I had never seen S'Ardia before, but I had heard lots of things about it. How violent, exclusive and utterly Sardinian it was. Today we set the alarm before 5am to be in time for the early start. You must earn it. Because when you finally arrive (tired, as the hot wave keeps on making it difficult to sleep at night), it is overwhelming. It's not just the fact that you are not used at seeing so many people carrying guns and shooting relentlessly, it's the all-pervading sensorial ancestral experience. The dust, the shooting, the smell of the fields in the early morning and the horse manure, the excitement, the animals, the waiting, perched on the steep slope. And then, when it starts, your heart pounding at the sheer joy and horror at having those majestic horses galloping so close to you. Terrifying seeing them from such a close distance, fascinating to study the faces of their fiery riders and yet you wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Proud to belong.
[7 July 2019]
[7 July 2019]