Visiting Sardinia was a surprise on this trip. We needed to get out of the cold wet weather of Central Europe that we had been experiencing for three weeks, so routes there were shortened - a lot, and Sardinia for three weeks and Vlora, Albania for a month were added. Planning was on the fly and ended up looking like this:
In retrospect, we were pleasantly surprised by how very much we liked Sardinia. On the mainland a few years ago, we felt that some of the Italian people were distant and made little effort to converse in English. Here people were warm and welcoming, and many were fluent in or spoke some English.
By law, the first language is Italian, however, 78% of the population speaks one of the five main dialects of Sardo and the dialects vary from village to village, influenced by Arabic, Spanish and Catalan.
SARDINIA - BLUE ZONE for LONGEVITY
Sardinia is one of only five Blue Zones in the world for health and longevity, especially in men. There are ten times more centenarians per capita in Sardinia than in America.
It is thought that the geographic isolation of the island and even within regions of the island and importantly, the lifestyle are all responsible for this phenomenon.
Many Sardinians hunt, fish and grow their own food, eating primarily a plant-based diet supplemented with one or two glasses of Cannonau wine made with grenache grapes that have artery-scrubbing flavonoids.
Here, family and friends come first, and every day people make time to get together to laugh, share stories and help one another. It is a culture that celebrates and values elders which gives elders a sense of place and purpose.
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| This wall mural in Cabras speaks to the life of community, family, and friends. |
This lifestyle means that people are outdoors a lot, usually walking five or more miles a day just going about their business.
Finally, there is a gene, M26, that may also contribute to longevity and that stays within the population due to geographic isolation.
Old traditions, ancient festivals and large family get-togethers are common. And they have and practice a spiritual faith.
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| Street art in Orgosolo highlights one of the ancient festivals |
Others have noted that there are no extremes of wealth here that are seen in other parts of the world.
Here is a wonderful page of black and white photographs by Arianne Clement of elders from the province of Ogliastra with a sentence or two from each subject about living well and long. It's worth a look.
Other Things that Sardinia is Known For
Of course - the sea. The colours are blue, seen nowhere else. Each beach has its own character and makeup of fine sand to pulverized stone and rock, and wide-open expanses or defining rocks or trees. It is forbidden to remove rocks or sand from any beach to take home or even to move from one beach to another.
Remnants of the Nuragic Civilization/Culture are everywhere with about seven thousand nuraghe towers still scattered across the island. This civilization lasted from about the eighteenth to the twenty-third century. Excavation has found that the towers were used as everything from homes to grain storage, observatories, temples, and fortresses. Google images (link) have many pictures of individual towers as well as entire Nuragic settlements.
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| Street art in Cabras illustrates a Nuragic tower. |
Associated with the towers are the megalithic graves or Giant's Tombs, a collective burial site that reveals the importance of the link between life on earth and the journey to the next life.
It would be amazing to have an extended stay (a year or two) on this island to witness some of the many Traditions and Folkloric celebrations in the villages. These ancient traditions, feasts, and festivals are beloved by the people and reaffirm their cultural identity. We visit a museum where we see not only the costumes of just one festival, but a film of the events and have an opportunity to speak with a museum curator about them.
Mirto is a sweet liqueur used either as an aperitif or as a digestive, made from Myrtle berries that are unique to Mediterranean islands.
Be aware that you will be charged 5 or 6 euros for the basket of bread on the table, even if you take only one piece. If you don't want it the best policy is to politely decline it when it's brought by the server.
Another of my favourites is Torrone (nougat) a melt-in-your-mouth sweet, traditionally made from honey, egg whites and almonds, although now it comes in different flavours and diverse types of nuts too. It's exported worldwide but originated in the Sardinian village of Tonara in the heart of the island. As a child, we only had it when visiting nonno and nonna at Christmas. Each piece was packaged in a small box that had a picture of a signature Italian landmark.
Sardinia has two ancient music forms still practiced today. One is the 'Canto a Tenore' of four male voices: a bass, baritone, alto and a lead singer. The origins are uncertain, perhaps from the Nuragic civilization, or maybe from shepherds mimicking the sounds of nature around them. Have a listen.
