"Julia" & "Giovanni" Meet The Locals...

 Hello,

We left Costa Rei and drove the 177 miles to Alghero on the North West coast of Sardinia which was part of the journey to get to the north to meet up with Sarah, Steve & Samson but on arrival at the campsite it was completely empty and looked as though they had started their winter refurb work with diggers and all sorts of workmen moving static caravans about (nearly all the campsites are now shut for the season so we only had a very limited choice and this was one of them!) so before we committed to driving in we had a quick look at how much further it was up to La Ciaccia (just along from Valledoria) where Sarah, Steve & Samson were and it was only about 45 miles, so after a quick call we headed off to the camper service (which is basically a campsite but with very limited services).  We pulled in and were greeted by a super friendly chap who pointed where to go as he didn’t speak any English, basically we could just go and park wherever we wanted.  With that Sarah, Steve & Samson appeared through a gap in the fence as the house they are renting was right next door which we didn’t realise, so after a quick hello we sat down for a nice beer together at the small bar at the entrance of the camper service and that evening Sarah cooked us all a very nice meal.  

As you can see in this picture the camper service is situated right above a beautiful beach and it was empty so we were spoilt for choice where to park up, just perfect.

The next day the waves were looking good so it was off with the paddle boards and a walk down the short path to the beach.   Julie wasn’t that keen on the big waves so became chief photographer.  Steve & I had a great time, it was such a laugh catching some and being wiped out by others but after an hour or so we had just about had enough so after washing all the kit off, a chill & shower we all decided it would be nice to head out for a meal at a local restaurant, it was lovely and as we always say NO WASHING UP, whoop whoop! 

One thing that Sarah & Steve wanted was some pictures of Samson on their paddle board so the next day seeing as the sea had settled down a bit we thought it would be a good opportunity so with the GoPro & paddle boards it was back down the beach and a paddle up the coast towards a lagoon that forms just behind the beach which handily enough has a bar next to it which is where Sarah was going to meet us to pick up Samson at the end of the journey.  Samson seemed more than happy just chilling on the board and swimming along too while we all paddled along laughing and joking.  So after a quick re-hydrate at the bar Steve, Julie and I paddled back along the coast to the house/camper service and checked out the pictures we had managed to get. 

The next morning we all got up and got our cycling gear on and headed off round some of the local villages up above the coast it was nice to see some of the real Sardinia as there is little tourism around this part.  After about 30km we arrived back at camp and were promptly invited to a Brazilian Style BBQ organised by the locals who Sarah & Steve have become friends with over the years.  

So after a quick shower we walked down to the small bar at the entrance of the camper service and went round the back where they had set up some tables and chairs along with the huge BBQ to one side.  There were already a few people there so we all got introduced to one another and although we speak very little Italian we seemed to get along somehow and were now known as “Julia & Giovanni”!  I took a look at what was on the BBQ and it was lined with huge skewers about a metre long some with beef, some with pork, and others with jacket potatoes and huge rolls filled with garlic butter.  The Brazilian chef then simply carved off large bite size pieces of beef & pork and placed them on a tray which to one end had a heap of Brazilian style breadcrumbs so the trick was to pick your piece of meat swirl it around in the breadcrumbs and simply eat it.  The way the meat was cooked and served was fantastic and I can honestly say it the best tasting BBQ ever.  Alongside all of this was locally grown vegetables which the chef also roasted on the BBQ as and when needed.  Well this went on all afternoon with a steady supply of beer and food and lots of laughing and banter with the locals, we were so glad Sarah & Steve were there at times as their Italian is superb and helped us explain things and stories.  The lady that runs the bar (Anna) is just so happy all the time, laughing and running around her bar so I went to the bar to get a rose wine for “Julia” but it was one thing Anna didn’t have but then with that she got a large wine glass and filled it half with red then the rest with white wine  and shouted “Rosato” and fell about laughing, to be honest it didn’t taste too bad and “Julia” soon got the taste for it and by the end of the afternoon she was fluent in Italian with everything being “Bellisimo” (if you get my drift)!!!!  It really was a fantastic afternoon and great to be amongst local people.

