Goodnight and good luck

I shall begin this post as if it were any other post I've written before, though you and I both know it simply isn't. Instead of dwelling on the melancholy fact that this is my last post, I will talk about this past weekend. Yesterday I woke up and went shopping. When I say I went shopping I mean that I bought one thing and walked around with others who were shopping. I learned one thing from this activity: a fedora and scarf combination is not an easy thing to pull off. That being said, I must admit rather modestly that I wore the crap out of that combo. I mean I looked HOT. I think I'll end that part of the day on that note. Later we went for a hike on Sella del Diavolo, or for you English speakers the Saddle of the Devil. Having walked on it, I can understand why he's such a mean guy. The hike was very rocky and if I had to sit on saddle like that I'd be pretty upset too. However, the hike did offer many nice views despite it being overcast. I believe the cloudiness of the day created an interesting atmosphere. The night concluded with dinner and a nice sit on some church steps with a group of friends.

Today we went to Orroli, which is a town a little over an hour north of Cagliari. The town was celebrating Saint Caterina by holding a parade in which the participants wore traditional Sardinian outfits. They threw baked sweets to the crown from atop trailer-drawn platforms. Traditional music was being played in the city center as they passed by. It was an entertaining festivity to take part in and seemed a fitting last cultural excursion for the dialogue. After the procession finished, some traditional dancing broke out on the square. Some of the more adventurous members of group happily ventured to join the locals. I sipped tea and enjoyed watching from my seat a comfortable distance away. I considered joining, but knew that I didn't posses the energy to keep up  at the time and consequently decided against it. Perhaps when I return to Sardinia I won't hesitate to jump in.

Well this is it, my last blog for this trip, and perhaps my last blog ever. I know you guys are feeling a whole range of emotions (mostly a deep sadness), so I'll try to keep it simple and sweet. We have been through a lot, all four of my followers. We have swam in the Mediterranean Sea, and we have trekked up a mountain before the sun woke up. We have been stuck in an elevator, and we have stayed up to watch the sunrise. The trip has been filled with activities and certainly hasn't tapered off as we approach the end. I like it this way. It feels as if we're still making the most of every opportunity. I will not soon forget this experience and will always be grateful for it. The excursions have been amazing. The locals have been beyond welcoming. Our professor, and leader, has been better than I could ever ask for. And, most importantly, the people I have shared this adventure with have made it the best it could be through their undying enthusiasm, camaraderie, and overall splendidness.

*****UPDATE ALERT*****

Yesterday we had two guest speakers. The first one talked about end of life vehicles (ELV). These are exactly what they sound like – cars that have expired their designated usefulness. However, to say that they are useless would be wrong. At this point, the automobiles can be scarped for parts. Also, they contain some hazardous material such as mercury and motor fluids that must be removed prior to disposal. The rest of the car is sent to a shredder. From there what's left is called Automobile Shredder Residue (ASR). This contain a generous amount of recyclable material that can be separated and used as secondary raw material. The rest of it can be combusted in an incinerator to help generate electricity. So, as you can see, when Lightning McQueen from Disney's Car dies, he'll still be able to give back!

Our second speaker was an engineer from Italy's EPA equivalent. He discussed the work he was conducting involving the old Sardinian mines. These mines were opened, used, and abandoned without proper clean up. Therefore, the environment around them has suffered from high concentrations of unwanted chemicals. Our speaker's job requires him to evaluate these sites and develop a means of remediation to control the problem. He spoke about different sights throughout the island and provided an example of one that he worked on. On one of our excursions earlier in the dialogue, we witnessed some of these old mines from the bus window. Although there is a lot of work left to be done, the remediation is currently being funded by the Italian government, so it seems like it will continue until the problem is solved.

Today we went to a beach and I got a sunburn.

Guess what?! It's Sunday!

