“Monica now we are ready, the Camino di Bonaria has been completed and in June we will present the official guidebook, it takes 14 days of walking to do it!” this is the phone call I received in April from my friend Antonello Menne, with whom we met years ago along the Via Francigena and have always kept in touch because we share the same pass for walking and the same vision of life. The day after the phone call I had already booked the outbound flight Florence-Olbia and the return flight Cagliari-Perugia for my husband and me, because I was so sure that, knowing Antonello’s boundless dedication to the paths and great love for his land, it could only be a special walk. Starting from Olbia to get to Cagliari passing through towns, small villages, fairy villages, vineyards, orchards, plowed wheat fields, climbing M. Ortobene, M. Gonare, Grighine, walking through the history of archaeological sites was like getting to the soul of this land and its people. Every day I felt enriched, because I was finally getting to know the real Sardinia, the one of the sun-burnt land, of the people who know how to welcome you with open arms and who open the door of their home to offer you even just a glass of water or some fresh fruit, because the welcome we received on this walk was truly unique. The arrival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria was emotional, I felt welcomed by Our Lady, tears wet my tired but happy face to have had one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. This is a path that I wish everyone to be able to experience but it also needs to be carefully preserved in order to preserve its authenticity. I thank all those who made the Bonaria Walk possible, because they gave us a dream to live intensely. Mine is not a farewell but a goodbye because I will soon return with even more enthusiasm.
Monica
