The drive north to the ferry back to France – and a return to Argentiera (29th – 30th June)

Leaving Selema was a sad experience, knowing that our time in Sardinia was coming to a close, and (poop monster notwithstanding) that we could easily have stayed longer. And so bidding farewell to Geraldine and Steve who were heading in the direction we’d just come from, we headed north towards Olbia, past the new Nielson resort at Budoni and to the very same Conad supermarket we’d first stocked up in when we landed in Sardinia almost a month ago. We’ve really enjoyed the great range of fresh ingredients and local wines on Sardinia and we were intent on replenishing the cupboards for the next few days as well as some keepers for when we’re back in the UK.

Our original plan had been to stay at Castelsardo for our last night on the island in the roadside sosta we’d parked in, but instead, we thought we’d give a different one a try as it was only 5km outside the port at Porto Torres.

However, once we saw it (a car park next to a pizzeria where we could have stayed for free if we’d eaten) and its close proximity to the main road, we decided, on the spur of the moment, to head back to Argentiera on the coast where we’d had the most amazing free camp early in the trip.

And so, with the knowledge that we would be half an hour’s drive rather than ten minutes, but in a fabulous location, we set off, hoping that the Italia/Sardinia rally had not left our little spot out of action – or overly busy!

Although there were a few more vans than last time (it was after all a Friday night) we were pleased to be able to park pretty much where we had before, with time to enjoy a paddle, an impromptu dance show by a couple salsa dancing on the beach to the setting sun, a walk – and, dinner with an amazing sunset to bring our month in Sardinia to a close!

Feeling slightly guilty as we started the engine at 0430 amongst our fellow free campers, we arrived at Porto Torres with enough time to realise that our Google map had taken us to the wrong terminal (Garibaldi lines) and for us to get to the completely unsigned correct one (Corsica ferries) in the ‘leisure’ part of the port, with time to have breakfast whilst we waited for the ferry to make an appearance.

And with almost cinematic timing, as dawn broke the ferry hove into view on the horizon and we looked forward to a journey of 423km that was to take us only seven hours from Porto Torres in Sardinia to Toulon in the day, compared to the twelve it had taken to get 330km from Toulon to Ajaccio in Corsica overnight!

So thanks Sardinia for an amazing time – we will be back!

S&J

The last beach on Sardinia - at Santa Lucia (25th – 28th June)

After the amazing murals of Orgósolo, Camping Selema very quickly took us back into the beach zone. The site had advertised its own access to the nearby beach, but recent heavy rains had allowed the nearby river estuary to divert from its usual course and provide an entertaining aquatic obstacle to the beach and the sea!

We nearly didn’t stay here, but the combination of a lovely woodland shaded pitch amongst the trees, a good pool, and a very relaxed atmosphere (aided no doubt by the ‘pitch where you want’ regime) meant we ended up staying for four nights!

The site also attracted a variety of interesting campers, including this gravity defying ‘Stingray’ tent…

…and this rooftop tent on a VW camper – the biggest roof tent we’ve seen so far!

We didn’t let the water obstacle get in our way, and we enjoyed a variety of walks that included watching some dramatic kitesurfing…

…some very large driftwood…

…the lovely village of Santa Lucia, with its own nearby beach, touching mural and watch tower…

…the idiosyncratic lido on its very narrow spit of sand from the other campsite in town…

…and just before we left, as if to say its farewells and following a windy night, a visit by our chum Posidonia that changed the beach and its pristine vibe entirely, almost obliterating the mini-lido…

We’d heard that the reason that the weed is left on the beach is part of an environmental approach that celebrates Posidonia’s part in the life-cycle of Sardinian beaches, and even that it was illegal to remove it. Now, call us cynical, but we thought that this reason might have had just a little bit of fabrication to it and that no-one could really be bothered, given Italy’s approach to ‘privatised’ beaches – until we saw this sign!

One of the unexpected outcomes of the ‘pitch where you like’ regime, was that we got to meet a lovely and very well travelled British couple, Geraldine and Steve, who, arriving when there was little free space on the site for their larger camper, asked if they could park in near us. As you can see in the pic below, it’s just as well we all got on with each other!

We had some great chats with them, and picked up many useful travel tips as we listened to their tales of global travel. Safe travels both!

It was at this site that we came across the most bizarre camping behaviour we’ve ever encountered, which we ended up calling the ‘poo monster’ – suffice to say that Mr B learnt how to say, in Italian, someone’s had a poop the shower! And the poor staff confirmed that this was the fourth time that week. We’ve encountered some very odd campsite behaviour on our travels but that is definitely the weirdest!

We could have easily stayed at Selema longer, even with the Posidonia, but we wanted to get over to the north west coast near Porto Torres for our final night on Sardinia before the 0700 ferry to Toulon, and we’d eventually run out of days!

S&J

To Orgósolo, the home of communist (and other) murals, bullet-riddled signs, bandits and more!

After a very relaxed week or so enjoying Sardinia’s beaches on the coast of the Tyrrhenian sea, we decided it was time for a bit of exploring in the interior.

Having swerved the places associated with both Garibaldi and Gramsci, two of the island’s most famous political heroes, we decided to mix up a bit of Italian vendetta and political history and head for the small mountain town of Orgósolo.

