kateandjohnsail.boats

  You may know that there are a number of “blue zones” scattered across the globe; they are places where the people tend to live healthy lives into extraordinary old age, often over 100 years. Scientists and health professionals have rigorously studied these communities in an attempt to isolate the factors that lead to long life.

  Sardinia is identified as blue zone, and I find it easy to believe that one could live long here. By observation, I am developing my own theories about what leads to robust long life. Three factors have so far presented themselves:

   1. Croissants. The croissants here are amazing, and you can buy a really good one in any market for only .40 euro (about 50 cents). And the reason we can daily eat this food made mostly of butter is due to the next factor:

   2.  Outdoor life. Isn’t any fresh and local food, even if made of butter, healthy if eaten outdoors? The sailing life has us out in the elements many hours per day, moving a lot and breathing fresh air. We eat a lot and fall into bed tired. Exersize and good sleep must be life-enhancing, as is:

   3.  Listening to spoken Italian. As I sit in my cockpit “office,” three Italian men  on the boat next door are engaged in an animated discussion of a boat repair. Each is quite passionate about his contribution. The debate is lively, even heated at times, and the language is so lyrical it makes me giddy.   If I could listen to Italians in conversation every day, I am certain I would live to be 100. Lordwilling.