Sarah & Steve are both kitesurfers too, that’s how we all met in the first place back in the UK a few years ago.  While here we were hoping that we would get some wind so that we could all go out for a blast together and the next day the wind did arrive but looking at the white caps out to sea and the wind direction Sarah decided that it would be better at a spot about 20 minutes drive just along the coast at Marina di Sorso so very kindly said chuck what you need in our van and we will all go together.  We arrived at this little car park right on the beach, Sarah was right as the wind was a lot better so we all got our gear on and went for a blast in the waves, it was great and blew away the cobwebs and “Rosato” headache!! The next day the wind came in again in the afternoon but this time we decided to go down to the lagoon just along from the house/camper service so again we chucked the gear in the van and headed off.   At this spot you have the choice of riding in the flat water lagoon which is just behind the beach or out in the sea so we all got set up and again had a blast.  Sarah & Steve wanted to see what the GoPro was like on the kite so we lent it to them for the afternoon and got a few shots.

After playing in the sea/lagoon all afternoon Steve said he would drive the van back to the house and me, Sarah & Julie could do a downwinder back to base.  It was just amazing as we took our time just riding & jumping our way downwind and playing as the sun began to fall behind the mountains in the distance, a great end to another fantastic day. 

As usual we have been out exploring on the XT to get some pics and to see the surrounding countryside.  Sardinia is definitely a place we will come back to in the future as it ticks all the boxes and there is so much more to see but we don’t want to do it all in one trip as it will spoil it for next time.

Sarah & Steve have their ferry booked for Saturday and are heading home, ours is on Sunday and we are then heading slowly through Italy towards the Alps.

Happy days.

J&J

x

Sun, Sea & Broken Springs!!!

Hi Peeps,

First of all we can’t believe the reaction we got to the photo we captured of us mid-air on the beach in our last post, it was such a laugh and we are already thinking of something new to try for our next  shot!!!!

When we first got here at Camping Capo Ferrato the waves were a bit too much for me on the SUP board but then they did calm down a bit so it was good to get out there and enjoy some lazy surfing as you only need a small wave to have some fun on the SUP.

When we came to Sardinia it was about seeing the Island and to have a bit of a chill in the sun and to make the most of the winter warmth and not so much about the kiting but as we are camped right on the beach when the wind does kick in we only have to grab the gear from the van and set up and go which takes minutes and the water is so warm you don’t even need a  wetsuit on which is so nice. 

In the mornings here the sea is super flat so very inviting to go and have an early morning pre-breakfast paddle board so one morning while Julie got the breakfast ready I took advantage of the perfect conditions.  

It didn’t take long for Julie to start tagging along though (to get out of getting breakfast ready me thinks!) and a couple of mornings Julie has taken the GoPro along and got some cracking pictures of me swimming about in the crystal clear waters, it’s quite spooky as in places the water is 20/30ft deep and it’s just like you are floating on air looking straight down to the sea bed below. 

Not only did Julie get out of doing breakfast she even sneaked in a early morning sunbathe…….

In between all these activities we have been snorkelling and playing (trying!) volleyball,  I think I can honestly say we don’t think we have ever spent so much time in the water as we have in Sardinia. 

At one of the many headlands along this beautiful bay and right next to the campsite there is a statue of Christ looking out to sea to bless all at sea and Julie took it upon herself to have a cheeky photo with him which we also wanted to get as Pete & Debra who also visited this area had the exact same picture so it was a case of following in their footsteps even to the extent that we later discovered that we were on the same campsite and also the very same pitch as they had back in April.

There is a huge rock in the sea too which you can walk out to and then get a view back to the beach and campsite.

It really is a stunning beach

When we first arrived here there were a few African guys selling stuff on the beach and I liked the look of the large Indian linen throws that they were selling as they are huge and are ideal for laying on the beach as you don’t get covered in as much sand.  I have been complaining to Julie all summer about our pathetic beach towels that we bought in Decathlon as they are made of a micro fibre material which OK does dry really quickly but blow away at the slightest puff of wind so you get covered in sand trying to hold them down!! So we bought one to lay on on the beach and another one as a sunshade for the awning as it has been so hot here.

Finally this part of this weeks post is a bit spooky.  We were laying on the beach on our lovely Indian throw when Julie suggested I heap some sand up under one end to form a pillow under said beach throw so as a good husband I began to dig to sculpt the pillow!!!  All of a sudden I uncovered a small stainless steal egg whisk and said to Julie that’s handy I will keep that, much to her disgust as I am always picking stuff up!!!!  