Some 18km off the main road and surrounded by not much except wandering cattle and goats, the town is (in)famous as the bandit capital of Sardinia, even with its own ‘lifestyle’ film in the early 60s that helped perpetuate its reputation. We read that a combination of clan warfare and feuding between the local families had led to a situation where, between the early 1900s and 1950s, (with a population of only around 4,000) there was an average of one murder every two months! And to add to this gruesome history, by the 1960s, Orgósolo had become a centre of the ransom kidnappings that Sardinia was then known for.

It was also during the 60s that the town gained a reputation for an anti-authoritarian stance, when it successfully resisted attempts by the Italian military to establish a base on common land used by the local shepherds. Known as the ‘Pratobello revolution’ it saw the start of what most folk now visit the town for; its myriad of murals. Started by Francesco del Casino, a local art teacher and communist, the tradition has endured and the town is an amazing place to wander round and marvel at the mix of political messages and artistic styles.

With just one example (that we saw) of a street sign that had been shot up that harked back to its more violent past (although plenty of roadside ones on the route in), we could easily have stayed longer than the couple of hours we’d allowed, as we marvelled at one mural after another. What follows is just a selection of what we saw (there are about 150!) – if you are interested in knowing or seeing more, go here.

As we started to experience something like a visual overload, we realised it was time to head back to the coast for what would be our last bit of Tyrrhenian temptation, before we needed to swing north and west towards the ferry for France.

And after a drive back through the mountains that included a very dramatic storm with thunder and lightning running alongside us, (which fortunately gave the camper a much needed wash down), we reached the coast not far from where we had arrived in the Golfo Aranci almost a month ago, at Camping Selema in the little village of Santa Lucia, with the skies starting to clear!

S&J

Arbatax, and a little more languishing on the beach (22nd – 24th June)

We’d opted for a ‘more of the same’ move up the coast, and as we raced past a long convoy of Dutch caravans to our chosen site near Arbatax on yet more very good and fast Sardinian roads, we had a sneaking suspicion that of the three campsites to choose from near Arbatax, they were bound to be heading to the one we had chosen! We’ve encountered these large groups before, with the usual consequence of reduced pitch choice for us…

When we asked reception at Camping Orri, whether they were expecting a large group from Holland and we were told they were, we braced ourselves for the customary explanation of limited choice of pitch – only to be told that the group was on another part of the site altogether and we could go and choose one of the pitches in the woods near the beach – result!

The site has its own access to the beach, with the wooded area that we were in extending all the way to the sand, with space set aside for canvas campers to pitch in the shade – perfect! With a lush looking pool and lovely long beach (still free of Posidonia), we had lucked out again and we settled in for a few days of not very much at all!

With jays hopping about on the pitch, and in the trees above, and our first sign on this trip of a Scops owl at night, with its singular call, our little oasis of bliss soon became home, with lovely long walks on the beach, with its interesting rock formations and laid back approach to lifeguarding…

And we probably would have stayed longer, busy doing nothing, had we not had a wet and windy storm that hastened our departure further up the coast, this time for a bit of exploring inland at what was once, apparently, a ‘bandit stronghold’ in days gone by!

S&J

Camping Torre Salinas and the slide into beach-bum mode (18th – 21st June)

After checking with reception that there were free pitches, we wandered around what turned out to be a very quirky set-up indeed!  Mainly catering for chalet guests, the campsite had set aside a couple of areas where campers could choose where and how they pitched – a sort of mediated anarchy, where getting there first is always an advantage! For us, it meant that we swerved the interesting ‘lawned’ area, which was chocca (and too much direct sun for us seasoned shade-seekers) and we ended up in a wooded glade, surrounded by longer term chalet owners, with an interesting little community near us.

With a wonderfully clear night full of stars, and a very low level of ambient light on the pitch, we were treated to a fabulous starry night as we settled down to sleep, with just the tinkling of bells from the local goats as background noise. Until, that is, the goats decided it was time for a full-on goat rave on the beach and what had started as a gentle tinkling soon turned into a cacophonous clanking as the goats partied on until the wee small hours!

Next day on our way to the beach, we could see evidence of just what a good time the goats had been having, as their droppings escorted us along the road to the beach and onto the dunes! Luckily, they’d stopped short of the beach itself and we were able to laze away a fabulous few days reading, swimming and walking as the weather set into a reliable high 20s with clear blue skies.

We had plans to take a walk up to the tower that sat astride the headland at one end of the beach, in classic Sardinian style – but the pull of the sea (without Posidonia!) and sand won out, as we enjoyed the freedom of a beach walk without limits!

Our idleness even extended during our stay, to a take-away pizza cooked over wood one evening, followed by two more at the restaurant on our final night! Normally choosing to shop and cook for ourselves, the relaxed vibe was easy to extend into our eating habits – and as this is Italy after all, what’s not to love about proper pizza and a jug of chilled local red?

Eventually deciding it was time to move on (luckily in advance of our secluded glade suddenly becoming over-busy with vans parked up in very close proximity!) we concluded we’d go for ‘more please’ just up the coast near the port of Arbatax, as we made our way steadily northwards.  Fingers crossed that it would deliver!

S&J