Tour of Sardinia part 2: Sardinian diner

As one of my latest trip I went to visit the Italian Island Sardinia.
Sardinians actually do not consider themselves Italians at all. They are Sardinians.

For ages this island has been robbed and raped by different population and civilisations.
The original Sardinians belong to to populations of nuraghi that were extinct by Romans.
Somewhat I still think that Romans got mixed with some of those Nuraghi people, and that population is still alive and kicking.

There are archeological fundings that show how Nuraghi population had the peak of their hight at 160cm. It also seems that in the island lived an other population called giants. Next to any man that is 160cm tall a basket ball player may look like a giant.

photo by quisardegna.org

Any how this island has a heavenly kitchen and various labels of wine. I took some of it at home and had a diner party that has a theme Sardinia. And here is what we had for diner.
As a starter I had some courgette and fennel with "bottarga" that stands for "caviar"; Bottarga of tuna.

Fennel with bottarga

Accompaigned with Sardinian bread called Carasau. It is dry and crispy, and it is served with some Sardinian olive oil in it.
As a main course I served fregole pasta and arselle clams. I studied the recipe on youtube.
And then we had this plate of various Sardinian cheese, sausage and ham of wild swine.
I brought the Sardinian biscuits with me, but my son ate them all during my absence, so all I could find that possibly looks similar was this biscuit with a fig filling in it.

photo by lakasa.it

We also drink some wine; Vermentino di Gallura and Cannonau.
Cannonau is the typical wine of the Island of Nuraghi that is close to Cagliari. Cannonau is actually the most well known wine from Sardinia. It is a fruity red wine that suits well most dishes from starters to main course. It is one of the wines I prefer because it is easy to give as a gift. It really suits at every diner table.
Vermentino di Gallura explains itself. Gallura is the area of north east of Sardinia just south of the island of Corsica that used to be Italian, but was gift to France as a gift. Gallura has a rocky soil. And its soil gives also the flavour to this particular white wine. It is granite rock and one of the hardest if not the hardest to find in this planet. Most obelisks and monuments, like the one in the Suez Canal are done by Sardinian granite.
I found an interesting mineral museum at the Island of Caprera, just next to Maddalena Island.

photo by I Love Costa

My culinary trip was basically concentrated on two areas of Sardinia; the south-west and north-east.
South-west is the Area of Cagliari, that to me is a pleasant town. It has 120.000 inhabitants but it looks as big and vivid as Thessaloniki, Greece. People are outgoing and there are many young people due to the university.
Cagliari actually offers more than they may be able to advertise.
Within just 30 minutes of taxi from the airport or an hour with two local bus services, it is possible to reach the beach Poetto, and admire "the devils sable" Sella del diavolo as Cagliari people call the rock. There is a legend about this Rock I am not going to tell, because it is interesting to learn about it once at Cagliari. 

Sella del Diavolo seen from Mount Urbano

Visit the salt pools and admire flamingos, visit Nuraghi, or just hang on in the down town of Cagliari. Some of my fiends fly over to Cagliari for just one day. They take their swim suit, get to Poetto and hang in the downtown for the afternoon before flying back home to Milan. 

photo by studiainitalia.com 

Cagliari has this lovely market to visit with a huge fish market and every vegetable there is to find in this island. My discovery were these mushrooms called "ovuli", because they look a bit like eggs while closed. And just as Funghi Porcini, Ovuli are to eaten raw, with some pecorino sardo cheese. 

Market at Cagliari

I also advice a visit to Cagliari's archeological museum. I visited before visiting Nuraghi, but is should be done other way around. In that way it gives the idea of evolution in Sardinia and how Nuraghi people actually lived. 

bronse statues of the nuraghi period at the archeological museum

The other part; north-east is equally amazing, due to its rock and beautiful small towns, such as Santa Teresa Gallura that could have been the old Roman town called Tibula. Its granite has been used to build the Pisa Cathedral, and some parts of the Rome's Pantheon.

