From Portugal To Sardinia Via A Learning Curve Or Two
For the true traveller there is something immensely satisfying about completing a long and convoluted journey independently, so the fact that this lengthy trek from Portugal to Sardinia goes without major hitch gives us plenty of reasons to be cheerful. A short walk to Olhão train station, a quick train ride to Faro town, followed by the Number 16 bus to the airport, brings us to the clutches of Ryanair, who cause the only moment of angst when the word “delayed” makes an unwelcome appearance on the departure board.
We easily make up the lost time though when we land at Barcelona and find ourselves in what must be a Schengen Zone terminal as there are no passport checks, no paperwork, just a quick collection of backpacks off the carousel and straight out the door for a skip by taxi to Barcelona port. (Side note: strange feeling of guilt passing through such a wonderful city with nought but a fleeting glance). An hour later we’re on board the Grimaldi ship which will take us all the way to Porto Torres in Sardinia, thirteen hours’ sailing time later.
Amusingly, we have taken the cheapest option available for this long boat journey, and whilst nearly all of the other passengers head off for their cosy cabins, we do not even have an allocated seat and instead make our bed for the night on the long seats in the central bar area. As it happens, the bar closes just an hour into the journey, out go half the lights, and it’s a bit like sleeping in a hotel lounge when all the staff have finished their shift. But sleep we do. On and off.
Having never done such a long boat journey before, the entire scope of etiquette is unfamiliar to us and we quickly realise that if you know, you know, and if you don’t, well……you don’t. For a start, we’d assumed that most people would be travelling like us and only a handful would be in cabins, but it turns out to be the other way round. With departure at 22:45 all of those who have paid for a cabin – which is the vast majority – head straight for bed, presumably having taken their evening meal before boarding. Consequently the restaurants soon close and there is no food or drink available anywhere on the ship whether you want it or not. We just manage to snaffle a crapburger and some tasteless fries before all the shutters come down. May as well eat the packaging, such is the flavour and nourishment.
Of the remaining passengers, those who, like us, have gone for the cheap “no cabin” option, we are pretty much the only ones who haven’t brought copious quantities of our own food with us: there’s cool bags and tupperware boxes everywhere as everyone except us and two young English lads tuck in to their midnight feast. We will also soon come to see that everyone else has brought sleeping bags, blankets and even pillows – ah, so this is how it works in lower class! Ah well, we’ll know next time…
In the event we sleep OK laying full length across sofas in the bar, our sweatshirts just about fending off the icy blasts of the aircon. The distant hum of the ship’s engines is oddly soothing, a kind of gentle monotone lullaby which draws the eyelids downwards. Dawn has broken by the time I find a fat guy serving coffee and croissants somewhere down the corridors. I’m his only customer, but I still have to key my order into a machine, pay the machine by card, then get a piece of paper which I have to hand to him. Armed with the only instruction he knows, a familiar looking slip of paper, he makes the coffee. “Grazie” and “prego” are the only words we exchange. It’s a funny world these days, when server and punter in an early morning empty room have to communicate via machinery.
I carry the modest brekkie back down the empty corridors, presumably virtually everyone else is still curled up in those cosy cabins they’ve paid big chunks of euros for. There is, of course, still a long way to go – about five hours in fact – before we dock at Porto Torres just before noon. Somewhere around 10:30 there’s an announcement to vacate all cabins and, within minutes, our bar, all the cafes and every corridor has filled with people we haven’t seen before: we had no idea there were so many people on board.
We dock at Porto Torres, escorted in by a pilot boat, and head out into the Mediterranean sunshine. Next it’s a bus from port to town centre where there’s 90 minutes to kill before the next bus to Alghero, an hour of it filled with a deliciously cold Lagunitas and a small bite called a pizzette. Finally, precisely 27 hours after we closed the door to the apartment in Olhão, we empty our backpacks in the next one, knowing that it’s now Sardinia, and not Portugal, waiting to be explored outside the door.
There’s no doubt we are filled with the sense of satisfaction that such a journey brings. We are also ridiculously tired and all we can manage is a quick bowl of pasta before we retire for the night – exploring Alghero will have to wait.
Actually Alghero is a town I already know, having first come here as a 16-year-old on my last ever holiday with parents in 1973, and then revisited three or four times in the 2000s when I developed a real affection for the place. It will be interesting to see how it’s changed.