The other is a 3,000-year-old double or triple flute called the launeddas made of the Sardinian giant reed. One more listen here
Today Jazz is important on the island and every August people come from all over Europe for a festival that celebrates jazz, cinema, dance, and the visual arts as well as entertaining children and promoting environmental awareness.
Our Journey
The flight from Prague landed in Olbia. Two nights had been booked here to leave time for car rental, finding a driving map and seeing the city. Little was seen as the rain followed us here too, but the remaining three weeks in Sardinia were in the mid to high twenties and sunny.
OLBIA
Olbia on the north is the gateway to the Costa Smeralda, a millionaire's paradise developed in the 1960s by the Aga Khan.
Random photos Olbia
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| The medieval San Simplicio Basilica |
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| Waterfront Ferris Wheel. |
Fortunately, the rain is to stop after we leave just in time for the Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship (F1H2O) race which is returning to Olbia after an eighteen-year hiatus.
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| Beautiful park in the heart of Olbia |
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| This public art of a woman and helper delivering a baby seems a bit out of character in this modest society. |
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| A tribute to Mahsu Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died last month in police custody in her country. The world is protesting. |
Porto Cervo
To go south we head north, then west and finally south. This village with a population of 421 is a luxury yacht destination and millionaire's playground. There are some big boats in the harbour, nothing outstanding, but it is the off-season. It seems isolated, with nothing to do but hang out in luxury hotels or visit others in their fancy homes and boats. We quickly moved on.
Santa Teresa di Gallura
What a lovely spot this is. I'm so busy looking around as I walk that I find myself face down on the pavement with a bloody knee. A kind restauranteur lets me use the bathroom to clean up, even though it is siesta time, and the place is closed until 7 pm.
As an aside, we find siesta time challenging to get used to. All stores and most government offices close between 14:00 and 16:00 hours, and restaurants between 14:00 and either 19:00 or 19:30 hours.
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| Airing out the banged-up knee. |
We head straight to the main beach in the center of town, Rena Bianca. At seven hundred meters in length, it's been a Blue Flag beach since 1987 and lives up to its reputation. Twelve km across the way are the white cliffs of Bonifacio, Corsica (France).
And here's the ferry that will take you to Corsica
The main street beckons to our hunger and a lunch stop finds us at a typical Sardinian restaurant. I go for mussels in a tomato sauce and Paul has an octopus and potato salad. All delicious.
Needing to walk off lunch, the archaeological site is the perfect solution.
Reluctantly we leave this pretty place.
Heading towards Castelsardo for a few days, another beach beckons us to turn off. A little hike with magnificent views drags us up a hill and we stay a while contemplating the beauty.
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| From the parking area to the seaside |
What an enjoyable day this has been driving and stopping as the mood and scenery moves us.
CASTELSARDO
The view of Castelsardo as we approach it is spectacular.
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| The Doria Castle sits atop the hill overlooking the Gulf of Asinara |
Castelsardo founded in 1270 AC is in the top one hundred most beautiful Italian villages.
Here we stay in the basement suite of a three-generation Italian family home. The matriarch comes down every morning to set out breakfast for us. Sign language and a few Spanish words enable minimal conversation. Grandkids run in and out yelling hi and Buongiorno to us and giving goodbye hugs to nonna as they head off to school. After school, they rush in with their friends as there seems to be a room with bicycle/toy storage in the basement, then they quickly disappear.
We enjoy walking the promenade down by the marina, greeting the fishers and the folks boondocking in their RVs. A little cafe on the waterfront is a perfect place to soak up the sun.
Seafood and fish of all kinds are the heart of restaurant menus here. This is one of my favourite places to eat and when the sun goes down blankets are brought out to ensure you linger for dessert.
It's a lovely walk up through the historic old town to get to Doria Castle. This castle has never been demolished so it holds its original shape. Only reinforcements have been done.
Artists, painters, and potters have aided people to find their way:
On the way up:
The Cathedral of Sant'Antonio Abate and the bell tower perch on a cliff.
The bell tower was originally built into the defensive walls of the castle and was used as a lighthouse.
