2014/3 Sardinia East

 

 

 

 

 

So two weeks in Sardinia  from the arrival at Olbia in the NE corner, to the capital Cagliari in the South via the centre and  some of the East coast.  Weather mixed with some strong winds and some heavy rain in the afternoons.     However we have enjoyed the varied scenery from the rocky north to the more fertile south.  Driving has been ‘challenging’ on the lesser roads we have chosen, good surface but very tight hairpins to access some of our walks or beautiful scenic roads like the 125 down the east coast. It is spectacular, one of the great drives of the many we have done in the last few years. Panoramas and precipitous drops at every bend. Not great for the vertigo!  However it seems motor bikes have followed us from Hastings to a rally at Cala Gonome.  There is nothing they love more than well sealed Italian designed roads snaking over the mountains, either coming round the bend ahead almost horizontal (will he make it ?), or the screech of a motor at 8,000 rpm as the last one of a group of 6 tries to pass in doubtful safety to catch the others; meanwhile Stan grinds on on low gear – we’ll make it – its just a matter of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So with the weather still a bit spring-like we have not been bathing (except one day at the mid point of a fairly strenuous walk) but have been making some great approx 4 hour walks.  No bikes (except David to find   morning bread). Walks

 

 

 

 

 

mostly in the central more mountainous area have included a summit in pine forest (Mount Limbara), a narrow and  very high cleft in the rocks at Gola Gorrupo), a strange mountain hideaway for ancient people on Mt Tiscali, and the best of all wending down through forest and amazing rock formations to Cala Goritze, a beach on the East coast. It has been good to complete these walks before the climate heats up.

Also included has been visits to sites of buildings and villages left by the Nuraghic peoples who lived in Sardinia between  2,000 and 800 BC - until the Romans arrived!!  Their round stone towers, and simple houses  built from massive stones are impressive. Today we visited the Cagliari museum to see their bronze and pottery and see the history of the trading by Phoenicians and others across the Mediterranean. Cork is a biggie here. Like Portugal  they are now trying to find more varied uses for the product. We drove through many forests of cork trees in the interior and even stretched ourselves culturally to visit a cork museum where we learnt all about making corks of different qualities in what appeared to be a very labour intensive process. The local wine is great but have to say that a couple of bottles have had plastic corks! Letting the side down a bit. Not so surprising when we learnt that the most expensive corks cost 1 euro 80, which is about the price of the wine that we buy.

In the NE we passed through the “Esmeralda Coast’ where planning is strictly controlled to make the whole area ‘nice’  for the rich and famous. Free camped the first night and were woken by the arrival of the cheeseman with a sumptuous variety of cheeses in the back of his van. So hard to choose – we wanted to hijack  the whole van. Wended our way cross country to the regional town of Arzachena where it was market day. Francophiles as we are, we have to   admit that it’s hard to beat an Italian market. They haven’t got into the flash stuff too much – it is all fantastic food, a variety of clothes and all sorts of hardware, gadget sort of stalls; a sort of David heaven. Plus wifi at the cafe and 1 euro espresso!

Thence the port of Palau and a stop in Pollo (a hide out for wind/kite surfers). You can see why the wind helps form some amazing rock formations, the most famous being Bear Rock.    After walks in the interior we headed to the East coast and we really enjoyed a stay at Cale Gonome with the little port (crowded in THE season apparently) where we hired an inflatable with an Australian couple to visit the bays along the coast to the South, fantastic water colour. One of the bays (Cala Goritze) we visited from the water and later walked down from a great little camp on the Golga Plateau. Really felt that we were in the real Sardinia, harmonicas playing in the cafe by night, cows, donkeys and pigs all making themselves at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been impressed by all things Italian when one settles into their psyche, the rules about don’t park, camp etc etc are treated with a flexibility absent in England and as its the ‘low’ season for visitors no one worries – at least so far.  Plus no security concerns and we have managed to ‘free’ camp for most of the time only using one other official camp site (at Cale Gonome) besides this one.  We manage with the language, in fact we think we are pretty good at understanding all but speaking we get the basic message across at least. (That’s David talking, Joanna is hopeless, although improving a bit.)

So now in the big town, Cagliari (250k population) and an impressive layout with visit to cathedral and museum on the  hill and lots of restaurants and cafes down towards the port.  This camp site – no its not a camp site  - its a concrete parking area for up to a 100 camper vans only offering fresh water and emptying for you-know-what etc but with Wi-Fi (4 Euro for 24 hours). Great – time to get back in touch with the world. With little wifi we have had some difficulty following Nick’s progress with an operation on his shattered leg and 10 days in hospital. (Thank goodness for his wonderful flatmates and friends in Oamaru who have been taking care of him.)   Have had to resort to good old-fashioned phones.

Ferries to Corsica booked for the 19 th June and we plan to head up the East coast and enjoy more of the beaches, fishing villages and seafood now the weather is hotting up.