The name was given by the king Vittorio Emanuele I as honour to his wife Maria Teresa d'Asburgo Este. I am totally astonished of the beauty of the rocks at Capo Testa, due to the erasion that wind and sea salt has done to them. 

dinosaur head rock at capo testa

Following the road towards the Archipelago of Maddalena passing by vineyards. At the city of Palau I needed to take a ferry and get to the island of Maddalena. Giuseppe Garibaldi moved to Caprera Island once he retired from politics. And I might just to the very same. Maddalena looks like an ideal place to sit down and write my travel blog. Considering that the airport of Olbia is just one hour driving from the harbour of Palau.

the grave stone of Giuseppe Garibaldi at Caprera 

I found the visit at the old house of Garibaldi and his story really interesting. His father was an engineer as far as I remember, and he had developed really genius problem solving that even today may look modern. A bit like my favourite architect Gaudi. 

Costa Smeralda is the most exclusive area

of Sardinia. It offers luxurious villas, hotels and yacht harbours. In an old fashion Sardinian law, also women were to inherit. But only men got mainland because it was useful for the agriculture. Women inherit mostly cost line. This coastline area was indeed inherit by a Sardinian woman, who made business selling it to Aga Khan. He then developed the finest vacation resort area thinking of the jet set of the show business. I must say that I felt really fancy staying in this beautiful hotel with such a view. 

Hotel Balocco, Porto Cervo

It took us 8 days to do it all and we hired a car for 5 days. We stayed first 3 nights at Cagliari, then one at Oristano, two days in Alghero, and finally two nights at Porto Cervo, Costa Smeralda. 

Once we left Cagliari airport by car, we headed to the town called Iglesias. From there along the cost line passing by a beautiful beach called Piscinas, and headed towards Oristano to get some rest. From Oristano we drove along Tinnura to see the Murales, and to the town of Bosa, so that for the evening we found ourselves in the swimming pool in our hotel at Alghero. We visited also the National Park Capo Caccia, and drove to Stintino, to admire the view towards the National Park of the Island of Asinara. 

From Alghero we headed through Sassari and Castelsardo towards north-east. 

elephant rock near Castelsardo

I am still missing the whole eastern part from north to south. That will be the target to my next Sardinian trip. 

Let me know wether you want to be part of it, by leaving a comment down below. 

What kind of accommodation would I prefer?

picture by clipartkid.com

When I was 16 years old, it was normal to me to go to a camping in every weather circumstances.
Later on I chose youth hostels if possible. That turned on Bed and Breakfast. Sometimes I rented a flat. Or had a room in one of those Airbnb locations.
But my favourite keeps on being a nice comfortable hotel room.






I once rented a flat for entire month. I don't know about the standards people are used to live and leave their houses to others, but this was a real nightmare. 
We payed very little of it, but it was wilthy; cupboards were full of food that had expired. Not from last year, but from many years ago. Food in a fridge was also so old that it could walk away by itself. 
Wardroabs were so filled in that we had no place where to put our clothes. 
Imagine me having my clothes and those of my kids in a luggage for 5 weeks. 
I cleaned the house for one week. Bathroom was really disinfected and kitchen finally so clean I could let my kids eat in it. I dusted all the furnitures and all those tiny little objects the owner was so found of. 
Actually I should have been payed insted letting me pay the rent. I learned a lesson.
That was the last time I ever rent from a private ones. 

My last stay was outside the old town at Rome in a room I had from Airbnb. 
I iniatially booked a room in a B&B, but it turned full, and they moved me to this Airbnb. 
This flat is owned by a young couple who takes really good care of their house.  
It was just outside of the centrum circle, and Rome is large, so this was far to my standards. 
Then it was in the 4th floor, with no elevator. Forth floor in an old Italian house is actually like fith floor, because the first one is at the level of half floor. Then the flat had just one bathroom in the use of six customers. The owners are planning to fix another room to let. That would make 8 people queue to poe every morning, not to mention the shower. 
Although the owner was kind to carry my luggage to the 5th floor after few complications and delays, he wasnt that available to carry it down when I was leaving although he had promised so. 
I also found the location complicate to my purpose of the visit. It was far too far from everywhere althought it could sound comfortble to those who live in the city. 