And you all know what that means....
It's time for another blog post!
Cue the theme music..
Theme Music

*Please do not continue reading until you have finished the theme song*

So where do I begin...
I suppose I should mention that last Tuesday I went sailing. And what I mean by "I went sailing" is that I occasionally pulled some rope, but mostly just sprawled out on a boat as it moved via wind. Overall, it was a pretty relaxing experience. The only exception was when I was pinned between the boat and a jagged rock. I was asked to tie the ship to a rock that was jutting out of the water. It sounded like a simple enough task and so I happily volunteered. What our captain failed to mention was that this rock was not made of out limestone like so much of the surrounding cliffs. Instead, it was made up of thousands of daggers, and only daggers. So when I somehow managed to get myself between the boat and the rock, these daggers scrapped up my back. All in all, I'd say I did it quite gracefully and it definitely didn't take more than one try. Having successfully tethered the ship to the stone, my crew mates and I jumped into the clear blue water below. It was very refreshing. The rest of the day was spent at the beach.

Now I'm going to press the fast forward button because the next three days comprised of class and a technical visit, and I like to reserve that content for Wednesdays.

Friday night a group of us went to a local Irish pub for dinner. I split a burger and spare ribs and could not have been happier about it. The rest of the night consisted of a game called fish bowl (highly recommended – would play again), and sitting on the steps of a nice church. Yesterday began with breakfast and a walk around the city. We went in and out of shops, but my only purchase was a traditional Sardinian knife. It's pretty neat. For lunch I tasted my first horse meat. It was prepared quite well and tasted a bit like beef, but had it's own distinct flavor. I think I would try it again if I saw it on the menu, but I can't say it's the top of the list of meats I keep in my diary. The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the beach. I made it back to the guest house without a sunburn, so I consider the trip a success. I ordered lasagne and a hamburger for dinner last night. The lasagne was great, the burger was a surprise. The plate consisted of a good quantity of tasty fries and a plain burger patty. Either I was missing something, or the burger was missing lettuce, tomato, onions and a bun. The menu was in a Italian, so perhaps I just misunderstood and had to order those things separately. Oh well, I ate it anyways! After dinner, we walked down to our favorite gelato place called Peter Pan. Apparently he told everyone how to get to Neverland because the place was poppin'. I tried the banana and nutella gelato and was perfectly content with my decision. From there we walked along the water. We sat in benches overlooking the still harbor and concluded our night.

Today I got McDonald's lunch for a late breakfast and purchased some postcards for some of you guys back home (so be checking your mailboxes). Now I'm writing this blog. After I type my last words for the day I will probably attempt to do the following:

The Following

Thanks for reading

Anaerobic Digestion

Today we visited a waste management plant operated by VillaService S.p.A. Here, they have 3 landfills; one is closed, one is about a year out from being filled, and the last one is being prepared to accept waste. Biogas is collected from these landfills and is burned to create energy and lower methane emissions. The plant also has a water treatment facility that collects the leachate from the landfills so that it can be used in a process called anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion involves taking organic waste and introducing microbes to it. These microbes consume the waste and produce a biogas as a result. This process it similar to what occurs in a landfill, but it happens much faster. Like in a landfill, this gas is collected and used to drive electric generators. After this process, the leftover is put into a landfill rather than used for composting because it takes on a glue like consistency and cannot be processed. That being said, the plant does also conduct composting. The process used is similar to the one used at the previous composting sight we visited.

Despite the overwhelming odor that was only intensified by the hot weather, it was interesting to see how waste can be processed and used to create energy. The anaerobic plant produced 2,263,623 kWh of electricity in 2013, while the landfill produced 28,844 kWh. The amount of electricity that was transferred to the network from these two plants was 638,089 kWh and 1,138 kWh respectively. Similar to the last landfill we visited, this site also contained solar panels. A concept has been introduced that would involve solar panels being placed on top of the closed landfill to maximize space efficiency.

Sorry for the somewhat dry post, I have other business to attend to! Have a nice morning/day/evening/night! (depending on what time you read this)