There are hiking trails all around the castle with splendid views all the way to Corsica and other views over Castelsardo.
It's in Castelsardo where we first see Corallium rubrum (red coral) AKA "red gold of the sea" in great quantities in all the shops.
Red coral has had many meanings through many cultures throughout the ages. Here are just a few:
- in pagan times to fight the evil eye of envy
- in the Middle Ages, red was interpreted to represent the blood of Christ so decorated crosses and other religious items.
- to ward off danger it decorated battle spears of ancient times.
- traditionally, it was thought to bring good luck to newborns.
- jewelry to decorate the hands and necks of the wealthy.
- crystal healers today may use it in their practice.
- today too, there is an enormous demand for red coral jewelry from the Chinese.
- many others in Egyptian, Greek and Pacific Islander cultures.
Red coral is terribly slow growing. Initially, it was harvested by hand. Over time, hydraulic metal dredges pulled by powerful motorboats were developed. Scuba divers and poachers take other quantities.
Proposals to protect the coral through international bodies and laws were shot down in favour of industry management. Scientists have doubts about the effectiveness of this and have documented deaths of red coral reefs and a downturn in both quality and quantity.
Sea Web and the Ocean Foundation are non-profit conservation organizations that have a public awareness campaign: "Too Precious to Wear" warning the public away from buying red coral jewelry.
One evening a different route 'home' is taken past some street art.
Now we continue down the northwest coast to Cabras skipping the city of Alghero.
CABRAS
Cabras is only twelve km from the southern city of Oristano. It boasts several beautiful beaches, but we are here to explore the archeological site of Tharros and to see the Giants of Mont'e Prama. There are about seventy nuraghe in the area. This area has been settled since the Neolithic era.
Agriculture and fishing are both important here, especially the production of local 'Bottarga' (fish roe, AKA caviar). You can also buy homemade olive oil and wine directly from local producers.
Google maps doesn't do so well in the one-way narrow alleyways of the villages of Sardinia, so we drive in circles for a bit to locate our accommodation at Su-Fassoi B& B.
The public areas of the home are decorated with several models of 'fassonis'. These are little reed boats used for centuries by local fishers in the lagoons. Today they have been replaced by modern boats, but the knowledge to make them has been kept alive by an annual regatta held each year in Santa Giusta, fourteen km from Cabras. I searched all the stores looking for my own fassoni to take home ... to no avail.
The backyard is filled with fruit and olive trees and what appears to be some archeological finds. It's so pleasant to sit out here.
We venture out right away to find a grocery store as guests have use of the kitchen. Rounding a corner, we are greeted by motorcyclists skimming along the streets and music in the background. There is a motorcycle festival of some sort going on with music, booths selling bike gear, food booths and more. We spent some time here.
Tharros, over three thousand years ago, was one of the most significant cities on the island. It was an ancient port on the Sinis Penninsula of Sard near Cabras, and was abandoned in 1050 BC due to incursions by sea from invading peoples.
We park the car in San Giovanni di Sinis just outside the gates of Tharros. Once a fishing village, it's now a summer resort area. Here we admire the seventh-century Catholic church of San Giovanni (photo below). It is surrounded by several abandoned pilgrim houses (called Sas Cumbessias).
On the first Saturday of September, there is a religious festival that harkens back to the 17th. century ... the 'Corsa Degli Scalzi, this army of Salvatore, the Protectors of the Cabras community, AKA the Barefoot Runners. These faithful men dressed in simple white robes with rope belts, bare feet and their flag-bearer run non-stop from the Santa Maria Asuntos church in Cabras to San Giovanni di Sinis.
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| Photo from the website of Sardinia tourism. |
At the ticket booth to Tharros, we are pleasantly surprised to learn that for a discount we can get a ticket that also includes the museum in Cabras to see the Giants of Mont'e Prama and we can go any day we choose. Archaeological finds from Tharros are held in museums in Cabras, Cagliari and Britain.
This site is quite large, and one can wander off in any number of directions, most ending at the sea.