photo by lastampa.it

I travel a lot due to my job and also because of the hobby I have: Travelling.
What I look as a first thing with the accomodation is usually the location. The nearest it is to the city center, the better I manage without taxi, car hire, or public transport. I walk nearly 10 km everyday. 
Just to give out a short calculation: If I pay a hotel room in down town like €100 a night from where I am with a walking distance to every thing, I save proximately €20 daily taxi or few hours time if I use public transport system. And time is money. Just a drop of a stone from down town I can have accomodation for €80 and pay the €20 for a cap daily. 
Or I could go further away and then pay more for each time I need to go anywhere. 

This suits me if I am a guest at someones home. "Never look at the mouth of a gift horse"
But if it is me paying for it, the I do have some serious requests. 

Most accodomations do not have international way to categorise them. In some countries a 4* hotel can be equal to my country 2* hotel. This makes a lots of confusion among travellers. 
In New York I stayed in a 4* hotel that was a bit more confortable than a youth hostel to me. We had our own bathroom. The room was tiny, windows dirty and we payed far too much for it. 
Then again, one 4* hotel at Bangkok we had better service in more spacious rooms than we had got in Pejing in a 5* hotel. 
Also in same country there are differences. Or in same city. 
In Sardinia, in Alghero, two 4* hotels have similar price. But only one qualifies to 4*. 
4* hotels shoul be neat with nice halls. Not tiny rooms and old furniture and bedlinnen that are sewed. 

Photo by grandhotelplazamilano.it

When I have time, I like to fancy in a nice hotel with a Spa. Then I don't except that being in a center of any town. My travel prospective changes. Taking baths and massages is so energy consuming that it is much better to stay in a hotel and enjoy what they have to offer. Too bad that some of the hotels do not play a fair role in that.
I have this one special spot in the mountains at the Italian Dolomites. Hotel Luesnerhof. Its like 10 km from the nearest town Bressanone. There I can snow walk or go to ski. Or just walk around. Take the bus and visit the town and get back to the afternoon tea and go to the Spa. They have excellent food due to the hotel school near by that sends pupils to exercise in hotels. I love staying there also evenings, because they organize things to customers. One night they have wine tasting, other night table games and so on. Those three days or a week is so relaxing.

photo by luesnerhof.it

But not all the hotels have arrived to make business. Real business.

I remember 80's when hotels were in. They organized parties, and brunches everyone could affort. 
I remeber going to disco's that were in Hotels. My parents used to go for a sunday afternoon dance to a hotel.
What happened to them? 
Nowadays hotels do not care that much about their customers. And that leaves really bitter aftertaste. Specially if I think of hotel restaurant. 
Consider this. I can have a Pizza and a beer with €15 anywhere. Why would I pay €25 in my hotel? Make it €15 and you earn other customers. It looks good to your hotel and in the eyes of the customers when the hotel restaurant is full, also by the locals near by. It means the food is good. 

Hotels seem to have the policy of airports. Everything must be more expensive. Why? 
Why do I need to pay €1,50 for a half liter bottle water, if I can have 1,5 liter with 30ct from the store next door? Why do not the hotels pic up the profit?
If they would ask just like any bar for the same drinks they have deposit in a fridge, I could even buy them. What hotels are offering is limited quantity of drinks self service and to be drank out of plastic cups. The pub next door offers me several brands of beer, brings it to the table and tips including it is less expencive. 

Just to give you an idea of one hotel I was in Bangkok. At the Eastin Grand Hotel Bangkok. 

photo by Eastin Hotel and Residences 

We had this fantastic deal by taking superior room by paying just few extra. We got rooms on top floor, breakfast at the area of suites and happy hour every evening. Plus free use of gym and the swimming pool.
As it was rainy season in Bangkok, that gym was just perfect to those rainy mornings. Also the tube tickets were included. The hotel actually had its own tube stop. Well... not really. They had a tunnel that led to the tube stop. Very handy, and easy to get back.
This hotel had made a real business out of it. Rise the price a bit and include all services. I counted that we spent equal by doing so than going to some fancy club and get the same service. 
And this hotel was smart. Why would let customers spend their money elswhere if the hotel can have it all?


