Part 2

Wednesday

Santa Teresa de Gallura - Alghero: 156 km, 2.5 hrs

After breakfast and coffee in the upper town of Bonifacio we enjoy a bit of sun and the views from our balcony . At 10.30 am we head towards port. I leave Erik at the ferry terminal with the baggage and drive to the drop-off location of Europcar on the other side of the port. The return of the car goes smoothly and I walk back to the ferry terminal. At 11.30  embarkation starts for the  Moby Lines ferry to Santa Teresa Gallura on Sardinia. We walk on board via de car ramp. On board we eat a sandwich and we put our feet up on the sun deck. The crossing takes 50 minutes. In Santa Teresa de Galura we are picked up by a young man of Sardinya Autonoleggio, who drives us to the car rental office. We carry out the formalities for the hiring of the Citroen C3 Picasso. We note some scratches which are listed adequately on the inpsection report. It is a long drive to Alghero, over 2.5 hours. Along the way we have a quick lunch and we arrive around 16:15 in Alghero in the Flowery Inn, where we rented an apartment through Airbnb with Beniamino. We come here to do and then go shopping at the supermarket around the corner. At the early evening we go with - provided by Beniamino - bike to the center. We take an aperitivo (Spritz) in Chez Michel on the boulevard. This is accompanied by a variety of snacks. Then cycling around in the old town and take a aperitivo (Negroni) at L'Ambat with different snacks. Then it's time for dinner at restaurant Maristella. Good food and not too expensive. Slick service.

Weather: cloudy, 19⁰C

Thursday 12 May 2016

Alghero - Bosa: 40km, 1 hr (one way)

Erik starts the day with buying fresh bread at the bakery around the corner. All loafs look different and you pay by weight. We have breakfast in the apartment and go into the old town by bicycles provided by Beniamino. We drink a cappucino on the boulevard and then explore the old town. I climb the Porte Terra Tower that offers a nice view of the city. It is one of the seven towers that rise above the old city. It originally served to protect one of the city gates. We then see the 15th-century San Francisco church. It has a mix of styles: from the Gothic tower and cloister to baroque chapels. The cathedral is 16th century, but the neoclassical facade, which was put there in the 19th century does not fit well. The interior is a mishmash. Original renaissance pillars side by side with chapels from the 18th century. The back of the church with the belfry shows more of the 16th century original. In the port we inquire about a boat trip to Neptune's Grotto at Capo Caccia. This is on the other side of the Bay of Alghero. The sea is rough, so a boat trip cannot be guaranteed for this afternoon. We should just call ahead. We cycle back to the apartment.
In the afternoon we call Navisarda to ask whether a boat trip to the Neptune cave is on this afternoonn. That is not the case. The sea is still rough.

Then we go, as an alternative, to Bosa, a town on the river Temo. This is the only navigable river in Sardinia. It is a monumental town about 40 km south of Alghero. The road winds along the coast and it takes almost an hour to get there. The current city was founded in the 12th century. The Malaspina Castle ruin overlooks the city. We start with a drink in Piazza Constizione. We walk along the well-preserved palaces at Via Vittorio Emanuele towards the cathedral. We take a look inside. The interior is richly decorated. Notable are the four lions on the edges of the steps to the altar. Then we walk to the old bridge spanning the Temo and then back again to the car via the quay along the river . We drive up the mountain to the Malaspina Castle, which was built at the beginning of the 12th century by the family with the same name. The castle can be visited for 4 euros per person. At the ticket booth we get to borrow an information sheet in Dutch. The walls are still standing and the watch towers are reasonably intact. The towers are half-open, like the ones in Cagliari and Oristano which we will see later. Inside the walls the only thing left standing is the church Signora di Regnos Altos. The views of the city and the surroundings are beautiful. We  look as far as Bosa Maritima, the port of Bosa.

We drive back to Alghero. In Alghero we have dinner at Al Vecchio Mulina in the old city. The restaurant is housed in a vaulted cellar. Good food.

