We soaked in our last full day in Sardinia by walking around Baunei on what on what I call a texture walk, making rubbings of different textures for future collage paper, and taking black and white photos, which will be shared separately in a future post. I took these first several photos too, including the one of my husband above.
For our last adventure, before heading to the airport, we went out of our way to visit the last living artisan in the world that knows how to spin sea silk thread from large mussel shells (called Byssus). She inherited this knowledge through 28 generations of her family, and is teaching her eleven year old granddaughter. She showed us her process, which was fascinating. We learned that Louis the XVI wore gloves made of this sea silk and they are in the museum in Lyon. Before they knew how to make actual gold thread, they used sea silk, because of its golden luminosity. Our daughter knew about this remarkable art form from her spinning guild and it was cool to get to witness something so unique and rare.
See artist Chiara Vigo on YouTube here and in my photos below.
We are grateful for this time to regroup, refresh, and explore, and that it was so affordable and pleasant.
This has been an amazing trip from first to last, and I am so thankful.
My sweet husband helping me take rubbings of textures
They take their cheese knives very seriously
The goat cheese that this mountainside town is known for
The eggs are unrefrigerated and are particularly good.
The luminous sea silk thread made from large mussel shells.
Artist Chiara Vigo explains
Our daughter is very keen to observe this process
She gave our daughter a precious thread of it
She loved this fascinated, appreciative fan!
Goodbye Sardinia! We loved you!
){kind=link}