An other hotel I just recently visited in Costa Smeralda in Sardinia was Hotel Balocco. 
We had a beautiful room for 100€ a night including breakfast, and use of the swimming pool. It was sadly too cold for that, but I appreciated the service. Our luggage were brought to the room.
I really liked it out there, except one thing: They had far too expencive restaurant. 
After one day around I don't want to drive any more kilometer, nor I want to spend money for a cap, because it would turn out as expencive as dining in a hotel with their over priced menu.
If the price in such hotel restaurants were resenable, I could easily eat for more and make them earn better. It is not the €20 for a pasta dish that I am short of. It pisses me off to pay that amount. Knowing that in the normal restaurant it would be €12. 
I understand that the deal we had was better they usually give to customers. We were out of the season. But I don't think the hotel roomservice earns less in October than they do in July. So if a hotel can give out rooms cheaper in october, also the food in the restaurant should be cheaper. Right? 

photo by TripAdvisor

One of my best hotel chains is the accord hotel group that has Ibis hotel in it. The comfort of this hotel group is  that all the hotels are the same. They have same furnitures, same matras and same pillows. I know I can sleep well when I stay at Ibis hotel. 
The best Ibis hotel  I found at Saragoza. We were just across the river and walking distance to everywhere.
Rooms were comfortable and I had a river view.
Breakfast untill noon made us save money not needing a lunch since we travelled with a low budget and wanted to see as much as possible with the money in our pockets.
Zaragoza is really a pearl of a town many people do not even know the excistance. 
At Cannes the same hotel group has this Novotel Suites I once booked. With bicycle it is really handy. 
It takes a bit to rise up hill, but going to down town is all down hill. Walking distance perhaps 20 minutes from La Croisette. They had a huge room for us and a beautiful bathroom, with separate toilet. So French to me.

photo by novotel.com

As a closing statement: My best hotel bed experience was at the airport of Bruxelles. Sheraton hotel. 
It was far too expencive to my taste, with it's €20 breakfast, considering that the same menu is sold at the airport for €12. 
But they had a heavenly bed, I shall never forget. 

photo by TripAdvisor

Tour of Sardinia part 1: Sardinian style murals

Sardinia is an Italian Island next to Corsica, in the mediterranean sea.
This island has very special story of inquisitors around the whole mediterranean area ever since the aboriginals lived the island, before and during the Nuraghi period.

photo by author with the app Collagelt

I was on my way to visit Bosa when crossed this beautiful little town called Tinnura: Village of farmers and artisans.

Tinnura is an open air Museo with wall paintings in almost every house. These wall paintings got started as a form of protest for the local authority and later turned in to a street art with modern subjects. 
The mural art demonstrates how the life follows in these villages.  
The town hosts also various art work of famous local artists.
At Tinnura I found several artisan boutiques that sell straw items, such as vase or plates. 
These items are made by a hay that grows next to the street and is collect by hand, such as the elaboration of the objects. These are decorated with sun, or stars and coloured yellow, red and green next to the natural colour of the hay. 

Bosa is a small town along the only navigable river in Sardinia called Temo.

photo by author

Bosa used to be settled already at the period of prehistory, and it has several Domus de Janas as archeological founding  While in the bronze period as well as the Nuraghi period  it looks like there weren't much of a settlement in Bosa. As the whole island of Sardinia, also Bosa was occupied by Aragon after the fall of the family of Malaspina. 

The remains of Castle in the top of the hill gives a suggestive view over the bay of the Sardinian Sea. 

photo by author with apps SuperPhoto and Collagelt

Bosa is a beautiful little town where time seems to have stopped with its narrow streets and olive tree gardens. The down town walking street offers places to sit down, eat or just drink some coffee.
 While to the castle there are stairs to climb or a road to walk in. 

photo by author with apps SuperPhoto and Collagelt

Bosa offers several hotel B&B and rooms to let. Nice restaurants where to eat and drink. 

Feel free to leave your comment of your Mural experience.