1213 – No Sneezing in S’Archittu

 Monday 1st July 2019

No Sneezing in S’Archittu, but lunch … again!  We continued our lunching with the Aged P’s as it was just too hot to do anything else!  This was a pick recommended by the Oristano chap in the Tourist Information.  He described it as a good place to walk the promenade and have lunch.  We opted out of the former due to the temperature and went for the second activity in a restaurant on the small cliff over the beach, with a breeze.  Mum and I are trying all the variations of fish in Vernacchia sauce – very scientific, of course!

Dad comparing a fried seafood platter.

Evening sunset in our Agritourism garden.

1214 – Lunch and Train in Bosa

Tuesday 2nd July 

We pushed the boat, or train, out in Bosa.  Lunch and a little Dotty tourist train.  Nice place to wander.

Having driven down the main shopping street, avoiding the tourists, we parked the other side of the bridge.

Part of the theory behind the long lunches was the cool air con interiors … we managed to elect to sit inside a restaurant without air con!  I am ever the dutiful daughter!

Not our best lunch, great presentation, just a little bland.

Waiting for the tourist train … Oscar who is petrified of Grumps, actually let him stroke him.  There must be something in becoming desensitised.

Some church outside the town to make the train worth its fee.  Didn’t take us all the way up the castle above the town though!

Let sleeping dogs lie!  We had them on the back seat with us so they could benefit from the air con.  The Fiesta really wasn’t big enough!  Fun removing the hairs before returning the car!

 

1215 – Arborea or was that Mussolinia?

Wednesday 3rd July 

En route we stopped at a church, which was the wrong one in Santa Justa … my impeccable research and navigation skills!  But we found the correct one.

Arab and Lomard elements in design, the cathedral was built early in the C12.

The interior pillars were all different, having been ‘recycled’ from various Roman sites, such as Tharros.

No crypt is complete without the original body parts of the saint.

Arborea was very different to any of the other towns we’ve seen here (Carbonaria might have been similar had we had time to go into the town), as it was only built in the 1930, duding the Fascist era.  It was originally named Mussolinia and built on a grid system of tree lined wide avenues.  Neo Gothic villas with large gardens.  All the civic buildings such as Town Hall, School and church were on the main square.  The townsfolk were shipped in (another Mussolini relocation scheme) from the mainland to work the reclaimed agricultural land.  Some of the streets were named after where they came from such as via Lazio, via Veneto and via Marche.  We had planned to return to the restaurant that we visited in Oristano, just for the amazing Tiramsu, but a local restaurant here was offering tuna encrusted in pistachio … no brainer so in we went.  Well, Mum and I led the way … the menfolk would surely find something they liked on the menu!  Slightly over cooked for us (we wondered if they had cooked it well for the foreigners!), but it was still delicious.  

The Church.

Tuna encrusted with pistachio and caponata side.

 

 1216 – Airport Run and Another Lunch

Thursday 4th July 

We left the Agritourism and drove up NE across to the airport.  James was in Jez, and the rest of us in the Fiesta, but we still managed to arrive at the same service station for coffee at the same time.  Onto Olbia, where we left Jez in a car park and we headed up the coast for lunch.  We stopped short of Porto Rotondo, as we were concerned about how long lunch would take.  Mum and I shared a large fish in Vernacchia … yummy.  Then as we had time, we drove up to Porto Rotondo and then out again!  It looked like a very up market holiday resort … the Costa Smeralda is not really for the likes fo us!

Aged P’s deposited at the airport … they only had a few days at home before they were off again – France this time!  Forgot to mention we managed to hands of Cribb, mum slaughtered me, but then I won the second with a small but significant margin.  Decider match to be held in Charente in a few weeks time.  One for his Knob!

James and I headed up the coast … we’d planned to stop along the Costa Smeralda, but No Parking signs, street alterations etc meant we kept going to Palau.  Semi shade with other motorhomes behind a public building.  CO2 and I wandered into the town which largely owes its popularity to boat trips to the nearby islands, but no dogs on beaches and full of sun worshipers … no reason to linger.

1217 – 1221:  Sick in Sorso, Lunch in Sassari

Friday 5th  – Tuesday 9th July 

With the weather showing no sign of easing up we continued with the line of last defence … sightseeing has to go on hold.  Too hot for us and too hot for the dogs.  We all need shade.  We checked into a campsite along the sandy northern coast near Sorso.  Camping Li Nibari was relatively inexpensive … EUR26 + 3 for EHU.  The camper pitches were under pine trees, it had a pool and across the road was the beach for walking CO2 when it was cooler.  The negatives were that the pine trees constantly dropped needles and being a sandy sub soil … ants!  But I for one was very thankful to be there with full facilities when I copped a dose of acute diarrhoea … say no more!  ….  Except to say it has been reoccurring and J has had a mild dose too.  Immodium is our friend!

Despite not being able to move far and feeling quite weak, we managed a van clean and two lots of laundry.  

And we had a fabulous last day out to Sassari.  We nearly didn’t go, but were really pleased we did.  A lovely town to wander around with some impressive buildings and squares.  Lots of narrow streets.  And, guess what, another good lunch!  And the best bit … we went on the bus, and no issues with CO2.

Castelsardo is a major coach and cruise ship destination; all we did was park up, admire and drive onto the campsite.  In the heat, neither of us fancied the several KM walk in and up to the castle.

Our pitch under the trees and we could see the van from the pool.

Sassari and St Francis of Assisi, but I reckon the birds may prefer me … Francis looks a bit glum!

Built in the Fascist era – the Tribune.

Think it’s a plume on King Carlos’ head as against a pigeon.

The pic doesn’t do the stonework of the Duomo justice.

These pillars are carried through the city on certain dates by specific trades.  Fairly heavy, but …

… not as heavy as this.  We’ve seen Madonnas carried before, where the men take 10 slow paces, lower and are replaced by an alternate crew.  I wonder how far this gets carried before a break is needed.

Fontana del Rosello 1600s:  one of the city symbols.  Local water carriers used to collect water from one of the 8 lion mouths.

A barking pair … and Canapa King is a chain selling e juice, oils, drinks etc all made from ….

 We went for the shared mixed starter for EUR12 … yummy mix of cheese, hams (incl pork cheek), mushrooms, cauliflower stew …

Love the fig and Apple & ginger jams to go with cheeses.

Happy food bunny.

Aah … spooning!  Should have shown this to our first choice of restaurant who turned us away as the dogs would take up too much room.

Packing up to leave the campsite included removing the thatch roof on our awning and hoovering the roof fly screens.

Mozzie bite update:  James sporting a few bites that have turned a vivid red.