OVERVIEW
On Sunday September 20 four of us flew from Ottawa to Rome, via Philadelphia; then took a short flight to Alghero on the North-Western coast of Sardinia, arriving in the late afternoon on the 21st. We were on the island for 13 days . The first 8 days we were based in a villa a few kilometres outside Alghero, followed by one day on an ecopark in the interior, three days in Cala Gonone on the east coast & one day back on the west coast, near the airport - convenient for an early morning flight back to Rome, where we enjoyed 3 additional days before travelling back home to Canada. On Sardinia we got around with a rental VW Passat Station Wagon.
WHY SARDINIA?
Liz & I had toured Corsica 2012 and Crete in 2013. We enjoyed both experiences and I was interested in a visit to another large island in the Mediterranean. Sicily was an obvious choice, but I was drawn to Sardinia. I didn't know much about the island, nor did I know anybody who had been there - except vicariously via a single Trip Report on Slow Travel. Also, in 2012 from Bonifacio on Corsica we could see the northern tip of Sardinia. "Wonder what it's like?", I remember thinking.
And, for this trip we had the good fortune to be traveling with Colleen & Bob, friends from Ottawa. It's always great when there's more than just the two of us. For one thing, we don't have to eavesdrop on conversations at nearby tables in restaurants for something to do.
11 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SARDINIA
1. Sardinia is part of Italy, situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of the mainland and just below the French island of Corsica.
2. It is a holiday destination for Italians and other Europeans, with plenty of beaches, restaurants, hotels, at least in the coastal areas we visited. We encountered many people from the U.K.
3. The interior is a rugged land - hilly & not much arable land where we travelled - but lots of grazing sheep, scattered vineyards, olive groves and communities, both large and small.
4. There are not a lot of pretty villages on the island. Even the guidebooks mention it. Bosa is an exception.
5. We ate plenty of fish, but never saw a sardine.
6. It is one of only 5 Blue Zones in the world, where people live measurably longer lives, especially in the hilly area around Nuoro in the interior.
7. Sardinians tend to be short in stature. It is so obvious that I had to mention it.
8. There is only one navigable river on the island - and that is only for 5kms.
9. Nuraghi (plural form of nuraghe, a type of stone edifice), are unique to Sardinia. They are the remains of a civilization that thrived between 1900 & 730 BC. They are all over the island, some in a much better state than others.
10. It's a big place. I thought we might be able to see more of the island than we actually did. If you look at the accompanying map and draw a triangle linking Alghero, Dorgali and Oristano, that's about the limit of our travels on the island. There is a divided highway running north-south in the interior; other major roads are 2-lane and often follow a circuitous route.
11. Until World War II, malaria was common throughout the island. During the Napoleonic Wars Horatio Nelson stationed his fleet on the northern edge of the island, ready to attack the French fleet. He was there for a year and a half and he never left his ship. The United States Army eradicated the disease as they moved through and across the island.
More to come ......
On Sunday September 20 four of us flew from Ottawa to Rome, via Philadelphia; then took a short flight to Alghero on the North-Western coast of Sardinia, arriving in the late afternoon on the 21st. We were on the island for 13 days . The first 8 days we were based in a villa a few kilometres outside Alghero, followed by one day on an ecopark in the interior, three days in Cala Gonone on the east coast & one day back on the west coast, near the airport - convenient for an early morning flight back to Rome, where we enjoyed 3 additional days before travelling back home to Canada. On Sardinia we got around with a rental VW Passat Station Wagon.
WHY SARDINIA?
Liz & I had toured Corsica 2012 and Crete in 2013. We enjoyed both experiences and I was interested in a visit to another large island in the Mediterranean. Sicily was an obvious choice, but I was drawn to Sardinia. I didn't know much about the island, nor did I know anybody who had been there - except vicariously via a single Trip Report on Slow Travel. Also, in 2012 from Bonifacio on Corsica we could see the northern tip of Sardinia. "Wonder what it's like?", I remember thinking.
And, for this trip we had the good fortune to be traveling with Colleen & Bob, friends from Ottawa. It's always great when there's more than just the two of us. For one thing, we don't have to eavesdrop on conversations at nearby tables in restaurants for something to do.
11 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SARDINIA
1. Sardinia is part of Italy, situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of the mainland and just below the French island of Corsica.
2. It is a holiday destination for Italians and other Europeans, with plenty of beaches, restaurants, hotels, at least in the coastal areas we visited. We encountered many people from the U.K.
3. The interior is a rugged land - hilly & not much arable land where we travelled - but lots of grazing sheep, scattered vineyards, olive groves and communities, both large and small.
4. There are not a lot of pretty villages on the island. Even the guidebooks mention it. Bosa is an exception.
5. We ate plenty of fish, but never saw a sardine.
6. It is one of only 5 Blue Zones in the world, where people live measurably longer lives, especially in the hilly area around Nuoro in the interior.
7. Sardinians tend to be short in stature. It is so obvious that I had to mention it.
8. There is only one navigable river on the island - and that is only for 5kms.
9. Nuraghi (plural form of nuraghe, a type of stone edifice), are unique to Sardinia. They are the remains of a civilization that thrived between 1900 & 730 BC. They are all over the island, some in a much better state than others.
10. It's a big place. I thought we might be able to see more of the island than we actually did. If you look at the accompanying map and draw a triangle linking Alghero, Dorgali and Oristano, that's about the limit of our travels on the island. There is a divided highway running north-south in the interior; other major roads are 2-lane and often follow a circuitous route.
11. Until World War II, malaria was common throughout the island. During the Napoleonic Wars Horatio Nelson stationed his fleet on the northern edge of the island, ready to attack the French fleet. He was there for a year and a half and he never left his ship. The United States Army eradicated the disease as they moved through and across the island.
More to come ......
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