1 April 2010 Hotel (E85) Fiumicino

Arrived Rome Airport about 8.45 and took people mover of helpful and honest taxi driver to La Maison Jolie, nice room on first floor.

2 April 2010 Hotel (E85) Fiumicino

Took it easy around Fiumicino – walked, went to local supermarkets put bikes together. Heather and Leon went into Rome and took tourist bus. We assembled bikes and all went to dinner around corner.

3 April 2010 Hotel (E65) Olbia

Rode to railway station on line to Civitavecchia. Went from train to port to buy tickets for the night ferry to Sardinia. Instead, impulse bought tickets on ferry leaving in 5 mins. Tedious ferry trip. Arrived in Olbia and found Hotel Terranova – bikes in basement, nice hotel with beautiful fittings, Found nice fish restaurant.

4 April Free camping near Arzachena
Lovely buffet breakfast. Yum!
Tried to find supermarket out of Olbia– Not open! No meths so no cooking!! Went back and found Easter procession. Watched Jesus meet Mary. Then rode around coast up to San Panteleo and looked for campground. Checked soccer field but cheese factory owner (on phone)said no. Finished up on waste land putting tent up in pouring rain and huge wind. Had to mop out tent before we could get into it. Tuna on bread followed by jam. Cold water to drink. Spartan touring!!

5 April – Campground on beachfront at Palau (E16)

Nice riding to Palau not very far. Went to Nuregghi site at Arzachena. Two of the sites were quite nice, but the walk to the last one was really beautiful, and Gail took lots of pictures.

Nice campground at Palau – fantastic views. In sheltered nook on our own little beach. Ferries passing between us and snowcapped mtns on Corsica. Bought beautiful marinara risotto – like a paella- at friendly restaurant for dinner. Other restaurants not opening til 8pm.

6 April- Free camping on headland south of Santa Theresa Di Gallura

After 6 attempts to buy meths we finished up with camping gaz stoves. Rode to Santa Teresa di Gallura. Lovely town, ice cream in piazza, free camped near beach – Anxious about the carabinieri who showed up twice, but seemed more interested in looking out to sea perhaps for illegal immigrants. Beautiful sunset. Cooked pesto spaghetti (but very slowly- we've got a dud stove!)

7 April – At 'campground' near Valledoria. Supposed to be E10 but refused to pay more than E5
Beautiful day – nice riding through lush green fields and woods – lots of up and down, total climbing about 500m. Huge race to find pane before shops shut at 1pm. Couldn't get bread but bought tinned beans and lovely veggies for tuna salad in charming shop in hill village. Friendly lady made her own jam and preserved artichokes which we bought. Great, fresh vegetables and fruit - especially the oranges.

Down to Valledoria. Another shop where we found pannini!. Another nice lady. Looked for free camping spot and finished up in campground with no facilities but pleasant spot by the sea with snow covered Corsica in the distance.

8 April – Down-at-heel campground east of Porto Torres
Raining when we set off to Castelsardo, an hour behind Leon & Heather. Had coffee/chocolate, then toured the Castle which was very old, had impressive views from the top and was surrounded by narrow medieval streets with bright plants in pots. Had lunch in a little restaurant after succumbing to persuasion of lady in the street. Then looked at the church and the cathedral.
Found a supermarket open at about 2.30!!. Bought food and wine and pedalled along coast to this big, deserted, unkempt campground where Gail feels the need for 2 shower credits. [The shower block was vast, drafty and freezing cold. None of the doors shut properly, and the 3 min shower was not very hot. Brrrrr!]

9 April Camping in Alghero

Left the Stalinist campground, and rode to Sassari, stopping at a beautiful Romanesque 12th century church, with a field of red poppies beside it. Sassari was a mixture of elegant and grotty. Heather and Leon found an internet connecting point, I tried to log onto our blog and couldn't and Phil managed to get a wireless internet connection. We set off to Alghero, but the purported closure of a road confused the GPS so we had a beautiful wild goose chase along tiny country lanes, til we back-tracked to the 'closed' road and took it to the connecting highway. The country was green, pastoral, sweeping. Then a very nice tailwind caught us up and swept us along. We stopped to try and free camp in a field but it was full of prickles and stones, so we gave up, and ended up camping at an expensive but clean and well-looked after campground on the beach at Alghero.

10 April Free camping at sheep farm about 13km nth of Bosa Marina.

A wonderful day today. Alghero was stylish, very old with a n ancient city wall and marina stuffed with boats. Quaint streets with expensive jewellery shops and elegant Italians promenading in the Spring sun. I finished writing postcards while Phil queued for 30 stamps. Had coffee and cakes in sunshine. Went into two gorgeous churches looking for 13 century cloisters which were very still and peaceful (when we finally found them).

Tore ourselves away with a dash to the supermarket before closing time, then had a lovely picnic a couple of kms out of Alghero on grassy spot just above the sea with a view back to the town. Then took off on this sweeping road which climbs high above the coast. Reminiscent of the Great Ocean Rd but on a far more massive, majestic scale. Towering craggy rock faces, hills stretching forever dotted with rounded clumps of Euphorbia and broom and a grey upright shrub and occasional trees in blossom, and carpeted with dandelions and buttercups. Below and in the distance, bays and rocky tongues licked by a still and shimmering Mediterranean sea.

