How did I end up in Sardinia?
You may wonder how I 31-year old ended up with a olivegrow in Sardinia?
The story starts in the café and photo gallery that I ran in Visby, Gotland between 2005-2011. For a time there was a Sardinian author, Nicola Lecca, living in Visby and he passed by my café every day for his morning coffee. He told me stories about his island in the Mediterranean sea, and planted the idea of spending the autumn vacations there. He recommended an area where I could find small authentic villages near the sea and nature and I started to look for a house to rent!
The café at “Fotogalleriet” in Visby
As it came I found a Swedish family In the village Cuglieri that had an extra house for renting and I was on my way! I spent 6 wonderful weeks in the village and fell totally in love with the place and its inhabitants. And when I visited my landlords’ countryside house with olive grow for the first time I totally lost my breath. I had never visited such a beautiful place before! The house, the view, the smells, It filled my whole being with love... and I told them, that if the ever got the crazy and incredible idea of selling Zia Mura they HAD to call me!
3 years later they did.
It took me three days to decide.
I sold my house and business in Visby to buy an olive grow in Sardinia. I could hardly speak any Italian, I didn't know anything about olives, but I was soooo happy!
My little cottage Zia Mura
I had returned for vacations in the same village every year after my first visit so I already knew some people which helped me a lot. And once in place, it felt like the whole village was taking responsibility for me, inviting me for Sunday lunches, village festivities and helping me with all sorts of things. It's really amazing how welcome I felt.
The front porch
4 years later I met the cook and olive oil producer Gian Mauro who lived in the village, and after about 1 year together we decided to try to get a child, and we got TWO! BIG surprise, and the best thing that could happen!! Ilenia and Ilaria were born late September 2017.
The whole family now lives as nomades together, spending half year among the olive trees in Cuglieri and half year at my family business Körsbärsgården in Gotland, where I manage the restaurant, Gian Mauro runs the kitchen and the girls charm the visitors! ;-)
Ilenia and Ilaria
