Passage to Sardinia:
The passage across was slow as there was little wind; our average speed was 3-4 knots so we took 2 nights and 3 days to reach Carbonara Bay on the south coast of Sardinia . Ashore were lovely sandy beaches with outcrops of big granite boulders. We enjoyed swimming in the crystal clear water and catching up on some sleep.
Sadly it was time for Jan and Cathy to leave us so we sailed along the coast to Cagliari the capital of Sardinia . We spent 3 days in a pretty rickety old marina that was 60 euros a night! Cagliari has had a very interesting history which is reflected in the interesting architecture, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Moors, Spanish, and Italian all occupied the island. Narrow medieval cobbled streets and alleyways climb up a hill from the port to the cathedral. It was a great place to shop so the wallet suffered a bit.
We rented a car for 2 days so we could explore the island. The first day we headed inland up into the mountains. In 12,000 BC the Nuraghe people inhabited this area. They built sophisticated round stone structures enclosed by 4 towers. I particularly liked their little bronze statues which were used as burial icons; they were naïve and IPicasso like in their simplicity. The mountain flora was so lush compared to the coast and there were even pockets of broadleaf forest. We stopped for lunch in one of the mountain villages. Impatient to explore I went off to take some photos and was befriended by some locals who invited me to join them in their wine cellar for a drink.
The mistral was blowing and there was Aussie style surf rolling in, looked as if there was a very strong current so we didn’t brave the surf.
The local market at San Archittu beckoned us to stop; a short stroll to the coast revealed an unusual sight; fishing boats and small leisure craft moored in a small calm lagoon protected by a reef while outside the mistral was blowing at force 7
We enjoyed a great lunch at a local taverna in the little town of
The town of Alghero once a Catalan colony is an impressive sight sitting on a small promontory surrounded by a high rock wall with medieval fortifications and towers Although very touristy the town has a great atmosphere and we enjoyed wandering the old cobbled streets that felt more like Spain than Italy. Our visit to the Cathedral was made even more inspiring by an organ recital
The mistral had blown itself out so we left Cagliari and sailed south amongst the yachts racing in the Audi Cup.
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