The site map leads us to the ruins of a tower on a hill (extra admission fee required), Roman baths, temple foundations, homes, artisan quarters and a Tophet. Urns found with cremated remains of children and animals confirm that ritualistic sacrifices were held here. There are ruins of the fortification wall called Su Muru Mannu.
In the photo below, Paul walks Cardo Maximo, what was once the main road to Tharros.
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| These Corinthian columns are fake. I don't know their history. |
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| The Spanish Tower and in the photos above and below. |
We walked miles this day and are eager for lunch at one of the restaurants just outside the gates. Too tired to use our museum tickets in town, we save that for another day.
At the end of June 2022 for the first time, the L'Isola dei Giganti Festival was held. It included visits to both the Tharro and Mont'e Prama archaeological sites. Local and internationally famous researchers, archaeologists, and museum curators did presentations, while musicians and singers were also on the schedule and evenings were enhanced with local food and wine.
Museo Civico di Cabras
In 1974 peasants farming in the Mont'e Prama area about two km from Cabras accidentally discovered what is now recognized as the most important such discovery in Italy.
The site is a necropolis. Giant statues made from sandstone of boxers, archers, and warriors were buried with the bodies. To date, fragments of forty ancient stone sculptures created by the Nuragic civilization have been found and twenty-five have been restored.
This link has detailed notes on the Giants of Mont'e Prama.
Another display in the museum is of one of the most important underwater discoveries in recent years of a shipwreck off the coast of the Sinis peninsula. The ship sunk sometime in the first century BC and was discovered in 1989. The main cargo was lead ingots - 1,000 of them, each weighing 33 kg. There were lead anchors, nails, and bullets plus some rare ceramic vessels.
Other cases in this museum hold artifacts excavated from archaeological sites throughout the region.
It's time to move on to Villasimius.
LACONI
In a few hours, it's clear that this stop along our way to Villasimius would be a wonderful stay for a few days. We wander the streets of Old Town; follow the trails in Aymerich park; visit the Menhir Museum and have a fabulous lunch of typical food that was recommended by museum staff. The internet describes several other hikes in the area that look like they would be worth doing.
We can't resist one photo stop before reaching Laconi - this Nuraghe off by itself in this pastoral setting:
Aymerich Park
Entering this twenty-two-hectare park right in Laconi is like entering another world. The tree canopy blocks the sun, moss covers everything, everywhere you can hear the trickle of water, but all is muted. There are natural springs, streams, little waterfalls, and even small lakes. There are grottos and natural cavities and flora and fauna flourish. One path leads to the park ranger's office with picnic tables and a small canteen for snacks. Another leads up to the ruins of Aymerich Castle, home to the first Marquese of Laconi. Beside the castle is a nature park of both local and exotic, imported species that all thrive happily together. How lucky the people of Laconi are to have this gem, especially when much of the surrounding country is dry and arid.
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| It's so peaceful sitting on a little cube stool inside the grotto. |
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| Touches of whimsy by the park ranger's office. Love the Koala in the tree. |
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| View over Laconi from Aymerich Castle |
MENHIR MUSEUM
This is the only museum of pre-Nuraghic art in all of Sardinia. The museum is in the nineteenth-century Palazzo Aymerich, the last home of the Marquese of Laconi.
These Menhirs are the first attempts by ancient Sardinians at depicting humankind.
There are two types: the Menhir Statues of which there are male and female representations and the Aniconic ones which have no distinctive markings, such as the one, in the bottom left below.
These are not carved. The technique is stone-on-stone hammering to flatten the stone so that the design the artist wants stands out in relief.
In the collage below the figure on the far right is that of a female. You can see that it's smaller than the males and has two button-sized breasts. Some women like this one have the door of life through which all are born and where all pass to the afterlife - a tribute to Dea Madre (Mother Goddess).
In general, the Menhirs have distinctive facial features at the top: usually eyebrows, sometimes eyes and a nose. The males are depicted with a horizontal dagger on their lower section.
After seeing the Menhir statues, we can walk through some of the rooms in the palace.