The next morning I got up to go for a swim before breakfast and unlocked the door which felt a bit funny but I just ignored it.  Julie then went to lock the van up and join me at the beach and said that the van won’t lock so I immediately thought oh shit it’s the split pin again that fell out back in March when we were camped in a little village aire in Campan in the Pyreness.  So it was tools out and strip the door down but this time we knew how to do it and this time as I lifted the door panel away Julie was keeping lookout for any small parts which fell on the floor from the inside of the door panel and sure enough a lump of broken spring fell out.  It was then a matter of finding where it had come from but the locks on these motorhome doors are so over complicated it’s like a friggin puzzle just looking at it let alone seeing how it works.  So we both worked out where it had come from and what it did but realised it had snapped beyond repair so we needed a new one (not a chance, we are on an island) so next thing was OK we need to make a new one.  I have the tools but just needed the material to make a new spring so Julie then piped up can’t you do something with that old whisk you found on the beach so I thought you know what she’s right as always! (it’s springy, about the right diameter, and can be bent to the right shape) so we cleared the workbench (dining table) and began to bend and copy the broken spring with a bit cut from the the egg whisk and low and behold we had fabricated a replacement spring.

We fitted and tested the new part and it worked a treat (it seems better than the original) we both put the door back together and cleared the tools away but the thing that is freaking us out is why did I find that egg whisk on the beach,  so there is a big question DO THESE THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON?? i.e. finding the egg whisk buried in the sand!! Maybe it was Christ's way of thanking Julie for his cheeky cuddle!!

The door stripped down... 

The broken spring...

The egg whisk...

The broken spring & newly fabricated spring...

The new spring in place...

Well at least I know I haven't lost my touch, and to be honest it was great to have a challenge and to make something as I haven't had a tinker in the garage for a while now!

We are now heading up to the North of the Island to meet up with Sarah, Steve & Samson.

Catch up next week.

J&J
x

Sunny Sardinia

Hello again,

We decided to head down the East Coast of Sardinia and our first stop was only about a 40 mile drive from the port at Golfo Aranci at a little place called Santa Lucia.  We arrived quite early as our ferry had docked at 7am so we were keen to get set up and have a nice cup of tea, although saying that our supply of beloved Yorkshire tea bags ran out a couple of weeks ago so we were now having to sample an Italian replacement that were awful, but we did have an "emergency supply" up our sleeve that you will read about later in this post .  The site was in a pine forest and didn’t have any marked out pitches, you just had to take pot luck very, very carefully between the pine trees so needed eyes in the back of your head but with Julie looking outside the van we managed to manoeuvre ourself into position and get set up.  So after a “refreshing” cup of tea not, we headed down to the beach which was accessed directly from the campsite and it was just beautiful with fine white sand, something we hadn’t seen for a while as in Croatia there is very little sand to speak of.  The other weird thing was seeing the horizon in front of you again and when you looked left and right just beach, such a contrast to Croatia.   

It was great to have sand between our toes again so we decided to play silly buggers and try and get a photo of us jumping in the air, funny the things you do when you have time on your hands!!  Luckily the beach was practically deserted as if anyone was watching us they would have thought that we had lost the plot as it took a while to get the final picture as we had the camera on a timer and we were laughing so much.  Finally we got the picture we wanted so here it is along with a few of the out takes too!!

Out take 1:  Julie catching flies....

Out take 2:  "Ole".....

Out take 3:  Me completely missing and Julie star jumping.....

Finally we got the shot we wanted!!

We only stayed at Santa Lucia for one night and then headed to another site further down the East Coast just outside Tortoli.  We followed the SS125 one of the very few main roads on the island, we could have gone down the dual carriage/motorway to our next stop but that’s just too easy and to be honest there aren’t many and we wanted to see the real Sardinia and this road certainly did that.  It slowly climbed up and up bend after bend through some breathtaking mountains which we both didn’t realise that Sardinia had then we saw a sign for a panoramic view point so we parked up grabbed the camera and walked the few metres up to the view point which was simply stunning looking down on all the valleys and villages below.  