The climbs were quite hard work in warm sunshine out of the wind. I stripped down to sandals, short-sleeved light top and rolled up my short cycling knicks. At around 5pm and with still 13kms or so to Bosa, we went past the entrance to a farm – the first we had seen. I went in to ask if we could camp, and found two young men in a milking shed. I said we were 4 people, from Australia, that we had 3 months in Italy, then launched into the sentence Emmy had found for me. Yes that was fine. I was jubilant – especially because I could see a few spots that weren't rocky. We set up the tents in the dress circle, washed, started cooking, and then they waved us up to the shed for an entrancing display of how to milk and manage lots of around 30 long fleeced white sheep at a time. Today the young and handsome owner had his cousin helping him because it was Saturday. (He is part of a cooperative making sheep's cheese. His flock numbers 200. They need milking twice a day, and it takes 3 hours each time.) He has 5 sheep dogs who stay with the flock day and night. We took photos and managed a bit of a conversation through Heather while they released the first lot and got in the second lot. I was offered a go at milking, but alas, nothing came out! We stayed while they washed their equipment and loaded the milk onto their utility. They refused the bottle of wine we offered and instead gave us a large bottle of fresh, warm milk. They came down for a few mins to have a little wine and a few cheese and biscuits. I gave them each a koala, and that was a hit!

The setting sun turned the sky peach as we cooked fish and veggies, finished off with Easter tarts, hot sheep's milk and chocolate. Leon couldn't have his ovaltine, because the oldest dog (which I'd given a bit of cheese to) raided their food while they were up at the milking shed. He managed to chew his way into the plastic jar of Ovaltine and ate half of it, and then polished off the last of their cheese and all their bread. He kept a very low profile after that!

April 11

Dist 65km

Until the next morning when he came back looking mournful, seeking forgiveness and any spare food. Gail persuaded Heather and Leon to give him the rest of the Ovaltine. We watched the sheep being moved to a new field, along and taking up all of the road, their bells tinkling all the time. It seemed an epic journey for sheep.

We stopped to ask a farmer for water, who sent us up to his house where we were given full bottles, and a couple of pods of the broadbeans they were shelling. Took photos of the lovely family and a photo of the Griffin Vulture on their wall. Then the father pointed out one perched on a rock. So we have seen one in the flesh- but from pretty far away.

Then we set off on our big climb up to about 360m just below the clouds, then down to Bosa. At Bosa, we bought some bread and water and had lunch by a well populated canal while Heather and Leon found a cafe and charged their camera. We managed to miss the old, pretty part of town.

Then we had a huge, steep climb to the central plateau, then on to near Cuglieri where we briefly visited an interesting old looking village which had lots of murals, after which we found a nice little back road detour, through olive groves and little stone fences. From there back down to sea level for an extremely high quality hot chocolate- more like a mousse than a drink - and on to here – a rambling camp ground with intermittent facilities where we eventually had lovely hot showers and managed to charge the camera batteries. Had a nice dinner of couscous with tuna and veg and oregano and anchovy paste, finished off with cups of tea and bread and jam and chocolate and liquorice. We earned it today!

April 12
Dist 53km


Rode to Tharros (Phoenician/Roman coastal town/fortress) through relatively flat country. Tharros a bit disappointing – not much there, little guidebook not very informative. Saw Italian cyclists from campground – they had wine, water, fish and a bbq on their bikes. Also met two tall slim US cyclists on tall slim bikes.

Had lunch in Carbas – aged motorbikies on very impressive BMW touring bikes were there. Lunch just OK.
Then rode into Oristano – Phil and GPS found B & B very easily. Charming place, splendid bathroom and sitting room. Beautiful little knick knacks, and art work on walls. Helpful and informative host (Andrea). Went shopping for bike gloves and had a look around. Lovely old town centre, shops with elegant clothes, bags, shoes, jewellery.. Had coffee and chocolate in 'our' piazza and then a piccolo pizza each. Restaurants of choice and recommendation were both closed. Had pretty ordinary meal with US cyclists. She a nurse, he an international airline pilot. Chatted on for an hour or so, then toddled home.

April 13 Eleonora B&B

Dist 45km

Left the lovely B & B after substantial breakfast of cornflakes bread and cake. Went to supermarket then Gail bought new facecloth/towel

Swapped the lock so I had the bigger load. Felt strong and confident pushing up hills.

Out of town on the flat, then started climbing gently through pleasant rural countryside up to about 150m, then back down to 24m at town with Aragonese House and Roman baths. They were reasonably intact, with a lovely atmosphere. Had a look around both then lunch in a little park by the river followed by coffee and icecream.

Then set off and started climbing up to Busachi – reached it at about 340 m after dropping down to dam. Countryside lovely. Road very quiet. Saw only one (double story, with outbuildings) lovely farmhouse, reminded me of wife of martin guerre house.