Read this if you have time to kill

It's been a busy past five days. Wednesday night, we went to a local bar called Republik to watch the open mic performances. The musicians played a variety of classic rock songs and blues song, which made it easy for us to sing along. I managed to get myself a free bottle of water due to lack of currency below a five Euro note. Whether is was because of insufficient change, no desire to do basic math, or simple Sardinian generosity I can't say for certain. However, based on the general atmosphere of the pub and my experiences so far on the island, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter. Either way, I should probably refocus my narration on the music instead of dwelling on water. The performers played with a lot of energy and were clearly enjoying a release with what seemed to be a lot of regulars and friends. The night rattled on and then a new sound began emanating from the stage. I say new, but what I really mean is different because this noise was actually quite familiar to me. The energy of the room quickly shifted from head nodding and foot tapping to head banging and jumping as a System of A Down cover band began performing. It was a very nice surprise, especially considering how late it was in the night (it must've been at least 2:00 in the morning at that point.) after the SOAD cover behind left the stage, we stayed about an hour longer listening to more music. We left around 3:00 or 3:30 and the music was still going. I have to imagine they played until the sun came up.
That takes care of Wednesday night, which means there are only three more days to cover! We slept in after our long Wednesday night before going to class for the afternoon and early evening. After dinner, four of us decided to walk down to the port and walk along the water. We went along a pedestrian walkway that I had not been to before. The water was incredibly still, save for one exception. Across the surface of the placid water, fish about the length of a middle finger were jumping about an inch out of the water. At the end of their flight, the bodies of the fish collided so softly with the surface the only sound they whispered was a gentle rain tapping the Mediterranean Sea. Occasionally, a larger fish would appear and disrupt the shower with a louder splash and we'd watch the finger fish scatter in all directions. We walked further down the walkway to a set of benches where we sat and reflected on our childhood bedrooms and our family dynamics. The stars were clearer near the water, and it was possible to see the Big Dipper without much effort. Starlight is, of course, an internationally shared wonder. Still, I couldn't help thinking I had a piece of home with me as I viewed the constellations I've carried with me since childhood. After a moment of silence and self-reflection, it was time to head back to our home away from homes.
Friday morning began with a two and a half hour bus ride. At the end of it, we arrived at a museum that contained traditional costumes from the island's rich history. The outfits were displayed on a large collection of mannequins arranged in way to create a crude map  of Sardinia. The attire worn by the mannequin represented the costume corresponding to the region of the island where the mannequin was displayed. Some of the dresses were beautifully ornate, while others were quite simple. The museum continued into another room where hooded and masked mannequins represented a very old festival that is still celebrated today. Looking back, I'm a little foggy on the details. However I do remember that in the old days, this festival would involve some sort of flesh sacrifice. Fortunately that tradition is as much a part of history as Roman gladiators.

We left the costume museum and continued to a small church nearby known as the Church of Solitude. This church was not incredibly ornate, as one might expect with Italian churches. Instead, it was incredibly simple with exception of the detail found on the door picture below. The significance of this church is not found in its beauty, but rather it's influence on a writer who lived nearby at the end of the 1800s and the early 1900s. Her name was Grazia Deledda and she was the first Italian to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926. In recognition of her great achievement, she was given an eternal resting place in the church that was found in her writings. 

The day continued and we found ourselves on the top of a mountain. It was lunch time and we were given wooden paddles and asked to sit on long benches. Shortly after, shepherds approached us with a variety of food. Please note that we were not being served by men with beards and hooked canes dressed in robes, but rather modern men wearing polo shirts. They came with water, wine, bread, sausage, smoked cheese, pancetta, potatoes, sheep, and some of the most delicious pig I've had in my life. I got up to use the restroom just as one of the shepherds was serving people a mysterious liquor we have since called Firewater. When I returned from addressing nature's call, I found some of the boys being photographed with women of the older variety from a separate tour group. I'm not sure what was in that Firewater, but the two tour groups which were so distinctly separated by nationality and a large quantity of years quickly became one large group with an average age of about 40 without one 40-year-old in site. The meal concluded with a performance by the shepherds. They sang in a traditional throat style exclusive to the area. If you asked me to describe what I heard, I would say that it almost sounded as if they were trying to communicate to the sheep they herd. The voices sounded like bahhhs of varying pitches and rhythms. It was very interesting to witness. As the singing concluded, another shepherd approached with an accordion. While he played, the "40-year-old" mob broke into a circular formation and began dancing a dance with linked hands. This was the finale of the lunch atop the mountain. Below are rooms modeled after traditional shepherd huts. They are available for nightly accommodation and are situated near the edge of the of a drop off, allowing for a stunning view of the surrounding mountains and valleys.   

