We are in Barisardo, one of the most evocative areas of Eastern Sardinia. Here we can find the farmhouse Chiai Francesco, surrounded by typical Mediterranean vegetation between the seaside and the mountains. Mrs Pamela takes us at the discovery of the popular riding stables and the excellent home-made cooking.

How was your farmhouse created?
The farmhouse opened about ten years ago, but the first activity aimed at guests goes back to 28 years ago, when we opened the riding stables. Our business is run by our family and we love to pass on our passion for nature, the environment and local traditions to the people who come to visit us.

Can you tell us about your riding stables?
We address most of all those people who don’t know anything about horse riding, as a way to discover on horseback the environment, perhaps finding out a dormant passion. We think mostly of family with children, for a new and cheap experience that makes the holidays special.

What do you love the most of your land?
Its vastness, and the fact that in such a wide territory it is possible to find a corner for yourself, very often unknown to other people. Our region is very varied, and you can pass from the mountains to the beach, and I love nature and its silence.

Do you have any special memory linked to the guests of your farmhouse?
You have the chance to get to know many different people, and you can always learn something from them; often a real friendship originates. We do not focus on comforts, but rather on the well-being and quiet of our guests, in an environment that is quite different from their own.

Which are the dishes your guests love the most?
Our cooking is very simple and tasty, featuring products from our farm: among the most loved dishes there are piglet and sheep meat, together with home-made pasta. Then we offer desserts and a series of small and simple dishes that sum up the cooking tradition of our area. It is amazing to see on the table the vegetables that up to some minutes earlier were in the vegetable garden.

How do you enjoy spending your holidays?
The farmhouse depends on a farm, which is active 365 days a year. My family and I, therefore, don’t have real holidays, but when I am able to have some free time I like to see some realities that are different from my own: archeological sites, other Italian cities… often in fact there is the risk to look for distant places, taking for granted the beauties we have just around the corner.