Sardinia ...

... beginning of the tour

Finally, we arrived in Sardinia after having taken the ferry from Livornia to Olbia. It took 8 hours, but we had a cabin, so a very relaxing trip. We continues south on the eastern coast to join our friends at a camping. The camping was really good with two beaches, many trees that gave us shade during the hot days, good restaurants and bars, as well as a couple of really good restaurants close by. We rested and enjoyed a quiet life with our friends. We stayed on for five days, before heading further south.

First a visit to a beautiful beach with white sand and turquoise sea, south of Orosei. It was not so shallow as the camping place, rather deep as you take a couple of steps into the water. The water is clear as a pool. We spent the day there, at a place with a small restaurant/bar on the beach. Unfortunately, there was no camping nearby so we headed further south and found another camping at Cala Gonone. A small city with the camping more or less in the centre. We walked around the city and the bay and ended the evening with a dinner, overlooking the sea. Early evening to be ready for Monte Tiscali the next day. Beautifully situated in a national park, and one of the homes of the Nuragic people. Martin walked up the mountain to a cave where there once was a village. I stayed below to visit the cave of the Corbeddu Bandit.

The Corbeddu Bandit’s cave

This was supposed to be an easy tour, visiting a cave. Not really. I was with a rather big group of Italians, many my own age, and the guide started sprinting up the hill. More or less at least. It was not a small hill, it raised straight up into the sky, full of stones, clay and roots, so not a very easy walk. Half way up I was really asking myself whether I would make it. One has to consider that it was over 30 C/86F on that day. Well, I did and entered the cave with some anticipation.

Giovanni Corbeddu (1844-1899) is seen as a Sardinian Robin Hood. It is said that he took from the rich and gave to the poor. Well, maybe not so regularly, but he is said to have helped people in need. In 1880 he was accused of rustling, maybe falsely, who knows, and went into hiding. It seems he did commit a series of crimes, which led to him taking refuge in the cave which now has got his name.

Once taking up residence here he seems to have abandoned his earlier criminal activity and even began to play the role of peacemaker and arbitrator in disputes. Reputation tells us he did possess wisdom. In 1894 he worked with the authorities as a mediator in the release of two French timber merchants who had been kidnapped in the area. He was offered compensation but refused. Although he was given ten days “leave” and could return to Oliena (his birthplace) and stay in the village unhindered. Well, the good days don’t always last and in 1898 he was finally caught together with other fugitives. While trying to escape he was shot and killed.

The cave is rather big and contains several “rooms”. Inside there has been archeological excavations and human remains from around 20,000 years ago have been found. Not all experts agree on the calculations and some say there is no solid evidence of the presence of humans on the island until around 10,000 years ago. Walking through the cave we can see bones from the excavated area. Bone and stone tools used by prehistoric people were found, and the cave has been inhabited during several periods. Interesting enough, there were also bones of extinct endemic animals in the cave. Animals such as the Sardinian Dhole, the deer Praemegaceros cazioti and the lagomorph Prologus sardus. There is something for you to look up, and I made it easy by adding links.

As we came deeper into the cave, we ended up in a smaller and narrower cave. It seems it was used for gatherings for meals and possibly meetings. Lots of graffiti, and some old etchings on the walls. We ventured back the way we came, climbed the big stone stairs to step out into the wild again. Climbing down the hill, and having a little bit of rest at the reception before entering our next tour.

The Nuragic complex of sa Sedda ‘e sos Carros

This complex was easier to reach, just a small walk up another hill. We came to a set of stones, of which it was rather difficult to decipher anything. Since the guide only spoke Italian I did not really get all the information I would have liked to have. We always have the internet, but the guide sounded quite knowledgable, and talked a lot, so I am sure I missed a lot of interesting details.

The name of the complex in Sardinian means “Wagons pass”. It is not old, but comes from the miners that used it in the 1800s and 1900s. The miners passed here with their wagons full of coal and sleepers to be sent to Italy for the railway building.

This Nuragic village was used by people between 1200 to 700 BC. It is unique due to the two structures tied to the cult of water. The sacred spring has a circular shape and is surrounded by ram heads from which water would flow. The water system of the complex is a mighty engineering project from Sardinia’s pre-history. There is also a ceremonial bath where people used to immerse and perform purifying rituals.

It is quite a unique complex and not like anything I have seen before. Situated on the hill you have a magnificent view over the valley. I always think of the poor people who had to build these complex. I can hardly imagine the hardship it would be in those days when everything was made by hand.

Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu

Once Martin had come down the mountain we continued through this magnificent national park. In the middle is a huge gorge stretching over almost the whole park. We saw it all from above and had a magnificent view over the gorge and the sea.

It was rather late in the day so we did not venture down into the gorge, but continued to our next camping at Bari Sardo. It was another nice camping by the sea with a sandy beach. You could walk along the beach up to the Torre di Bardi, a tower guarding the small village. We stayed on for two nights enjoying the peace and quiet. No, no, sorry … the quiet? Not with about 20 motor bikers (of mature age) from Berlin camping next to us, partying into the night.