Inside The Cocoon: Italy Summer: Sardinia

This is part of Cocoon's Summer In Italy series.

After we settled into the village for a few days, we went with some friends to the island of Sardinia. From the airplane I could see how mountainous and huge the island is. Known for it's turquoise sea and white sandy beaches, Sardinia also boasts strong Pecorino cheeses and produces 80% of Italian cork.

We stayed near the city of Palau, a bustling little sea port from where you rent boats to explore the surrounding islands. One day we did exactly that. The water was the clearest blue I've ever seen, and jumping from the boat and swimming to the shores of various islands was such a treat! We also tried out windsurfing, ate a lot of shell fish, and did a lot of sunning and swimming.

The most unforgettable place on Sardinia? Porto Cervo. Oh. My. God. If I had to use one word to describe it? Decadent. I mean, the multi-million dollar yachts, the Bugatti sports car display, the temporary Harrods boutique along the water, the mansions on the hills, the colorful architecture, the Gucci, Versace, Missoni, (I could go on forever with designer stores) boutiques...Wow. Unbelieveably, grotesquely, jaw-droppingly, mouth-wateringly, over-the-top in a hugely pretentious, yet, gotta touch it/gape at it/lust after it, if only for a second, kinda way.

Enjoy these photos, and see more Italy Summer 2013 pictures here.