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Our Laconi stop here ends with a delicious lunch and this fun wall art. |
Random Photos from Laconi village
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| The garden behind the church (top left photo) is a treat to relax in for a while. |
VILLASIMIUS
Villasimius is simply a beach town. We stayed at a lovely apartment with a huge deck and a shared kitchen called Ca'Ma. Each apartment has a deck box that is full of things that you can take to the beach and the freezer has 2-litre water bottles (now ice packs) for your use.
Being a place for tourists, it's a bit more expensive than other towns on the island.
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| This map shows the many beaches at and near Villasimius |
It's so pleasant and relaxing here that we reserved some extra days.
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| One of the main plazas in town. It's off-season, quiet. |
We see the guy above riding his horse in our back alley a couple of times. Maybe he's a graduate of the Tanka Equestrian Riding School, maybe he one day wants to enter the S'Ardia, the famous horse race of Sedilo, a village to the north, or maybe he just loves his horse!
It's been a pleasure resting here for a few days, but calendar days are going by and it's time to move again.
BARI SARDO & ARBATAX
Bari Sardo is surrounded by vineyards and orchards. Our accommodation is an apartment in a family home and as we walk to the entrance our host plucks a pomegranate from their tree to give us.
It's known for religious devotion, archeological remains, beautiful beaches, and the quality of its handmade tapestries, blankets, linens, and rugs.
It's off-season. All the restaurants, bars and cafes along the beach are closed. The beach is warm and peaceful with barely a soul around. Suddenly the peace is broken with bangers, lots of cheering and singing. A bride and groom pull up in a boat towed behind a car. The photographer follows them onto the beach and up to the Torre di Bari (the tower) and when his work is done, they leave, and peace descends again.
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| Inside the church |
ARBATAX
The Rocce Rosse (red rock) of Arbatax is a day trip away from Bari Sardo.
Arbatax is an old, but charming port town and recreational area.
There's an annual Rocce Rosse Blues Festival; guided treks along the Gulf of Orosei; ships/ferries that go to Civitavecchia and Genoa; and a historical steam train, the Trenino Verde that runs along a narrow-gauge track on four different routes over 437 km of scenic countryside. There's an ancient nuraghe in a square, where people gather to socialize.
Go here to learn more about Trenino Verde and its routes.
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| Random photos Arbatax |
In a few days, it's time to move on to Cala Gonone. On the way, there are stops in Mamoiada and Orgosolo.
MAMOIADA
Our reason for stopping here is the Museo delle Maschere Mediterranee (Museum of Mediterranean Masks). It does not disappoint.
A visit to the museum starts with a video which explains the history behind the carnival, the costumes, and the masks. Deeply moving are the conversations with the men who are being dressed to participate in the festival about what it all means to them.
With permission, I take some photos of the film as it plays:
Every year in Mamoiada on January 17 (Sant' Antonio Abate Day) begins the festival of Sant' Antonio del Fuoco. It's thought that this ancient pagan carnival dates to the Nuraghic Era, perhaps started by the shepherds of the day.
The museum has masks not only from this interior central part of Sardinia but from surrounding areas of the Mediterranean, showing startling similarities among all regions.
Everyone is invited to join in the festival, but the dressing prior to the parade is private. It takes three men to dress one Mamuthone.
Bonfires are lit. The Mamuthone each wearing about 30 kg of iron cowbells, dance to awaken the earth to the coming spring, to drive away evil spirits and to demonstrate man's attachment to the earth. The festival celebrates the return to light after the winter. The carved wood masks are heavy. The costume consists of a black wood mask, a long black velvet dress, a sheepskin over the torso, a handkerchief over the head and bells on the back. (See photo top left above & photo below). They represent the animals.
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| Wall mural in Orgosolo |
The Issohadores lead the parade. It is their job to ensure that the 'animals' do not run away. They are dressed in a white mask, red jacket, white pants, an embroidered shawl folded into a triangle and tied around the waist and a leather belt across their chest with bells on it. Black leggings from the top of the shoe to the knee complete the outfit.
Random Photos from the Museum
Keep in mind that these are from all over Mediterranean countries.