Weather: sunny 22⁰C

Friday 13 May 2016

Alghero - Sassari: 35 km, 30 minutes (one way)

After breakfast we call Navisarda again for the Neptune Grotto tour. Unfortunately, this morning it will not happen because of the weather. We decide to drive to Sassari. That is just over than half an hour from Alghero. In Sassari we see the duomo of San Nicola with its flowery baroque facade in which we see  image of St. Nicholas. We walk through downtown and arrive at Via Vittorio Emanuele, where a few old Aragonese mansions dating back to the 16th centurydraw our attention . We carry on the via Rosello that leads us to the Fontana di Rosello a fountain from 1606. The fountain is fed by the source that was  the only water supply for Sassarifor centuries. Images on the four corners represent the four the seasons. The fountain is at the bottom of a slope under a bridge over the river. I am asked bya man, who has taken up position behind a camping table to enter my name on a kind of guest list for statistical purposes .

We walk on to the piazza Tola, which a small daily market takes place and is the address for the municipal library. Walking further, we arrive at the Piazza Castello, where a museum is dedicated to a Sardinian regiment that played a brave role in the 1st World War in the struggle against the Austrians. Their exploits in the trench warfare are taught in every school throughout Italy.
We drive back to Alghero. We have lunch in our apartment and again call Navisarda. Again no luck. We drive out to Capo Caccia, where the cave is located. It is a beautiful drive. At the cape there are beautiful views of the Foradada island, the sea and the bay of Porto Conte. The Neptune Grotto is indeed closed because of the weather and it is therefore pointless to descend the 600+ steps.
We have a drink on the only terrace there and drive back to our apartment. In the evening we drink again an aperitif on the promenade and eat a delicious meal at Il Pavone on Piazza Sullis. Exquisite restaurant with delicious seafood. I take fried monkfish, and Erik a tasty pasta. For dessert a semifreddo.
The wine is good and we have a grappa with coffee.

Weather: cloudy with sunny periods. 19-22⁰C

Saturday 14 May 2016

Alghero - Nuoro: 143km, 2,5 hrs

Erik again buys bread at the bakery around the corner and we have breakfast for the last time in the apartment at the Flowery Inn. After breakfast, we drink a coffee at the neighborhood cafe. Amazingly cheap: 90 cents for a delicious cappuccino. Then we drive to Nuoro. That's a long drive. We arrive there at around 12 pm. We stay here in a B & B run by Massimo and Carla, Nughe & Oro. Massimo and Carla have not finished cleaning yet and we cannot use the room when we arrive. Massimo does have time to provide us with information and tips about Nuoro. Armed with these tips, we start looking for a lunch place, but we are too early, so we end up in a burger joint. After the burgers we walk around, but Nuoro is all locked down around this time of day. By 2pm we are back in the room. The room is reasonably spacious, but a bit cold. The heater does not work properly. Around  4pm we go out again. We see the Duomo, where a wedding is just about to start. It is a 19th century building and not very interesting. We drink a very cheap coffee and then walk to the ethnological museum of Sardinia. That's is very interesting. Here, the cultural and economic history of Sardinia is being told, particularly the period 1860-1950. In large dioramas  agriculture, fisheries, food, clothing, bread baking, fishing and other activities are depicted. There are also photo exhibitions with series shot in the 50s, which show how traditional Sardinia  still was back then. Severe poverty, manual labor and little mechanization. There are also film documentaries of that time, in which it seems as if life had not evolved since the 18th century.
After visiting the museum we go to Caffè Tettamanzi for an aperitif, a Spritz. We get peanuts served along with the drinks. The cafe was founded in 1875 by a former cabinet maker and there some of the  furniture dates from that time. On the street  a running event is in progress. So quiet Nuoro was this afternoon,  so animated the streets are now. After the aperitif we can go to restaurant Il Refugio, behind our B & B. In this slow food restaurant with a wood oven, we can sample  Sardinian specialties. I take a veal with pecorino cheese and balsamico (tagliato di manzo con rucola e la scaglie di pecorino) as a main course.