After lunch, we drove to a nearby town called Orgosolo. We were dropped of at the end of one of the main streets in the town. Along the street, people have painted murals depicting various scenes. Originally, they were done as a method to educate the children of history, both local and global. Over the years, some of the murals became more about political statements than education. It was interesting to walk down the street and view graffiti not as vandalism, but as art and a important part of the local culture and history. I've included a sample of the murals, however it only provides a very general representation. Each mural is different than the one before it, and thus one image can't provide the whole picture. Come to think of it, that statement can be applied to everything I've seen on this trip.

 After wondering down the streets of Orgosolo, we were brought to our hotel Enis Monte Maccione. It is located about halfway up Monte Corrasi and offers amazing views. About half the group decided to hike up the mountain before dinner. The top of our hike was at an outcropping of rocks. The last part of it involved scrambling up these rocks to achieve a view about twenty feet higher. The ascent proved quite treacherous, and it was not made any easier by choice to wear converse sneakers. However, the view was beyond worth the risk. Recognizing we were late for dinner, we descended down the trail quickly. Dinner was again a multi-course dinner, which I fear I might have become too accustomed to. While we were waiting between courses, a few of us elected to go up to the top balcony outside of my room to watch the sunset. Below is a panoramic view of what we saw. Once the light was all but gone, we went back to the dinner table and ate. One of the courses was rabbit, which was another first for me. It was prepared very well, and I did enjoy it. However, I believe if I saw it on a menu I'd probably opt for a steak first. We were given a few options for dessert and I selected Tiramisu. Like everything else before it, it was delicious. After dinner, we sat on the balcony and admired the clarity of the stars. We noted how the lights in the hills below were spaced just so to mimic the scene above. It was hard to leave the stars, but I elected to go to sleep earlier than others.

We had decided Friday night that we would wake up early enough on Saturday to hike back up to the outcropping and witness the sunrise. Therefore, about half the group woke around 5:00 in the morning. We walked silently into the dark woods behind the hotel illuminating the path before us with the light of our phones. The higher we climbed, the lighter it became. Pictures will never do justice to the view we found that morning. I was awestruck and can faithfully say that the view I observed was one of the top five views I've experienced in my life. I've included a picture below in a foolish attempt to demonstrate this spectacle. However, it was more than just the sight that elicited such awe. It was feeling of the air that surrounded me as I sat on the narrow rock. It was knowing that a misguided movement meant, at best, a mountain's worth of pain and, at worst, an abbreviated life. It was knowing that in spite of that danger, everyone of us ascended one at a time to experience what was laid out so beautifully for us. Perhaps what made it so special was that it felt as if the land was formed in such a way for us specifically to enjoy. Though we shared in it, I don't doubt that we all enjoyed it in our own way unique to ourselves.

We weren't the only ones admiring the view that morning. On a distant rock, Maggie spotted a bird. I'm fortunate enough to have a camera with 42x optical zoom, so I decided to zoom in as far as I could to get a closer look. What appeared in my view finder was the strangest bird I've ever seen. It stood on four feet. Where the wings should have been was instead a flat back. The head held two large curled horns, and the face had a beak more similar to that of a sheep than a hawk. As it turns out, what I was looking at was not a bird at all, but rather a ram. Silhouetted against the rising sun, the ram surveyed the landscape before him. Perhaps he was lost and wondered up the rock looking to find his path. I like to think, however, that he set his alarm at 5:00 in the morning, woke up, began his hike in darkness, and eventually arrived at his favorite spot to view the sunrise.

After a quick breakfast, we took the bus to the coast. We descended steadily down the hillside along a grey snake that slithered back and forth. The head was a town with a harbor where we exited the bus and boarded a ferry. A short ride brought us to a limestone cave system that had been carved out by the sea and an ancient underground river. The water was incredibly blue and incredibly clear. It was still inside the cave, and provided pristine reflections of the calcium carbonate chandeliers hanging above. Unfortunately, we were not permitted to take pictures inside the cave, so all I have to show for it the entrance shown below.

We returned to the boat and were brought to a nearby beach. The waves were gentle and the temperature of the water was perfect. I floated in the tranquil water as surrounding rock faces towered above. They were not looming, however. Instead, they stood like sentinels guarding the small beach from the treacherous waves beyond and the wild landscape behind. We spent about an hour there before going to another beach. On this second beach the sand seemed to have been replaced with an infinite amount of white pebbles. They hurt your feet as you walked across them, but the water and the view made it bearable. We climbed up large rocks that stuck out of the water. We approached the edge and allowed ourselves to fall into the color blue below. After about another hour on the pebble beach, we boarded the boat to begin our journey back to the bus. Unfortunately, my camera was out of battery before we got to the beach, so I don't have any pictures to show. However, I managed to squeeze out one more picture on the ride back.