Some things change, some don’t. The beautifully preserved city walls still stand proud, the fortress-like towers still look across the blue sea and the sun still sets behind the masts of the yachts moored in the marina, but in many ways the similarity to only twenty years ago ends there. My God Alghero is busy. We thought the Algarve was at obvious peak season; here it’s mercilessly overcrowded.
The atmospheric streets of the old town are rammed, hundreds of the charming old houses have telltale key safe boxes by the door, tat shops and shops of chain retailers stand where I remember quaint focaccerias and attractive trattorias. South of the marina the lungomare has been widened and modernised, it’s now much more smart and much more boring. Admittedly I’ve never been here in August before, but wow Alghero has become popular.
Due to the 14th century capture of the city by Aragonese and subsequent occupation for the next century, Alghero has long had a close association with Catalunya – in fact it shares the same flag – which is still very much in evidence today. Indeed, the dialect spoken here is termed Algherese Catalan. There are particular connections with both Barcelona and Alghero’s twin town Tarragona, another favourite of mine. Having returned to Tarragona two years ago and found it delightfully unchanged, Alghero is at the other end of the spectrum. It’s a very different town from the one I remember.
On each of our first two evenings everywhere is so rammed that we can’t find a table, traipsing around for an age in search of a restaurant with even two spaces, both times ending up with overpriced sub-quality fare in this destination with a reputation for great food.
Ah well, the boat trips will no doubt still be good, so Friday morning we head down to the departure point to grab a trip out to either Grotto Nettune (Neptune’s Cave) or the spectacular headland at Capo Caccia, but unfortunately the renowned Mistral wind has put its foot on the accelerator and the sea is too rough: all boat trips are cancelled today.
Undeterred, we are absolutely determined to find good food in this town of gourmet reputations, and so book a table at one of the less touristy and more authentic looking places inside the city walls. Our usual practice is to avoid making restaurant reservations as we feel it restricts our spontaneity, but, with half the population of Europe seemingly in Alghero, we break our own habits.
I guess it’s progress of a type, but this oh so attractive town with beautiful streets and fascinating history is not really somewhere we can recommend for an August visit. It is, however, still a hugely visually appealing town, with so many fabulous little streets in the old town, so many beautiful old buildings. Tomorrow we pick up a rental car to explore more of Sardinia; by the time we deliver the car back to Alghero it will be September and the height of season will be over. Who knows, we might even have the pick of the restaurants.
34 Comments
Lookoom
There is potential in these streets of Alghero, but it certainly requires tranquillity to visit; it is not suited to mass tourism.
Phil & Michaela
No it isn’t, yet it’s made enough changes to try and get there!
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
I’ve visited twice: once during April and another time in July (of 2008, so a few years ago). My experience then was like yours, though. Very crowded and good luck trying g yo get a restaurant without a reservation. I much preferred the April experience. Weather was a bit unpredictable but we enjoyed al the accessibility much better. We took the ferry too but forked out for a cabin. The sleep was worth it to me. 😊
Phil & Michaela
So much busier than I expected even though I knew it would be pretty heavy. The ferry worked out OK in the end with so few people opting for the couch!
Eha Carr
Hmm . . . looking at the interesting-as-usual lovely and informative photos I am, for once, not quite ‘sitting on your shoulder’. Glad you managed all those different vehicular changes without a hitch, I look at the crowded restaurant and see ‘mechanically’ served fodder not evening-long joy 🙂 ! Somehow, now that you are there and mobile methinks a slower, less crowded scene may emerge in the next post . . , hope for fine weather, a well-working vehicle and lots of pleasurable hours . . , !
Phil & Michaela
Yep, things looked up pretty quickly. Alghero is still a lovely place, but chalk and cheese from 20 odd years ago.
Monkey's Tale
Our last long boat ride was in a hammock, but sleeping in the restaurant benches doesn’t sound much more appealing. Alghero does look charming and you managed to take pictures without too many people. What is the best season to visit do you think? Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Probably any time from mid July to early September is the bit to avoid, guessing all the rest would be OK. Though of course the Mistral can get pretty strong in winter. I will never forget reading your account of the Amazon boat ride….a proper travel story, a proper horror story!
MrsWayfarer
I commend the strength it took to navigate such a long journey from Portugal to Sardinia. Thank you for writing about Alghero. It is my first time hearing about this fascinating place.