Weather: rainy and windy. 14⁰C

Sunday 15 May 2016

The shower is quite tight and jet is a bit weak. Breakfast at the B & B is not very elaborate, but the host is very friendly. After breakfast, we drink coffee in the only café that is open at this time on a Sunday. Next we drive to Dorgali, renowned for its artisans. But they are sleeping in on the 1st day of Pentecost. Everything is shut tight. We drive on - after a coffee - to the caves of Inspinigoli. We go down this vertical cave a guide for about 60 meters. Especially the stalagmites are very high. The caves are very vulnerable. It can only be visited in groups and visits may only take half an hour. Then the cave should be left empty for  half an hour and the lights are dimmed. Photography is prohibited. Further down is a cave system with an underground river, but that is only accessible to speleologists. The caves are more than 180 million years old, when the mountains rose out of the sea after an earthquake.
We drive to the coastal town of Cala Gonone. We have lunch at the marina at Pizzeria al Porto. There is a strong wind. It is nice and sunny. Sometimes the gusts are so strong that the wind blows the dishes from the table. After lunch it takes us some searching for the archaeological site Nuraghe Mannu. We eventually find the exit from the road on to an upaved road we have forllow for 3km. Just when you think it is not leading anywhere, you need to go a little further. The gate is closed, but according to the sign it will open at 3pm which is now. We wait and then a girl comes walking up to us, who appears to be the guide. She sells us the entrance tickets and waits for 10 more minutes for more guests to join. And  there are some too: a German couple. Ada then leads us around the watchtower at the Nuraghe settlement, which is surrounded in turn by excavations of a Roman settlement, a 19th century shepherd's den and even a trench from the 2nd world war for Italian and German troops who had to guard the bay. The position of the Nuraghe watchtower from the 6th century BC is  very strategic and overlooks the bay. Hence also became important this place in later periods of time.
Then we drive back to Nuoro. We drink another spritz on the Corso Garibaldi before we go to Monti Blu. This is bric a brac shop on the ground floor with a tea room and a restaurant upstairs, which opens at 8pm. We have delicious meal with a nice wine from Oliena: Vino di Oliena Nepente Carros - Cantina Puddu made of the Cannonau grape. Erik took a pizza diavolo and for me it was lamb with shredded cheese. With the meal we got good portion again of Sardinian flatbread called Pane Carasau. It is a very thin bread  baked in the oven  with stones on top. According Sardinians it is  better when it is thinner. Best pane carasau comes, so they say, from the province of Nuoro.

Weather: sunny 19⁰- 24⁰ with lots of strong wind

Monday 16 May 2016

Nuoro - Riola Sardo: 90 km, 1.5 hrs

Pentecost Monday is apparently not a holiday here as daily life seems to take its course again. The children go to school and grown ups to work. We have breakfast and drink coffee in the neighborhood before we drive toRiola Sarde near Oristano on the west coast. We stay there at Hotel Lucrezia. A luxury home of Parador allure. We are welcomed by Claudia, offering us coffee and cake. After a short break we drive to Oristano. There have lunch at Trattoria di Gino. This traditional restaurant opens at 1pm and not a minute earlier. The staff is having its own lunch before that time. In the end we have a simple but tasty lunch here. We visit the cathedral and the Tower. But here too public life around grinds to a halt around 2pm.

At the end of the afternoon we drive to the Sinis peninsula, to the beach of Putzu Ida. The beach is very disappointing. The resort is very poor and there is only one dodgy bar with some camping chairs outside. Behind the beach are a few salt lakes and where flamingos come at dusk, so we are told. We sure see  two of, who patiently scour the bottom of the lake for snacks.

At night we eat at the hotel. Dinner is good, but not - as we expected - excellent.

Weather: Sunny 24 ° C

Tuesday 17 May 2016

We drive to the Sinis peninsula, but now to San Giovanni the Sinis. In this coastal hamlet we find the oldest church in Sardinia. The church dating back to the 6th century got its present appearance in the 9th century. The church is built in a cross shape and looks early Christian and Byzantine with a red dome and irregular masonry. The church has survived centuries of piracy on the coast  through the hard work of a French religious order, who took over the church in the 11th century under her care.