Busachi v nice town with lots of appeal. Steep . Houses densely clustered. Some very old. Gail met and chatted with older women in traditional costume, who guided us to a bar for the toilet, and we had coffees – Gail had a Ginseng coffee.

Then we found that supermarket was still shut, and went to little Alimentari with grey haired woman and her husband who were very friendly and curious, with woman teaching Gail some Italian and man going out of his way to find some bread, which his wife proudly told us had sultanas in it and was made with pork lard. Everyone v amused when we explained that we were vegetarians, but our friends were happy to take the pigs lard bread off our hands. Then came up hill and found a quiet spot to camp beside the cemetery, with a wonderful view over the town and all the way down to the coast. Had big dinner of potato gnocchi with fennel, anchovy, garlic and oregano sauce followed by mandarins, chocolate and licorice. Another grand day.

April 14 – Outside Busachi graveyard with wonderful view!

35km. [Part of day one of the 'Heart of Sardinia' tour]

Despite being on an enormous slope, we slept very well – and no ghosts came to visit! Heather and Leon went back into Busachi for bread, water and broadbeans, and then we set off. Climbed for 5 kms past little vineyards and olive groves. At the top of that climb, the vines had not started sprouting at all, whereas at lower altitudes the new growth is a foot long. We went down into a valley and then climbed up again to Ortueri, riding past cork trees, and fruit trees in full blossom, whereas down below the blossom is finishing. Bought a few things in the Alimentari, and had a 'conversation' with the owner who was most interested and simpatico (our new Italian word). The landscape became a patchwork of vineyards and worked fields – all of the most brilliant green – and European trees in new leaf. The roadsides covered in wildflowers. All very lovely. Sorgono was a bit of a disappointment – just a quite big town and not very lovely. Cars on way there were bipping and waving bravo to these intrepid, loaded biciclisti. [Our highest point was about 680 m.] Had coffees there and then came on to Atzara, where we looked around the pretty village waiting for the shop to open. Well, on Wednesday afternoons it doesn't! Some kind locals guided us to the fountain, so we did have water. Some very friendly local ladies who had been gathering fresh wild asparagus stopped to chat. Phil went for a walk and found this camping spot in a deserted quarry. We look up to the town so it's quite nice. We had the remains of some pasta, and the broadbeans with condiments and bread [donated by H and L] and oil, followed by fruit salad and scroggin and chocolate, washed down with hot tea. Tomorrow Heather and I will pedal UP to the shop [which we hope opens at 8am] for breakfast and lunch supplies while the boys pack up. So, a day of mostly good gradients, very little traffic and beautiful scenery.

15 April On a little piece of common land just outside Nuragus

45km

A wonderful ride today. Heather and I went up into Atzari for bread and milk and food for lunch. It took us an hour by the time we found the shop! Went on a little and then dropped quickly into gorge-like valley with wonderful trees and blossoms at the bottom of it. Then a steep climb up to Meana Sardo and an even steeper push into the village. .the village was picturesque, and there were quite a few people about who were very curious about us. We had a look around and chatted and then went to supermarket.

Then we pedalled along a kind of ridge and then a steady climb up along the edge of the mountain. Wonderful views back where we had come, and across and down to the valley below and the little train line with its tunnels. Some of it was cultivated, but it was a lot wilder than we'd seen so far. We sat for lunch with a view back through the valley to the villages we'd been to - Sorgono, Atzara and Meana Sardo. We kept climbing after lunch beside the cute little railway line and its stations eventually up to 830m. Then we dropped into a state forest or something – a gorgeous road lined with bushes that looked like white lantana and lovely trees and went down a fast, winding descent. Grottoes were advertised and waterfalls.

We dropped further, and while I was taking a photo of Laconi - the next pretty village- Leon, Heather and I were interviewed for a page in a Sardinian newspaper on its wildflowers and our photo taken! He had two pretty botanists with him! Had coffee/chocolate and cakes while it decided AAwhether or not to rain.

We came out into pastures in a river valley and pedalled [rather tiredly] to here. Actually we only came into the village because we needed water to free-camp. The kindly service station man gave us water and suggested we camp on the village's common land- only 500m from the heart of town.

It was drizzling so we set up hurriedly, hosing down Phil's reservations about it being rather public. I went back into town for wine and veggies and yoghurt for tomorrow. The people in the shops are so friendly and helpful! Then back here for broadbeans, zucchini and mushrooms, except that first a friendly man took Phil and I to see his horse and one month old filly.. There were supposed to be omelettes but we skipped them for the promised banana pancakes – except that the flour was plain flour, so we only cooked one and we'll go and seek out leviti??? tomorrow. Heather came to watch how to cook them, and Leon checked out the tent while Phil guarded the pannier-wind-break so it was quite merry. There was nearly a horrible accident while Phil was working on our gas stove, which has been terribly slow to cook on, but he managed to fix it Hurrah!!

16 April

In beautiful Cagliari about to catch ferry to Trapani in Sicily. To be continued.