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Arrividerci Sardinia, Bonjour Corsica
We arrive in the port town of Santa Teresa Gallura with modest expectations, island ferry port towns are sometimes low key affairs which don’t score highly on the attractive scale. Not so Santa Teresa where we are pleasantly surprised to the point of amazed as we turn from a quiet street into the main piazza where gentle soul music issues from one bar and 70s disco from another in as welcoming a scene as you could wish to encounter. Numerous restaurants line several of the streets leading away from the square, chatter and laughter fill the air and the ambience is one of casual enjoyment, there is truly a feeling…
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Amazed By Corsica: Porto Ota-Calvi-Asco-Bastia
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Northern Sardinia: Garibaldi, Maddalena & Magical Moments
I know that traditionally Sardinian people are reputed to be small in size but the last two shower cubicles have been ridiculous, like they’ve been made with figures from a Lowry painting in mind. Once in, you move around at your peril: the slightest movement will make physical contact with either the glass cubicle (dangerous) or the shower controls, the consequence of which might be a scalded bum cheek, a frozen scalp or an abrupt end to the water flow. Any of these are possible. It’s a relief to come through it unscathed. Anyway, back to La Maddalena, the island across the strait from the town of Palau which looks…
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Sardinia’s Eastern Coast: Orosei, Palau & La Maddalena Archipelago
I keep referring to the wind here as the Mistral, but it is in fact only wind in a certain direction which carries that name. Each wind, be it northerly, easterly, whatever, has a name in these parts, and there are seven in all, each with different characteristics and each bringing different weather. I guess when your livelihood – and indeed your life in the case of the fishermen – depends on such things, the knowledge bar needs to be high. The town of Orosei sits in the middle of a stretch of notoriously beautiful Sardinian coastline, rugged yet fertile, bold yet tranquil. The best way to view this stretch…
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Nuraghe, Mountain Towns & Murals: Crossing Sardinia.
The nuraghe of Sardinia have been the subject of considerable debate over the years, with some disagreement over their original functions and purposes. According to what appears to be the current school of thought, and definitely the thrust of websites and guide books, the reason for the confusion is that the nuraghe were multi purpose and therefore inconsistent in design from one to the next. What is certain is that they are unique to Sardinia, that traces of over 10,000 have been identified, 7,000 of which are still standing in one form or another. Grain stores, fortresses, family homes, lookout posts, communal meeting places…all have been theories, each with strong…
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Discovering A Real Gem: Bosa, Sardinia
Even the description “one of Italy’s most beautiful villages” doesn’t do justice to our first sight of this exquisite little town of just over 8,000 inhabitants, simply one of those places which brings out a wow or two at first sight. Bosa sits just a mile in from the sea on the banks of the Temo River, the only riverside town in all of Sardinia on the island’s only navigable river. Two ancient bridges span the Temo, colourful houses catch the sunshine, wooded hills surround the town, coastal cliffs are visible from the centre of town. It’s insanely attractive. Perched high above this beautiful scene at the best vantage point…
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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…