Behind San Giovanni looms the Spanish tower of Tharros. This is part of a chain of defensive towers, built by the Spanish under Philip II as a defense system against invading Moors from Tunisia. At the foot of the tower is the archaeological site of Tharos. Phoenicians arrived here 800 years BC because of the sheltered position of the bay behind the Capo di San Marco. The Punic and Roman houses are lined along a number of broad Roman streets with gutter in the middle, which is covered with wooden beams. The most striking monument are two Corinthian columns on the coast line who belonged to a Roman temple from the first century BC. The best kept Punic building is a cistern. Furthermore, we can see the remains of thermal baths and shops.

From Tharos we drive to Salvatore. The church is a Chiesa Novenari, one that is used only nine days a year during a festival (Corsa degli Scalzi), celebrating that the image of San Salvatore wast rescued from the hands of the Moors. The village around the church is only inhabited during these nine days by pilgrims. The rest of the year, it is completely empty. In the 60s and 70s of the last century a number of "spaghetti" westerns movies were filmed here.

The next village is Cabras, where the archaeological finds from Tharros are on display in the local museum. The building is not exactly pretty, but the exhibition is interesting. Cabras is an ugly fishing village, but with a nice restaurant called Il Caminetto, where the menu includes pasta with bottarga di muggine. Bottarga is spawn of the mullet, which is pressed still inside the scrotum of the fish, and then dried. A specialty of Sardinia.

In the afternoon we have coffee at the bar around the corner of our hotel in the village of Riola Sarde and explore the village. The recommended pizzeria is closed on Tuesdays. Other than that, the village has all kinds of small businesses and a tiny soccer field by the river, which is fished by a few fishermen.

There are also many unfinished houses. Apparently, the economic crisis has hit hard here too.

In the evening we eat in a hamlet Baratilli  di San Pietro, that more or less merged into Riola Sardo at another pizzeria, Full Pizza de Melis Simonetta . It is in a somewhat lower price segment. For 28 euros we have a starter, two pizzas, a half liter of wine and two coffees. All served on disposable plastic dishes and glasses. The friendly service alone is worth the money. The pizzas are large, rich and of reasonable taste.

Weather: sunny, 19⁰C

Woensdag 18 May 2016

Riola Sardo - Cagliari: 110 km, 2 hrs

After breakfast and coffee at the neighboring bar we leave for Cagliari. On our way to Oristano we have to deal with some  road works and diversions, but after that it goes smoothly on the motorway. We drink coffee on our way down to Cagliari. At some stretches the motorway is downgraded to a local road with crossings. The Italian civil engineers are infathomable in their designs. In Cagliari we drive straight to the apartment. We even get there earlier than agreed with the owners. We wait for owner Chiara, because she seems still  to be busy cleaning. Her husband Gabriele called us about it. The welcome is a bit clumsy, but the apartment is fine. A spacious room, a kitchenette and a bathroom. We take a rest and then go looking for a supermarket. We're not far from a Conad City, a neighborhood supermarket run by a large supermarket company, where can we find  most of what we want. We buy bread at a bakery. Back to the apartment for lunch. The afternoon we spend  shopping and a visit to the heardresser. In the early evening we take an aperitif at the Antico Caffè 1855, a café rich on tradition on Piazza della Constituzione.
At night we eat at Tratorria di Fabio in the Marina District near the port. Simple eatery, but nothing to complain about. Then we walk along the harbor underneath the collonades. We cross back through the Marina to the Piazza de la Constutizione, where we drink a night cap on a terrace.

Weather: light clouds 20-22⁰C

Thursday 19 May 2016

Erik wants to buy bread at a local bakery, but at 8 am there is nowhere to buy it. He has to wait until 8:30. Then we have to hurry with breakfast and coffee around the corner, because at 9.30 our guide Riccardo will be ready for a tour through the old town.

