"Feriae Augusti"

Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated on August 15. Originally, it may have related to a celebration of the middle of the summer and the end of the hard labour in the fields. The Catholic Church celebrates this date as a Holy Day of Obligation to commemorate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Before the Roman Catholic Church came into existence, however, this holiday was celebrated in the Roman Empire to honor the Gods —in particular Diana— and the cycle of fertility and ripening. In fact, the present Italian name of the holiday derives from its original Latin name, Feriae Augusti ("Festivals of the Emperor Augustus"). Almost the entire month of August was taken as a holiday and leisure time in Italy in honor of this feast day.In present days, Ferragosto is mainly a short holiday when Italians take brief vacations. The holiday often coincides with peak activity of the Perseid meteor shower, leaving Italians at a particular advantage to view the astronomical event seen best at pre-dawn hours.

After that explained.....................

Here is what we did to celebrate!

Our good friend Sandra invited us and two other friends up to Cala Gonone in the Gulf of Orosei to spend the weekend with her while her husband is off to Vancouver to visit his Family.

Sandra & Stefano

Map of Cala Gonone and its coast

Sandra & I

Why is it when there's a hat stand you just HAVE to try them on!

Sandra's hat suited her just fine!

Enrico was smmmokin'! ;-)

Then we hopped on a plane and went to Hawaii...oops what??

I meant, we took the car and went to a near by beach!!!

Then we hopped on a boat and explored the coast!

Enrico was our Skipper for the day!!!

Magical caves and coast line....