La Giara
on Tina's Journal (China), 10/Sep/2011 16:35, 34 days ago
Mini-horses in GiaraHere in Sardinia on the Giara plateau at Gesturi you will find beautifulCavallini(mini-horses) roaming free among the cork trees which cover the mountain top.The plateau lies 60km north of Cagliari and is easy to get to by road. The horses are particular as they are slightly smaller than the average horse but they do not have the traits of ponies. It's a scenic ride up to Giara as the road ascends gradually and each bend you pass gives a stunning view of the surrounding countryside and villages. Over the last 50 years the population of these horses has increased as they dwindled down to about 100 prior to this.The high plain is vegetated with cork trees which can be found all over the Island. Cork production in Sardinia makes an important contribution to the economy. A lot of cork is exported as it's used in insulation materials in buildings, in Sardinia it is used in many hand made products. If you go in any souvenir shop here you will always find cork products from handbags to jewellery boxes!Cork treesI love visiting Giara it's a tranquil place where you can take a easy walk. There are several paths and the shortest circular route is about 5km. The horses seem to be used to people although each time I have been, usually to take friends and family, there haven't been many visitors around. It's another natural beauty spot on the Island.