Riccardo takes us on a tour through the old part of Cagliari. We take an elevator up to the oldest quarter, called Castello. Built as a fortress on the highest hill in the area. With the elevator we arrive at the royal palace, once home to viceroys under the Aragonese / Spanish kingdom. They oversaw the more or less autonomous administration under a feudal system. The palace is not open until 10am, so we start with the cathedral church next to it. The facade is in Pisan Romanesque style, but most of the church is baroque. The showpiece is the crypt where the relics of more than 170 Sardinian saints and martyrs are kept behind, each behind tile with a representation of their martyrdom or miracle.

In the church, we see various parts shipped from Pisa to confirm the connection with the mother city on the mainland. Largest relic is a nail out of the "crown" of Christ, which was given by the pope in exchange for the return of a loot stolen by Sardinian pirates.

After church we visit the palace. We start in the gallery with portraits of the viceroys. It is remarkable that the captions are only in Italian from the 18th century onwards. Before that, the language did not actually exist. As Sardinia was Sardinia was assignedafter the Spanish War of Succession in 1718 to Savoy, the Kingdom of Sardinia was founded (and Savoy). It becomes tricky when the revolutionary French troops (including a certain General Bonaparte) from Corsica, planned to invade Sardinia, but that threat was eventually averted in 1793. From 1860, the movement  for Italian unitybegins(Il Risorgimento) starting in Sardinia driving out foreign forces (in particular, Austria and Spain)  occupying Italy. Eventually Italy becomes  a kingdom under King Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy in 1861. He is also honored here with a large portrait. The main room is used as a meeting room for the Regional Council of Sardinia.

We continue through Castello and see the semi-open tower of St Pancrass from the 14th century beside the old University building. From there we walk to the other side of Castello and where we have great views of the district Stampace and the seaport and the large lagoons around Cagliari. Via Torre del'Elefante (1307), we descend to the Stampace district and arrive in Piazza Yenne. Here is a statue of King Carlo Felice (1765-1831), King of Sardinia from 1830. He did much to improve the infrastructure of the island. The road between Cagliari and Porto Vecchio running the length of the island (now the SS131) ​​is his plan and started on this square. Now his statue  in Piazza Yennede is  shrouded in the colors of the football club Cagliari, who have just been promoted to serie A, the Italian top league. It was a big scandal that team was relegated to the Series B and it was therefore a great relief that they were promoted again. Missione Compiuta( mission accomplished) it says in large letters on the window of the fan shop. We walk to the church of San Michele, where Riccardo takes us to a gallery of paintings behind the altar, almost hidden from view. Here, large paintings depict saints who belonged to the Jesuit Order and their mission and miracles in the world. We walk to a nearby crypt far underground dedicated to martyr San Restituta, dating back to early Christianity. The crypt was also used during the war as a shelter against Allied bombing.
Slightly further afield is the Church and Crypt of San Efisio. Even smaller and also with similar age. San Efisio was a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and was therefore persecuted, tortured and decapitated. Not here but in Nora. On May 1 there are processions with his image in a carriage and believers travel on foot from Cagliari to Nora, where another church is dedicated to the martyr. The saint is acclaimed for averting a plague epidemic in the 16th century by a prayer. We walk to the Marina, where we walk to the harbor through narrow streets towards  via Roma. Along the way we visit the traditional almond cookies shop called Durke (meaning sweet in Sardinian).  Via Roma is dominated by the colonnades with bars and cafes and even an upscale department store. The street connects regional administration building with the town hall. The colonnades are a bit delapidated and squatted by many Bengali sellers of knickknacks and other hustlers.
At the new city our tour ends and we say goodbye to Riccardo. In the afternoon we walk around in the Marina and have a  Spritz on a terrace and we buy cookies for the home front.
At night we eat at Luigi Pommata. A fancy place for dinner. I have an Insalata di mare grigliata su crema di ricotta e displace urine croccanti as a starter. No lettuce, but fried seafood. Then spicy tuna in three variations (Ventresca di Tonno speziato in tre con cotture Cipollotto arrostito alla Vernaccia). Very tender and delicious. Erik has Sfogliatina di carasau con fl urine al Profumo di erbe aromatiche su crema di pecorino fresco (Carasau biscuits with vegetables flavored with pecorino cheese) and then Filetto di manzo cotto alla piastra con sugo d'arrosto, tartufo sardo e crema di patate all 'antica (beef fillet with rice, sardinian and truffle mashed potatoes). Finally a Composizione di frutta su centrifugato di fragole e yogurt gelato (fruit salad with yogurt and ice cream). Along with our dessert, a delicious dessert wine.
Satisfied but tired back to our apartment.