All in all, I think this might have been my favorite weekend so far on this trip. Sorry for the novel, but I'm currently sitting on my balcony and felt like doing nothing else besides writing.

It's time for my semiweekly blog post!!!!!!!!! Huzzah!

Dearest All,

The morning began like any other: twenty minutes of trying to make my hair look suave, followed by some fruit in yogurt. However, it quickly became entirely different from anyone of the seven thousand nine hundred and eighty-seven days that came before it. Yesterday I visited a landfill for the first time. That's right, two days ago I was a landfill virgin. Fortunately, that part of my life is in the past and I now have a better understanding of where modern waste meets its maker (I mean that in the colloquial sense, of course). To say that I am a changed man because of it would probably be a bit of an overstatement. That being said, I did find it quite interesting.

The landfill I visited is called Eco Sardinia. Currently, this landfill does not handle Municipal Solid Waste due to a lack of permit because of new regulations. Therefore, the waste is manages is special waste. This includes both fly and bottom ash from waste incinerators, construction and demolition waste, as well as industrial waste.

We witnessed an active cell being filled with ash from a nearby waste to energy plant. This is shown in the picture here:

In the empty space next to the active cell, we observed a leachate collection pipe being placed. If you look closely, the picture below shows the process:

Leachate collection is important because it helps keep harmful substances out of the groundwater near the landfill. At this landfill, the leachate was collected in tanks before being sent to a waste water treatment plant. 

This plant also collects the biogas produced by the MSW in some of the old landfills on the site. The biogas is processed and used for cogeneration of electricity and heat. All of the electricity is sold to the grid, while the heat is used to heat the onsite facilities. Below is a picture of one of the engines used in this process:

The landfill also installed solar panels to produce more electricity. This is because the energy that the landfills are currently producing does not make full use of the available energy output for the site. Thus, the solar panels make up for the difference. 

All in all, I am happy that I was able to witness a landfill first hand. It has given me a better understanding of all that landfills entail. It erased the stigma in my head of a smelly plot of land, and replaced it with a modern sustainable resource. You know what they say, "one man's trash is another man's electricity." Or something along those lines.

Mine, Lunch, Temple, Farm, Dinner, Sleep, Breakfast, Cooked, Puppy Nap, Lunch, Beach, Blog

For those following, and you who are required to follow,

I had a splendid weekend –  in every sense of the word. After waking up on Saturday, I boarded the coach bus promptly at 9:00am as instructed. A little over an hour later I arrived at an splendid old mining area. We took a man-made tunnel under the mountain which lead to a splendid view of the sea. From there, we went to nearby restaurant located adjacent to a splendid beach. Here, we enjoyed some splendid seafood and scenery. With our bellies full we continued to the site of a splendidly old Roman temple. We took some splendid photographs on the ancient playground. I left after climbing a splendid tree, which required some of my skin as a cover charge. The splendid, little farm we arrived at briefly after was full of splendid sights, animals and people. The latter fed a splendid dinner, which included a first for me: goat. It was splendidly delicious. The splendid stars were a welcome sight as we enjoyed the night air after the meal. After a splendid series of card games, of which I won none, it was time for a splendid night's sleep. Breakfast was contained a splendid surprise of eggs, as well as two cups of delicious Lipton tea (which I believe is only found in Sardinia). After breakfast, we learned how to make this splendid pasta called Gnocchetti and a traditional Sardinian dessert called Seadas. While we waited for our pasta to be prepared, I enjoyed a splendid little nap with a pretty, young bitch (a female puppy). After my nap, I wolfed down the splendid pasta mentioned above. I wish there was more. Lunch ended with our splendid, handmade dessert. It was splendid. With our bellies full we continued to the splendid beach. Here the waves nearly splendidly killed us, nevertheless is was still splendid. Now I'm back in Cagliari writing this splendid little blog post for you all to read. I guess if I had to describe this weekend in only one or two words, I'd call it pretty neat.

T-money