Beaches, Cliffs, Caves and Sea

The hardest part of this posting, now that I have the technical difficulties resolved, is deciding which photos to share without boring those of you still checking this out. By the way, if you weren’t able to post a comment before, the settings are now fixed, thanks to Carlos. The summer heat has arrived so we did the one thing you must do on the Golfo di Orosei - spend the day seeing it all by water. Other than the first beach you’ll see with the umbrellas and loungers, water is the only way to reach them, unless you are a rugged mountaineer. There are pine forests, then sheer limestone cliffs and rock formations, more forests, cliffs, caves and down to the beaches.

The first breathtaking event was jumping off the ladder of the 16 person yacht and swimming in the bluest, clearest water I’ve ever seen (no pics since we were both in the water). They ferried us in to

2 different beaches where we swam for an hour or two. The boat traffic and crowds must be unbearable in July and August. This is also a place for serious divers, spelunkers, and climbers. Our Bend family will appreciate climber at the very top of the 500 foot “needle” rock (if you can zoom in enough to see him/her).

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And to end the trip the captain asked if anyone wanted to swim in a cave. Maybe it was the Mirto digestiva that gave me courage, but John made sure this would be in the archives. That’s the dingy going into the cave where we swam for about 15 minutes. Unfortunately I didn’t have snorkel or mask like everyone else, but it was still other worldly.

West to East

I cannot decide if it’s better to get car sick on a bus and not be able to see the road in front of you, or to be a wreck because you CAN see the road ahead...and below. John is a safe driver, it’s the vehicles coming the other way that are most terrifying. The mountains in Sardegna are more rugged and bigger than we expected. Here’s a photo from a small mountain town at the top (Dorgali) just before we went through a little tunnel.

And here is the view when we came out on the other side, looking down on the small seaside resort of Cala Gonone where we are spending the last 6 nights of our tour..

Our sweet studio apartment is on the main street through the town and directly across from a modest beach. We are loving not have to dodge cars for the first time as we walk around. You will be blown away by the pictures from our day on a sailing yacht, in a separate posting coming soon!

Bosa and Beaches

The roads in Sardegna so far have been a bit easier to navigate than in Sicilia, though I’m not the one driving. The coastal road from Alghero south to Bosa was spectacular and sometimes reminiscent of the Northern California coast. There are swimming beaches everywhere, however.

Bosa is one of those ridiculously picturesque medieval villages, though there’s not much left of their castle high up on the hill. We didn’t start out today planning to walk all the way up the flights of steps to the top... We found another way back down which meandered through one level of streets after another so we really got to see all that is here. The river Temo is the only navigable river in Sardegna and runs through the town.

We’re deciding which beach to spend the day at tomorrow, but don’t think either of us is wanting to go south, up and down, up and down, up and down...you get the picture. Besides, the beach we went to the other day, a few miles north, has parking in the shade, showers and a beach bar.

 A little beach town we found along the road for a cold drink and pizza...

We’re having a wonderful trip. 

Our first selfie, up at the castle...town, river and the open sea behind us.

p.s. the wines are fantastic

Giovanna and Gavino, the owners of our apartment here in Alghero, are already an unforgettable part of our trip. A couple of retired teachers who live on the floor below us, they could not be more genuine or generous. Yes they both speak English quite well, but appreciate and encourage our attempts with Italian and are very patient...and naturally good teachers as well. On Tuesday, Gavino took us on a tour of the area outside of town, let us go for a swim (it was too chilly for him) at his favorite beach, showed us some of the Nuraghic ruins, and drove us up to Cappo Caccia. The famous Grotto di Nettuno- extensive caves that can only be reached by boat or by walking down some 650 steps- are here. Now you know I did NOT do the steps, but here is a view of what we could see from the top. Pretty spectacular by itself.

 

We seem to bring some rain with us wherever we go, and even though we’re told it never rains here in June, we had a hell of a downpour again yesterday. A good day for the Red Coral Museum, storm watching from our terrace windows and cooking at home. A few scenes from our walks in town,  along the bastion, the promenade and to the end of the town beaches today. 

Tomorrow, a new adventure. We are getting a car and John will be driving us to Bosa, our next destination south of here. The drivers are a bit more sane in these parts than in Sicily- and certainly than the mainland. You can still send good thoughts our way ...there are always buses to avoid.

For Sweaty, love from cousin Wolfie

Hey cuz, wish you were here. The seafood is fantastic! Here I am after finishing a mixed seafood antipasti at the bar on Spiaggia Le Bombarde (Bombarde Beach). Meow for now

A Proud Moment

My first post! Peggy has been recording our journey as you know.  I have been recording on an ancient device, a camera,  which can not be plugged into an iPad. As some of you also may know I am in the process of obtaining Italian Citizenship. Why?  I never had a simple answer to that question. Today that answer became as clear as the water on these beautiful beaches. It was an emotional moment as I stood next to the Italian Anti Aircraft and Missile Defense System.  I had total access since it is closed from 1to 4PM.  Ciao.

Wine and food - in that order

We are really enjoying Alghero and our apartment is perfect for us. We can walk easily to everything (except the best beaches) yet are in a quiet neighborhood with all the pleasures that brings. The Sardegnans make some very delicious wines at very reasonable prices, especially the Vermentinos and Cannonaus. You may know the Italians have many words for ‘restaurant’ and we learned a new one last night when we went to a “Prosciutteria” for the most amazing charcuterie and wine.

Sunday was, as John called it, a perfect storm. The first 90 degree day and a Sunday. We took the beach bus and joined thousands of others (mostly Italians) squeezing onto the white sands to soak up the sun on one of seemingly countless beautiful beaches. Once again, we were among the relatively few to actually swim in the perfectly clear, clean, blue waters. The locals primarily go to the beach to talk, eat, drink and stand in the shallow water. They certainly don’t go to read a book. The photos from my phone don’t do justice to the beauty or the scene, but perhaps we’ll have more of those to show later.

Yes, that’s me in the one-piece out in the water.

And meanwhile, we do continue to read about what is happening back home. A month is a frighteningly long time to try to do otherwise. Peace to all.