I'm in an earthly Paradise.

A nice thing. Being able to go to the most beautiful beaches in the world. And have 'em all almost to yourself. That's been my experience in Sardinia. On the Mediterranean Sea. In the middle of winter. But it really isn't winter for me. Feels more like spring in Minnesota. My true love and I roamed the two kilometer long Porto Pino beach yesterday on the southwest tip of Sardinia. And maybe we saw 5 people. Only 2 that came even remotely close to us. On horseback. Between the sand beach and a pine forest. I've read that while some parts of Sardinia are very much on the tourist trail, filled with Italian VIP visitors, there are some isolated gems to be found. One of these is Porto Pino. The locals, of course, frequent Ponto Pino in the summertime. But apparently they think that temperatures in the 50s on a Sunday afternoon in January isn't beach weather. For me, it's just the right time to walk the hard-packed white sands of the beach. Breathing fresh air. And musing how lucky I am to be alive and conscious and with my true love at Porto Pino. Maybe I've died and gone to heaven. Certainly, I'm in no less than an earthly Paradise. --Jim Broede