Is Sardegna really in Italy?

As we left Mennagio for Genoa you follow Lake Como on the west side on SS340. It is the slower side of the lake with the highway running through all the small villages. So as modern day transport trucks try moving building products to locations they encounter many 18th century roads and turns. Beautiful from a sightseeing standpoint, not so much otherwise. We'd chosen this route since we had a day to drive the 250 kms to Genoa, and the alternative is the Autostrada which runs through Milan. Avoiding Milan was high on our list as well. So taking the back highways allowed us to do both until a section close to Genoa where a landslide that happened in February was being repaired the Italian way. Which means block the road and 1 man works on it until it's done or retirement. Neither happened during our time there.

We had our challenges on arrival at the Port which we've been to many times before, but eventually arrived and boarded our GNV ferry.

Genoa Dock on leaving

Apparently the Italian's are having the same staffing issues as us, so our 13 1/2 hr. trip, plus nearly 2 hrs to load and 1.5 hrs to unload to could  be tacked together. 

We were greeted by Ingo and Patricia in Porto Torres, Sardegna and drove back into Alghero

Touring Old Town

where we enjoyed a Cappuccino and pastry

Cappuccino on the dock Old Town

and caught up for awhile before heading to their 'new' home. If you've ever watched House Hunters International, they are living that theme right now. They've bought a beautiful small acreage 4 kms outside Alghero, a Spanish settlement for centuries before becoming part of Italy. The previous owner had built two homes on it and a grove of olive trees, and fruit trees as well. 

Now, it will be time for Patricia to mold the future of the place which has 'good bones' to start with. It was such a privilege for us to have them  invite us their first guests.

View across the valley from our dining table

The setting and view is beautiful
and with the weather in the mid-30's each day and evenings cooling to 22-23C we were able to eat all our meals together at a large table with the view as a backdrop. And when the night sky appeared we were able to watch not only the stars come out but watch multiple satellites pass overhead each night.

With Ingo still doing engineering work the next day Sandra and I took the time to head out to Capo Caccia,

Capo Caccia Spectacular Views

a point some 20 kms out that encompasses 2 more bays besides the one Alghero is in. As part of the Spanish occupation of the island, they had built a series of Towers to warn the Fortress in Alghero of attacks. So in the mid-30's heat we visited one as well as a Neghera dating back to 1500-500 BC. 

Neghera 1500-500 BC

Capo Caccia Rock Islet

The Bays, the little one was the beach we swam from.

Tower Bello and Sandra in 34C

But the enticing nature of the warm water and a beach attracted us and we cut short our tour to change into our bathing suits and enjoy some swimming, snorkeling and beach time before heading back. The next day Ingo and Patricia came along as tour guides and we enjoyed a trip on a 'motorcycle' perfect highway that gripped the west coast down to Bosa

Bosa with river Temo in Background

where we had lunch in the town square and later visited Monteleone inland. 35C was the hottest it got that day. 

On July 1st, Canada Day Sandra and I put up our banner and Sandra prepared a meal more in keeping with Canadian traditions. Of course drinks were had as well.

Happy July 1st (Canada Day) 

Our final day was enjoying more beach time in Alghero before heading out to Olbia early in the following morning to catch the ferry to Piombino on the mainland. As we left Alghero at 4:40 am the disco's on the north end of town were just closing. definitely a party place in the summer!

Such a different experience in Olbia with the ferry running exactly on time and efficient we recalled Ingo's comment that Sardinian's don't really operate like Italians. That certainly was our experience.

And Happy Birthday to Ingo as well1