On my way to check upon filters of mining waste water, I could not resist walking through the flowering field along river Baccu Locci where Asphodelus microcarpus and Lavandula stoechas were in full bloom.I tried to catch one of the numerous Bombus terrestris on picture,

High And Narrow

Spherical pano of the Castle quarter of Cagliari

The historic Castle quarter of Cagliari (‘Castéddu ‘e susu’), situated on a 100 m high limestone hill, protects the powers by its massive walls and clamps its citizens into living along high and narrow (3D pano) alleys. The fortifications were build in the 13^th  century by the ‘Pisani’ and in the 14^th century conquered by the ‘Aragonesi’ that forbade any Sardinian to live within the quarter and when found present after sunset was thrown over the steep walls into the dark depth below. During the 18^th century, the ‘Piemonti’ took over and only when the ‘Nobili’ left in the 19^th century for better living in the new Marina quarter, arrived the large families of poor that nowadays have to make room again for the modern wealthy, re-entering the freshly renovated ‘Palazzi’, and should they have to leave soon, then let’s hope through the gates and not over the walls, this time.