Leaving Sardinia

Well, it's almost time for another full moon (Friday, Sept 4) and we have had an unforgettable and glorious month sailing and cruising around the Italian island of Sardinia. As we continued down the eastern coast to the south end we found the most beautiful clear and blue turquoise water that either of us have ever seen. We wish that pictures could convey the clarity of it but unfortunately they don't, so you will just have to take our word for it.

We stayed a few days in the funky little town of Olbia where we were serenaded late into the night with lively accordian music (concerts in the town square) and woke up early to the dreadful sound of the bugle of the coast guard ship next to us. Not our choices in musical concertos!!!!!!

Cruising down the coast we passed the Fava Castle (12th century) and numerous caves and grottos all along the steep cliffs dropping into the sea. Also saw Cala Luna, reported to be one of, if not the most, photographed and picturesque beaches in the Mediterranean. And always the clear blue, blue, blue water...........

We anchored in a beautiful cove near the town of Villisimius and watched flocks of pink flamingos fly and land in a small salt pond near the beach. We took the dingy ashore and watched them as neither of us had ever seen them in the wild and R has always had a fascination with them.
"Molto Bello!!! (Very Beautiful)

Next we stayed a few days in the port city of Cagliari. We were disappointed in the lack of "joi de vivre" in the Sards here and the city lacked life and vitality (and good food). Willow has ventured into the world of eating fish if it doesn't look like fish since last year on the boat. So we went to an upscale retaurant where we were surprised but pleased that they would bread and fry the shrimp for us. Imagine our shock as they came breaded and fried complete with their scales, little legs, antenna and eyes!!!!! They do love their fish here but we can't seem to appreciate it in the same way, as we really don't want to have that intimate of a relationship with our fish as they do.

We had a grand sail at 8 1/2 knots to the south west corner of the island and anchored near the old town of Nora where we went ashore and saw the Phoenician and Roman ruins of a theatre,
baths and and mosaic dating back to 238BC. We also enjoyed a local celebration of some sort of saint as 2 bulls carried a cart with a statue to the beach for a ceremony, followed by great fireworks over the ocean. Great fun altho we really didn't have a clue.

Before heading up the wild west coast we spent days anchored in the bluest of waters, swimming and lazing under cliffs and the milky way and scorpio in the night skies. For all of this we are sooooo thankful........

Giving heed to the strong NW winds called the mistrals we quickly headed up the west coast and back into our favorite little port town of Alghero where we had started this journey a month ago.

We have loved seeing so many of the pre-historic Nuragic towers all over the island. There are about 7000 of them all over the island and date back as far as 2000BC. The inner island is poorer than others we have encountered and we have not found much fun or beauty in the port towns along the way (except for Alghero).
We have learned a cautious respect for the winds along this island (much more powerful than around the Balaerics), we have admired the breath-taking beauty of the land and blue water and
now we are ready to move on to the French island of Corsica. We are sailing off to find our perfect anchorage in a secluded cove to marvel in the magic of the fullness of Mother Moon in a few days.
Sail away in your own magic and fullness......................