Summer has finally arrived and Villasimius turns into a continuous coming and going of tourists. Foreigners and Italians spend their days visiting the characteristic beaches with crystal clear water and then moving to the restaurants, pubs, and bars of the city center to experience the night. And then there is the moment of pause to spend at the marina, in the heart of the Marine Protected Area of Capo Carbonara, a destination for boats and yachts but also a meeting point for a coffee with friends. Walking along the docks we met Nicola, owner of Les Chic Fruit, intent on delivering his products to a boat moored at the pier.

Attracted by the thousand colors and the scent of fruit and vegetables delivered, we decide to go to his shop to learn more. The aromatic herbs release sweet and delicate aromas inside the room. Immediately we are “kidnapped” by the scent of thyme and lemon basil.

The fruit counter is a mosaic of colors and among watermelon, melon, bananas, cherries, grapes, plums and kiwis we also notice the fruits of the territory, sardinian strawberries, and different varieties of melon and peaches including the pesc platinet, a variety of flat nectarine with white pulp and a very sweet taste.

While we continue our tour inside the shop, we decide to taste something and we have some “pineapple for walking” prepared, cut at the moment it is ideal to cool off during this hot summer day.

We are intrigued by the particular colors and shapes of exotic fruits, among all the carambole – also known as Fruit Star for their star shape – and the Dragon Fruit or Pitaya, typical of South America, in two versions: red and yellow. There is no shortage of the most famous tropical fruits such as mango and avocado, all imported “by air”, as we can read on the label – they reach the island in a few hours so that they can retain all their freshness.

From fruit we move on to vegetables and Nicola explains that many vegetables, as well as fruits, are local and are grown on the Saboris Sardus family farm, managed by his wife Michela.
Looking at the counter, full of colors, that we have before our eyes, we imagine the thousand salads and the many side dishes that we could prepare in our kitchens.  The varieties of vegetables on display are many and we are not even sure we know them all.

Corn cobs for BBQ, yellow, red, orange and green datterini tomatoes, different varieties of zucchini, potatoes, onions, cabbage and peppers. From purple Sardinian potatoes to those special to prepare super crispy chips, from highly digestible peppers to yellow and purple ones.

In the end we decide to be surprised by the Facussa, a vegetable that has spread from the union of the Arab and Ligurian civilizations in Carloforte, and precisely because of its origins and its appearance is also called “Carloforte cucumber”. Tasting it we discover that its flavor is not comparable to that of the cucumber we know but rather to that of a zucchini, but more salty and seedless.

The last part of the shop is dedicated to typical products, excellences with a very short supply chain, produced and packaged in the territory: pasta, jams, olive oil, cheeses, bottarga, artichokes in oil, local wines and many others.

After experiencing this tour to discover the flavors of fruit and vegetables from Les Chic Fruit, we understand why this shop after three generations is still chosen by locals, tourists and VIPs who return every year on holiday in Villasimius.

Once back home we thought that tasting other products from Les Chic Fruit we would not mind, so we took a look at their website and after seeing that shipments are made, domestic and international, we made our first order.

Un pomeriggio di festa e partecipazione collettiva ha inaugurato ufficialmente il periodo natalizio a Settimo San Pietro sabato 6 dicembre. L’accensione del grande Albero di Natale in Piazza Gramsci ha richiamato centinaia di persone, con un forte coinvolgimento dei bambini, delle associazioni locali e delle famiglie.

Fin dal pomeriggio, Casa Dessy e l’area della piazza si sono animate con il laboratorio delle letterine, l’arrivo di Babbo Natale e i canti dei piccoli della scuola primaria, che hanno anticipato il momento più atteso: alle 18 l’albero si è illuminato, adornato con gli addobbi realizzati dagli alunni dell’Istituto Comprensivo locale.

A seguire, spazio ai balli dell’ASD Dym Sport e all’esibizione del Coro Voci Bianche “Il Pentagramma” di Sinnai, che ha accompagnato la serata con un repertorio natalizio particolarmente apprezzato dal pubblico. Durante tutta la manifestazione è stato attivo lo stand benefico della Misericordia, che ha raccolto contributi destinati all’acquisto di un nuovo Doblò per i servizi socio-sanitari del territorio.

Il sindaco di Settimo San Pietro, Gian Luigi Puddu, ha commentato così la riuscita della serata: «Con il periodo natalizio si rinnova anche quest’anno l’evento dell’accensione dell’albero che ormai da qualche anno coinvolge tantissime persone, soprattutto i più piccoli, in un’atmosfera di suoni e colori che danno l’idea di un momento di aggregazione della comunità. Un grazie di cuore alla QuattroEmme Costruzioni, Misericordia, Dym Sport, Istituto Comprensivo, Pentagramma che hanno reso possibile questa iniziativa».

A nome delle realtà coinvolte, il titolare di QuattroEmme Costruzioni, Marco Mura, ha aggiunto: «Per noi è un grande orgoglio contribuire a un’iniziativa che unisce la comunità e porta gioia ai bambini. Accendere l’albero non è solo un gesto simbolico: è un modo per sentirci parte di un paese che cresce, si aiuta e si ritrova nei momenti più significativi».

L’evento si è concluso con la tradizionale estrazione dei premi della lotteria e con un clima di festa diffusa che ha dato ufficialmente il via al Natale nel paese.