Phil & Michaela
The journey was, of course, fun!
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
I echo your feelings of accomplishment when a well-planned trip unfolds without a major hitch. We experience learning curves with nearly every journey, and it makes us better travelers. We wouldn’t have booked the sleeping room either, and we most definitely would not have packed food. When you know, you know. Sardinia has become a destination for summer travelers. Hopefully, there will be a mass exodus in September, and it will resemble your memories.
Phil & Michaela
We expected crowds but it was more than we expected…the biggest frustration being how hard it was to snare a restaurant table. Especially with the annoyingly smug look which accompanied the “no, we’re full”. The boat trip was fun, in lots of ways…a new experience, for starters!
Toonsarah
You know us well enough by now to realise that we would almost certainly have splashed out for a cabin on the ferry, but your cheaper option does seem to have worked out OK for you apart from the availability of any food, which could have caught you out even if you did have a cabin to sleep in! As you say, when you know, you know 🙂 As for Alghero, I can see its charm in your photos but charm is quickly buried under crowds of tourists. I’m sure if you were to visit off-season you’d find it more like the city you remember – hopefully even in September it will be closer to your memories of it.
Phil & Michaela
The boat was fine really…mainly because so few people had done the same as us that there was plenty of room to spread out and sleep on the seats. Alghero was still lovely inside the old town, but boy so busy. We began to think we’d never get a table anywhere!
Helen Devries
Now you have your documents you can escape…if not into the wild, at least into the less touristy. A shame it did not manage to escape over tourism, like Tarragona, which seems to have remained unchanged over the years.
Phil & Michaela
I have real affection for Tarragona. When I say that to a Spaniard they look at me like I’m demented!
Helen Devries
We loved the place. Leo remembered it from the days of Franco when the roman theatre was full of leather workers in the various niches but apart from removing them not much had changed!
Phil & Michaela
I also went during the Franco era, funnily enough….as a child with parents and siblings for three years in a row. How strange it all was to such a youngster!
Helen Devries
It wasn’t exactly a tourist mecca from what Leo remembered of it at that time.
Phil & Michaela
It still isn’t!
restlessjo
Grim it said on that ferry, Phil, and you’ve not done much to convince me otherwise. Alghero looks very pretty indeed but it’s hard to recommend most places in August xx
Phil & Michaela
Ah the ferry wasn’t so bad, Jo. So few people did what we did that there was plenty of room to spread out and sleep!
WanderingCanadians
That’s quite the journey to go from Portugal to Sardinia. It seems you weren’t fully prepared for the overnight ferry crossing! Now you know for next time! Alghero looks lovely minus the crowds. Love the sunset picture. A good reminder not to visit Europe in August!
Phil & Michaela
It still has its enormous pleasures even in high season though!
grandmisadventures
We probably would have opted for the less expensive route too- I mean, why get a fancy cabin when you can sleep on the benches in the middle 🙂 But even tired and hungry, glad you made it to this charming area. Hopefully it will clear out a little when you return
Phil & Michaela
It was fun really Meg….so few people doing what we did that there was plenty of room to spread out and sleep. And we said exactly the same, why spend money on a cabin when you really don’t need to?!
wetanddustyroads
Oh well, the cheap option is sometimes the better way to travel – more money available to explore the next country (but next time you might just want to make sure you have enough snacks in your backpack, right 😉). Sardinia looks like another wonderful place to visit – I enjoy exploring all these places through your eyes (and cameras).
Phil & Michaela
Would definitely avoid the crapburger, that’s for sure. On board picnic next time!
Annie Berger
I admire you for not paying for a cabin on the voyage over – but I think we’d probably splurge for comfort at this stage of our lives! Looking forward to reading about Sardinia, as I know so little about it. Hope you’re having a great trip there still.
Phil & Michaela
We certainly are! Ah the boat was fine, but only because so few people did what we did, so there was loads of room to spread out.
Andrew Petcher
Alghero is a fine city, I liked it there even though it is a cruise ship destination.
Phil & Michaela
It’s a lovely city. There isn’t a cruise port here though Andrew…although judging by the visitors those cruise passengers who land wherever the port is, make their way to Alghero
Andrew Petcher
When went first time in 2006, cruise ships anchored at sea and passengers came ashore in on feeder vessels. Maybe they don’t do that any more.
Phil & Michaela
Oh I see…no, none of that white we were there..