The end of the festival is marked on Shrove Tuesday (27+ days since the January 17 start). The early morning is filled with moans, cries and screams of pain and death. A puppet by the name of Juvanne Martis Sero (who is dying) represents the end of the carnival. He is stuffed with straw and is loaded into a cart, pulled by a donkey that is filled with branches, mimosas, and oranges, and is accompanied by black-faced men in long skirts and shawls. The men drag him about the country singing about his adventures and praising his antics while begging for wine. The wine is poured into his head (and into the mouths of thirsty men). At nightfall, a 'surgeon' does a last-minute operation to remove his intestines (sausages), which fails to save him.
Absolutely fascinating. How wonderful it would be to participate in the festival.
ORGOSOLO (the Bandit capital of Sardinia)
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| Dropping down into Orgosolo |
A short distance from Mamoiada lies Orgosolo which has been known for decades for its wall murals of which there are over 150 in this little village.
The Museum of Sardinian Life and Popular Traditions publishes a booklet in which it has photos of traditional female and male festive dress.
After walking uphill and down looking at the paintings we stopped at a bar for a cool beer. Here a friendly young Orgosolo native buys us another brew and tells of another Orgosolo that we had not read about, but later verify on the internet.
Orgosolo is isolated in the Barbabagia region of Sardinia. That name came from the word root, Barbaria, referring to the fierceness of its people in resisting Roman rule. From the earliest days, theirs was a reputation for solving disputes in their own way, without the involvement of officials (Code of Barbagia). Feuds and vendettas last for decades.
It was an economically poor area with sheep and shepherding as the main income.
Located near the Supramonte with its caves and canyons, someone got the idea that these were good hiding places for kidnapped family members of rich landowners and later those of wealthy visitors in nearby fancy tourist areas of Sardinia that would produce a far better income than shepherding.
The most famous kidnapping was of a seven-year-old boy (Farouk Kassam) taken from his family in Porto Cervo and held for seven months. In desperation to solve the case, authorities made a deal with a notorious bandit (the Scarlet Rose) that he would be released from jail to negotiate a deal to release the boy. The negotiation was successful, but authorities took the credit, and the truth was hidden about whether the bandits were given public money to release the boy.
In 1998, a priest was killed for preaching against gun violence and in 2007 there was a vendetta killing of a poet from a feud from the 1950s.
I can find no other recent reports on kidnappings and killings in Orgosolo. Who knows!
Many of the murals in Orgosolo started in the sixties and represented the struggles of peasants and political issues such as denouncing the Italian government's disinterest in the people of Sardinia and its subservience to America, as well as commemorating the liberation from Nazi Fascism. Many we did not understand as they are accompanied by writing (in Italian). Today many of the murals are art for art's sake and a way to move the community history away from violence and towards a more optimistic future.
CALA GONONE - GOLO GRUOPPO - GROTTO DE BUE MARINO
We land in Cala Gonone because it's small, and on the Gulf of Orosei, and we want to hike the Su Gorropu Canyon and visit the Bue Marino cave. There are many other things to do renting kayaks and SUPs, rock climbing, mountain biking, other hikes and visiting the complex of Tiscali, a Nuragic village built in a large sinkhole that may have been the Nuragic people's last stand against the invading Romans.
The promenade in town and over to the marina is a lovely stroll, then down the beach and onto a short hiking path is worth doing too.
A visit to the tourist information office is needed because all references to the Gorropu Canyon that we find on the internet omit specific directions. The first place with the appropriate sign that we find on the main promenade is an empty office. A web search offers another address - but we find that it is a new building in the making. Another sign leads to nowhere, so there is nothing to do but wander the town. Eventually, an office appears before us with the small 'i' on its front. The woman inside laughs at our efforts to find her and admits that she hears this all the time. One would think the temporary location could be posted on the website, but no.
This woman is extremely helpful. She pulls out two maps and draws landmarks, approximate distances and other descriptors and we get there perfectly.
Su Gorropu Canyon
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Along the drive to get to the canyon. |
We opt to enter the pay parking lot which also has a souvenir shop and a cafe on-site, thinking we may need a refreshment when the hike is done.
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| View from the parking lot. |
It's a 7 km, mostly boring, rocky walk up and downhill to reach the canyon entrance (and of course, the same walk back out).
