Sardinian ports, marinas and local food highlights

Corsica didn't happen today, we left the passports behind!

So, closer to home we had great walks along the Olbia port as well as at the Marina of Porto Rotondo, which I reckon is the best I have experienced anywhere in the world.
I was determined to find good food today for lunch that speaks to local Sardinian highlights. We went into the old town of Olbia and that's me above looking for a good restaurant that was not filled with tourists. I was not disappointed, we had a feast.

Firstly the island is famous for 'pane Carasau' a paper thin bread that the 'pastori' would take with them into the mountains and is now served with food in restaurants. Pecorino sardo, reaches great heights here in Sardinia and forms the backbone to many of their dishes, we tried two for lunch and had the ewe's milk cheese after the meal too.
The real treat were the 'culingiones' which are a Sardinian ravioli stuffed with potatoes, pecorino, garlic and served with a tomato sauce, loved it! The other meal was also a local staple, layers of bread and pecorino baked with egg and milk, hint of mint until light and fluffy, also really yummy with loads of insalata miste, a mixed salad.

Fred' Chirp

There is a marina around every corner in Sardinia. In fact Sardinia boasts the highest density of marinas in the World. Clearly this place has become the newly discovered playground for the European. The concentration of boats is something to see and we had a pleasant afternoon walking this particular marina and enjoying the vaste array of boats on display. Which reminds me, I have never seen an empty marina ,I have never seen a busy marina , boats coming and going. I only ever get to see marinas "on display" where the boats just bob around , looking fantastic, and waiting patiently for someone to spend some time in them.

Say Henk. lets you and me put our money together and buy one of these playthings. No..............not the red one, No..........not one of the blue ones, the white one silly!

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Eat, Walk, Discover

With thanks to Elizabeth Gilbert.

It has taken time to settle into Sardinia after the bucolic scenery of Tuscany and Umbria and the majesty of mountains and sea along the Amalfi Coast. I am intrigued with the interior of this large island, its size did surprise me as did its population of 2 million...

• crumbling stone walls forming paddocks and pastures,
  
• sheep, cows,
  
• parched fields, olives and vineyards, plowed fields waiting for the autumn rains


• hooded crows on every telephone line and in the fields
  
• ramshackle farmsteads


• rocky outcrops


• mountians with sea views


• stunted oaks and maples turning red
  

As we turned one of the corners on our drive across the island to the north western town of Alghero, we were stopped by a shepherd herding his flock of sheep. The noise was astounding, each sheep has a huge bell and I felt as though I was eventually seeing, and certainly hearing, Sardinia.

The wonder of the day was the discovery of the Nuraghe of Sardinia, the Bronze Age, megalithic structures of the interior. There are apparently over 8000 nuraghi in the interior of Sardinia. We spent time at the Nuraghe Santu Antine, which has the central cylindrical tower, a system of ogive corridors and vaults and it was intriguing and its gravitas compelling. Special in the late afternoon sun on a beautiful plain near Thiesi.