It was strange to be in Italy and hear what sounded like bagpipes, as I automatically associate that sound with the Scottish Highlands or Ireland. But there I was in Cagliari, on the Italian island of Sardinia. Ten men wearing richly colored velvet vests, their arresting dark eyes topped with thick brows, each playing a three-piped wind instrument called a launeddas, as they paraded by. Their cheeks puffed up, as they used a special breathing technique that produces the sound like the bags of those other pipes, with less reverb. The players' chipmunk faces would have made me laugh if all was silent. But the music, that's been played on this island by shepherds since prehistoric times — a deep, clear, soulful call — left me breathless and still.

The launeddas players are not only part of Sardinia's rich history but also featured in its most spectacular annual event: a May 1 parade that celebrates the Feast of Sant' Efiso. In the southern capital of Cagliari, Sardinians come from villages all over the island to honor their patron saint who stopped a plague in the 17th century. It begins with a procession of carriages festooned with flowers, pulled by oxen, carrying women of all ages dressed in elaborate traditional costumes.

Their smooth, olive-skinned faces are tightly framed by long veils. Striking gold filigreed antique brooches adorn their white lace blouses. Some walked along holding rosary beads. Towards the end of the four hour extravaganza, the path was strewn with rose petals and the procession climaxed with a golden cart carrying the statue of Sant' Efiso. It was a clear display of the care Sardinians take to preserve their traditions.

The island is only an hour's flight from Rome, but at the Cagliari parade it felt like I'd time traveled back centuries. Many tourists just know Sardinia's northern Costa Smerelda, where, since the sixties, the rich and famous have been yachting by to play at posh beach resorts, shop at designer boutiques, or hob nob at polo matches.

But exploring the southern region of Sardinia and driving into its rugged interior is a chance to discover the island's authentic soul and rich history.

As we headed inland from Cagliari, mysterious looking ruins from the 12th century BC, feature piled up stone towers, called Nuraghi. The structures were once used as defense buildings in villages where shepherd kings ruled. Nuraghi now blend in with Sardinia's sparsely populated landscape, that's sprinkled with myrtle bushes, strawberry trees, and bursts of blooming Oleander.

In seaside Nora, just south of Cagliari, the remains of ancient Roman baths and an amphitheatre stirred up my imagination to envision wild torch-lit toga parties, with the sound of crashing waves in the background. More than once during our week long drive, we were stopped on the road by crossings of flocks of sheep with a shepherd and his dog prodding them along.

While in the Cagliari parade we just waved to the smiling natives, in each village we visited we had unforgettable one-on-one encounters with the friendly Sardinians who haven't yet been worn out by a tourist crush.

In Serdinia, just northeast of Cagliari, I met 101-year-old Antonio Argiolas, whose winery was a gem of a find for a tour and tasting of a range of vintages — from their rich red Turriga to delicately dry Costamolino.

"California, California!," Antonio said, squeezing my hand with surprising strength, when I told him I was from Los Angeles. Antonio had visited the Napa Valley in the 1970s to introduce his wines to the wider marketplace. Now Argiolas wines are internationally acclaimed and can be picked up at your local BevMo.

It was amazing to be in the presence of the man who started it all back in the 1930s in this remote spot. At his side was Valentina, his glamorous granddaughter, who runs the business along with the rest of the big Argiolas family.

"My grandfather drinks two glasses of wine a day," Valentina told me. Could that explain why Sardinia has amazed scientists by being home to the world's highest percentage of centenerians? Official studies attribute the long life phenomena to a combination of genes, the island's pure air, the native's healthy diet, and stress-free lifestyle.

In Orroli, a straight shot north of Cagliari, Chef Antonia Vargiu prepared a feast in her home, Omuaxiu, that's been owned by the same family since 1500. Next to her dining room was an embroidery museum, adding a touch of grace to the rustic surroundings, where her handiwork and others from the village were displayed.

It happened to be Antonia's 79th birthday, but I suspect the smiling, energetic woman would have gone all out no matter what the occasion. Along with some helpers, she put on a demonstration of making fregola, a grain similar to couscous, only plumper, that's found in restaurants all over the island. She and the other signoras mixed up dough in huge earthenware bowls, and even with a neophyte like me giving it a swirl, the mixture magically transformed into fregola, which was served with an amazing eggplant sauce.

Antonia's dinner also included the best pecorino cheese I've ever tasted (smooth and so fresh) and homemade Lorighitas (a hoop-shaped pasta, that resembles big earrings). As in most of the restaurants we hit, succulent goat, lamb and pork roasted on a spit was the main course, and desserts featured cookies and pastries made with almonds from the trees that thrive on the island.

In Gennargentu Park, farther north and towards the east coat, we rode in a jeep up a rocky path above a gorge to reach a shepherd's hut. There, Giovanni, who's been tending his flocks for 50 of his 67 years, roasted meats, spooned fresh ricotta out of a big metal pot onto thin, crisp Sardinian bread (called Carasau), and topped it off with a drizzle of honey from hives kept near the spring below.

I sat on a picnic bench, enjoying the humble banquet with my friends, then walked to the edge of the gorge and listened to the birdsongs. The shepherd Giovanni sat separate from us, shaded by a rustic pergola. I fixed my gaze on him in the midst of this splendid spot where he's worked for so many years. And the plaintive, peaceful music of those launeddas players from the Cagliari parade came back to me.

IF YOU GO:

Eurofly Airlines (www.euroflyusa.com) provides bargain priced tickets from JFK in New York City to Rome, where you can transfer to Air One for flights to Sardinia

The Italian Travel Promotion Council (www.italiantravelpromotioncouncil.org) provides expert tour operators who specialize in Italian vacations, including package tours to Sardinia.

More information can be found online at the Italian Tourist Board (www.italiantourism.com).

Susan Van Allen is a freelance travel writer. To find out more about Susan Van Allen and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.