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| Along the walk to the canyon |
There is a small entrance fee, registering who you are and a brief talk about hiking here. We are told that we can only hike for about thirty minutes into the canyon. After that, it becomes expert-level and only guided hikes are allowed. We are glad we did it, but certainly, we have done more beautiful hikes.
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| Registration area. |
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| Rock Climbers |
A brochure we have on the canyon says that mountain goat, pine marten, wild boar, wildcats, wolves, dormouse, and golden eagles all call the canyon home. Due to its inaccessibility, the canyon played a defensive role in the history of the area. This very inaccessibility leads to the growth of many a legend about Sa mama de Gorropu (Gorropu's mother), a terrifying creature and others of evil beings that come out on stormy nights.
GROTTA del BUE MARINO
We are happy to be able to indulge our
love for big open caves. The boat ticket we have chosen includes the scenic ride, a
one km guided hike into the south branch of the Bue Marino cave (extra fee
on-site) and finishes with a bit of time on the lovely Cala Luna beach. There are several other longer options to
choose from which go to some of the further beaches.
Bue Marino (refers to the rare monk
seal, AKA sea ox). This is one of four
connected caves that stretch for 70 km along the coast.
Our boat doesn't sell any refreshments
or food. It strictly takes people back
and forth from town to the grotto, the beach and back. Boats are also available for rent, but these
boats are restricted from entering the cave.
Ride to the cave
Inside the Cave
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| The water really is this blue. |
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| This cavern is enormous |
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| Cala Luna beach - the kayakers come here |
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| Heading back to Cala Gonone |
This is a beautiful town, although the pace is slow in October. It's hard to leave without a souvenir of traditional ceramics.
CANNIGIONE & La MADDALENA
Cannigione bills itself as the Costa Smeralda without the cost. It has a vast expanse of a city beach with crystal clear waters and other beaches out of town. It's known for snorkelling and scuba diving. It would be great to have a bicycle here for the long promenade. While less expensive than Costa Smeralda, it still has several high-end shops: clothing and home decor.
We stayed in an apartment several blocks up from the beach and were greeted with a bottle of local wine on the table.
Views from our balcony:
Random photos Cannigione
One day we drive from Cannigione to Palau to catch the ferry to La Maddalena for lunch and a walkabout. On the way, we stop at a couple of amazing beaches that can't be seen from the highway, but we follow the signs. Impressive access to rather remote beaches.
LA MADDALENA
La Maddalena is the principal town on the main island (called La Maddalena), in the archipelago of La Maddalena. There are over sixty islands, islets, and rocks in the archipelago off the northeast tip of Sardinia.
The ferry costs eleven euros for the two of us to take the return trip as walk-on passengers.
Once a strategic base with military and naval bases, La Maddalena is now a holiday destination.
The beaches are out of town, but a bus circumnavigates the island. If you take a car on the ferry, you can drive from La Maddalena to the island of Caprera. Otherwise, boats are taken to the other islands.
It doesn't take but a few hours to wander the town and have a seafood lunch.
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| Traditional Pastries |
The next day, we leave for Olbia to return our Fiat Panda and catch the flight to Tirana, Albania. Patrizia and her family have several apartments for rent in the building we are in and live here too. When it's time to leave Cannigione, her mother and father (unilingual Italian) also come up to say a warm goodbye to the Canadians.
We can't leave Sardinia without talking about Birra Ichnusa which for a hundred years has been the symbol of Sardinia. Its brand is everywhere.
It's brewed in Assemina, a town near Cagliari in the south and brews four different beers. We like the original.
The branding of the product is clever and speaks directly to Sardinian history and pride. It incorporates the Sardinian flag - or the flag of the Four Moors. These were Moorish kings who were defeated in combat by the Crown of Aragon and the Cross of St. George. In addition, the root of the name 'Ichnos' in Greek refers to a human footprint which is roughly the shape of Sardinia itself.
It's been noted that Sardinians drink twice the amount of beer as other Italians.
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| Far-right, Paul with his new Ichnusa cap and enjoying the brew. Sardinia is an island we'd love to come back to, but it's a bit of an expensive vacation. |
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