Weather: sunny and 23⁰C

Vrijdag 20 May 2016

The online check-in for tomorrow's flight home is not flawless. From the KLM site, we are redirected to Alitalia. There you get the option to book your luggage, but then the website crashes after you have filled in all information and you have to start all over. It does not work. So we phoned the Amsterdam telephone number listed on the site. First, the operator says that my booking number is not for Alitalia but after some insistence she says is not possible to book checked luggage online. Only at the airport at an extra cost of 10 euros.
Today we drive by car to Nora. On the way out of town we pass a couple of lagoons close to the road in which numerous  Flamingos areforaging.  At Nora we drink a coffee and then go see the excavations. That is only possible with a guide. We buy a ticket for the 11-hour tour and wait. Then we suddenly see the guide leave with a group of people. That appears to be our tour. We make a run for it. The tour is informative, but at a high pace. From the Punic origins of Nora  there is not much left to see. From the Roman days  there is much more. The waterline of the sea has advanced about 90 meters during  the millennia, so many ruins have been submerged into the water. We see some bathhouses, a small amphitheater, mansions, a sewer, hospital, market, and even more thermal baths. Near the site also is a Spanish defense tower from the 16th century.
After the visit we walk to the San Eufisio church, but that is only open on weekends. Then we drive for a ride along the south coast. But first we want to eat, but can not find anything nearby. We find a very cheap pizzeria in Domus de Maria. When we drive up the coast road, it appears there are countless opportunities to get some food. The coastal road is beautiful with lovely blue bays. Then we drive back to Cagliari, where we arrive at 16 hours.
At night we eat at a simple Chinese / Japanese restaurant in the Marina District. The cook is an all-rounder, because you can also (limited) Thai food. The food is not very bad and although it does not taste totally Chinese, it is cheap. After that we have a drink on a terrace on the Piazza Costituzione close to our apartment.

Weather: sunny 25°C

Saturday 21 May 2016

After breakfast we pack our suitcases and we clean the apartment. We have plenty of time and have a coffee in the Piazza Costituzione at Pico Cafè. Then we pick up the car from the parking garage on Viale Regina Elena. We pick up the suitcases, leave town and drive to the airport of Cagliari. The car rental drop-off point is not quite well marked, so we make an extra tour around the departure hall. The drop off of the car at Sardinya is reasonably smooth. They do a quick inspection and then we can proceed to the departure lounge. The check in for the flight has not yet opened yet. But we can pay for our check-in luggage. Which is not 10 euro more than the online roat - as Alitalia had assured us - but 28 euros more. We pay and get a ticket with 7 copies, filled in by hand and completed with stamps. It looks very old-fashioned. After our return KLM returns this extra amount back. Very good service.
The flight to Rome goes smoothly. Boarding is the Italian way. It starts too late and no one is bothers abouty the procedure concerning priority for children and invalids or boarding by row. We have exit row seats or comfort seats, which Alitalia charged nothing extra for. Probably because their website is not working properly. In Rome, we have more than an hour to transfer to our connecting flight. We arrive around 5.30pm at Amsterdam Ariport Schiphol. The baggage does take long to arrive and a quarter to five we are on the train to Rotterdam. At Rotterdam Central  we take an Ubertaxi, which brings us  home

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