I posted a few pictures of my time on the mainland with my daughter so you can check those out in the gallery, but this trip is about learning what it takes to live a long, happy and healthy life. After visiting Venice, Florence, and Rome, I found that they do some things differently than we do in the US, but we also share some of the same bad health habits. For example, I don’t think I’ve seen so many people chainsmoking cigarettes since the 1970s! I wondered if things would be different on the island.
Flying over Italy was breathtaking. I couldn’t wait to explore the beautiful and rugged landscape of Sardinia.
I boarded a plane headed to Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy at 9:55 AM, and just one hour later, I arrived at the airport to meet the shuttle to take me to Cala Gonone where I would spend the rest of my time in Italy immersing myself in the culture of the region that is home to some of the longest living people in the world.
Upon my arrival at the airport in Cagliari, I messaged the shuttle driver to let him know that my plane had landed. He had not yet arrived since he was picking up other clients who were traveling to the same region. I was hungry and decided to get a burger at McDonald’s, something I haven’t done in a few years, and probably not the best way to begin my longevity study. I ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and water. At first bite, I felt like something was different about the fries. I thought maybe it had just been a long time and I had forgotten, but because I had some time to kill, I googled, “Is Mcdonald’s food different in Italy?” Wow, was I surprised at the results of this internet search! Most of the information I read stated that the food was different all over Europe because they have stricter food guidelines and laws than we have in the US. I read that there are fewer ingredients in McDonald’s fries in Italy than in the US because we add different flavorings and preservatives to our foods, which could certainly result in different tastes and textures. I’m not sure if any of this is true, however, since this was the extent of my research on Mcdonald’s fries, and the Internet isn’t the most reliable source of information.
The shuttle van finally arrived to pick me up, and I was off to Cala Gonone!
Living in the Zone 