Once done we then carried on through the Genna Silana at an altitude of 1017m before starting our decent down towards the coast but first we came across a small village which this fantastic road runs through called Baunei.  We came across a few cars parked to one side and a tractor and trailer loaded with manure also stopped and thought they had just stopped outside the village coffee shop but as I passed them this small Sardinian cap wearing pensioner leapt out and began waving me to back up but I had the trailer on.  Not to blow my own trumpet but when it comes to reversing trailers I know my stuff through working on farms and agri-contracting many years ago but the simple fact is the bike trailer is so small and narrow that you just can’t see the bloody thing until it is jack knifed and at such an angle that it’s beyond all recovery so we find the best way in these situations is to simply un-hitch it while Julie drives/reverses the van and I manoeuvre the trailer to a suitable spot.  Anyhow the reason this cap wearing pensioner waved us back was that this village only had a single narrow road through the middle and to add to the equation the locals all park their cars down one side so making it even tighter and the big problem is you can’t see any oncoming traffic ahead so North traffic (including a lot of motorhomes as it’s a popular route due to the scenery) meets South traffic smack bang in the middle with nowhere to go “Oh what fun” but the pensioner has the time of his life directing all the cars, tractors & motorhomes so we did get through in the end by following the manure man in his tractor!!!!

We arrived at our site just outside Tortoli, only a small site but with great facilities and although it had trees it was nothing like the previous pine forest and felt much more open and was really quiet with only a handful of vans.  We bagged a pitch right on the beach front with nobody blocking our views of the beach for once and quickly got the van set up and had some lunch.

We then went down the beach and noticed the trees beginning to sway and I said to Julie as always "I reckon you would go on the 12m kite" so back to the van, all of 50 metres away, and started to get ready when I noticed a certain blonde haired young lady wearing a Kent Kite Surfing School hoodie looking around so a quick shout of “hello” and sure enough it was Sarah and her husband Steve, oh and not forgetting Samson their 11 year old chocolate labrador, bless him.  Sarah and Steve are regular visitors to Sardinia but usually around April after their ski season in La Clusaz in the French alps.  We were meant to meet up while we were in Meribel back at the beginning of our travels but for one reason and another it never happened.  We knew that they were planning another visit to Sardinia later in the year so once we had decided we were going to venture across we got in touch and it turned out that they were planning to be here in October too so over the last couple of weeks we have been in contact and arranged to meet up once we had arrived.  They too were travelling down the East Coast before heading further South and then back to the North where they have rented a house so it was perfect as this time we were in the right place at the right time so we arranged to meet up at the campsite.  It was so good to see them both and catch up and we all managed to get out on the water for a quick kite session in the sun before having dinner in the campsite restaurant. 

They also brought us our “emergency supply” of Yorkshire tea bags, funny how simple things can mean so much sometimes so we were very grateful.  They headed off the next day but we will be meeting up with them again when we head back up to the North.

After 3 nights we have moved further South down the East Coast and are now at a site at Costa Rei and the van is parked practically on the golden sandy beach and we can hear the constant sound of the waves which I find quite relaxing to fall asleep to, although Julie doesn't as much as she is a much lighter sleeper!

We can't believe how hot it is for mid-October, it's like mid-summer again with daytime temperatures of 25+ and in the evening it's 20+ so warm enough to sit outside with just a t-shirt.   Saying that we haven't been this far South since we left Southern Spain back in June.  The water temperature is really warm too, probably the warmest we have had, it's rare for me to be messing about in the water for long in just a pair of board shorts unless it's scorchio but I have been in and out of the water all day everyday.  The water is so clear and it's new territory for us too as it's the Tyrrhenian Sea here which lies between the East coast of Sardinia and the West coast of mainland Italy.

I even went for a surf in just board shorts and a rash vest as the waves here are always teasing me.

As usual we have been out exploring the area on the XT, there are so many beaches tucked away down little dirt tracks so we are glad we have the XT as many are inaccessible by car and definitely not motorhome friendly.

One of the main roads we followed was lovely tarmac but then it just turned into a dirt track for about 2 miles before becoming tarmac again.  The campsite we are at is called Capo Ferrato but the directions on our Camping Cheque app said  don't follow the signs to Capo Ferrato (the area) but head to Costa Rei and we know why now, but I wonder how many fellow motorhomers have made that mistake, luckily not us for a change as although our sat nav does like to send us cross-county sometimes this time she behaved herself and sent us directly to Costa Rei.

Where's the tarmac gone??

Until next week....

J&J

x