Sardinia! You Gotta Go!! 8 nights. October
#21
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There is a charming little village and plenty of options of where to stay.
I enjoyed your trip report. We loved Sardinia. We were there for two weeks back in 2003. Back then we were told that there were only a million inhabitants in the whole island. Little wonder why it seems at times like you have the whole island to yourself.
I enjoyed your trip report. We loved Sardinia. We were there for two weeks back in 2003. Back then we were told that there were only a million inhabitants in the whole island. Little wonder why it seems at times like you have the whole island to yourself.
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#22
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And all those now 1.5 million people are friendly and wonderful. Even with little English. We had an elderly Hertz rep in Alghero that was the most memorable car rental agent we ever encountered. Probably in his 80's, he was dramatic and funny and did speak a little English. We got an underground tour of a private "apartment" (adjacent to a restaurant where we ate) that once was the jail that housed people whose heads ended up on spikes on a noted tower in Cagliari. He knew we wouldn't understand his Italian , but he patiently pantomined to help us understand. Our toddler grandson was treated like a little king everywhere he went a few weeks ago. And, our son likes to bring back a suitcase of fresh squeezed olive oil each fall from Italy. While in Alghero, he mentioned to a waiter his quest for some new oil. They called and found some but the oil was from last season. The staff started conferring, making more calls and 20 minutes later a little old lady came with the freshest, greenest colored olive oil she had just squeezed. Five liters
#23
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Isn't that something with the olive oil? Italians LOVE the little ones, don't they? We were in Alghero and enjoyed it very much. We had a couple days to kill and so after Alghero, we found our way up into the North-West corner of the island in Stintino for a few nights. It was absolutely spectacular in its beauty. I remember speaking with a guy on the beach who said, "Americani a Stintino? Come mai?" (Americans in Stintino, how on earth?) Italians in Sardinia were the kindest and most gracious, and curious about us. I LOVED Castelsardo too. The old Centro Storico was magical. The Blue Zone is nice that you touched on that too. In the states, only Loma Linda, CA which is filled with 7th Day Adventists (vegetarians) make the list. Thanks again for sharing!
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#27
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Thank you @British Caicos. @Kmania and @geetika, you will not regret going to Sardinia, a large, breathtaking and mostly unspoiled destination. So much to see and do. Our 8 days was not enough, but we were glad we criss-crossed the island. Among other things, we enjoyed our drive to a remote "blue zone" community, where there are lots of 100 year-olds. We were the only tourists there that day in Seulo, but, shortly after being there, we were excited to watch celebrity Zac Efron, in his Down to Earth NETFLIX TV series, make the same trip to explore reasons for the tiny town's longevity secrets.
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@packed Thank you for the kind comment. We are currently in Italy (Rome and Umbria) for a Covid friendly five weeks. Sardinia had been considered virtually Covid free, so this year, they got the crowds and apparently the super-spreaders and now Sardinia is like Florida. Best to wait until this pandemic passes, but you will not regret going after that.
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@packed Thank you for the kind comment. We are currently in Italy (Rome and Umbria) for a Covid friendly five weeks. Sardinia had been considered virtually Covid free, so this year, they got the crowds and apparently the super-spreaders and now Sardinia is like Florida. Best to wait until this pandemic passes, but you will not regret going after that.
#31
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@packed. As I posted elsewhere, our arrival in Rome was simplest and speediest ever. No contact with humans. You scan your own passport and let an automated camera take your photo and that's it. No vaccination checks, no temperature checks or anything else. They apparently leave all that stuff to the airlines. We have seen few Americans (in Rome and now Spello); lots of Italian tourists in last stages of August vacation. I am assuming September will be quiet everywhere this year here. No Brits, no Chinese, no Russians, etc. Outside most people are not wearing masks; inside 100%. Restaurants are serving mostly outside, but, for some of those that have gorgeous interiors and great food or inability to have outside dining, vaccine document checks (CDC cards are fine everywhere we have noticed) are required. Funny to see need for proof of vaccine (or recent negative covid test) to gain entry to McDonalds. We wanted to get some groceries at Lidl in Foligno on our way to Spello, and an automated temperature check was required to open the automatic doors. Other than that, things seem pretty normal. Our only concern has been too many unmasked people outdoors, even in highly crowded areas. We leased a car so no trains or buses for us this time.
#32
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I really appreciate your posting the comment about Sardinia. When I saw it we had just received notice from Alitalia that they were canceling our flight there so I just decided to skip Sardinia for this year. I had also decided to skip Florence, Venice and Bologna and go to Orvieto, Rome, Positano (where we're attending a small wedding) and Tropea instead. Except for Rome, those seemed like places where it would be easy to do social distancing, and we're renting a car instead of taking the train. How has it been in Rome and Umbria?
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@Kmania We spent time today in Spello, Montefalco, Trevi and Todi. And Italian tourists continue to dominate the streets and restaurants. I don’t recall seeing one person so far this week we thought to be an American, which is surprising to us. Although cases and positivity rates have edged up a bit in recent weeks, it seems that those numbers have plateaued a bit. Outside restaurants and cafes are lively and busy. Italy still predicts their vaccination rate (those over 12 who qualify) should hit 80% by the end of September and has only slowed down in recent weeks due to August summer vacations.
#34
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Whitehall, thanks so much for the info. It gives us insight as to what to expect. Seems that the Italians are being careful. We have been the to Umbrian towns that you mentioned and really like that area,
#35
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Very Excited to find this post!
We are planning - quite on a whim - to go to Sardinia after going on a Sicily Tour for 2 weeks. I was beginning to have doubts - NEVER had Sardinia been on the radar (even though my DNA shows me to be 1-4% Sardinian - who would have known?)! But now I will proceed with anticipation.
Thank you!
BTW, we did spend 3 weeks in Italy last Fall and it was wonderful!!!
Thank you!
BTW, we did spend 3 weeks in Italy last Fall and it was wonderful!!!
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We are planning - quite on a whim - to go to Sardinia after going on a Sicily Tour for 2 weeks. I was beginning to have doubts - NEVER had Sardinia been on the radar (even though my DNA shows me to be 1-4% Sardinian - who would have known?)! But now I will proceed with anticipation.
Thank you!
BTW, we did spend 3 weeks in Italy last Fall and it was wonderful!!!
Thank you!
BTW, we did spend 3 weeks in Italy last Fall and it was wonderful!!!
We are flying to Sicily for five weeks in a few days, our third but longest visit there. If we can help with your 2-week tour, let us know.
Sardinia was a big wonderful surprise for us, a lot different than Sicily. Unless you go July/August, when its beaches are quite popular, we found a lot of pleasant, empty roads in the fall.
#38
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Thanks -- and a couple of questions
Thank you for the report. I’m considering a re-visit to Italy, and though it’s not likely to happen until next year at the earliest, Sardinia has been one of the places I’ve considered concentrating on. Though I’m not quite convinced that I “gotta go,” I’m now thinking about Sardinia a bit more seriously than before, so at least in my case your trip report did its
intended job. A couple of comments from early in the report stood out for me:
“The ticket-taker expressed surprise at visitors from the US — we liked that.” Yes, I would too; I’ve had that experience elsewhere, and have always appreciated it.
“Few English-speaking voices.” A big plus for me. I always try to get away from English, but it’s not easy these days.
And though it has nothing to do with my travel plans: “We’ve seen worse [road conditions] on interstate highways in Pennsylvania.” I’m not surprised; I live in Pennsylvania myself. Even though I haven’t been in Sardinia, I would have no doubt you’ve seen worse conditions here! Though in fairness, our interstate highways are relatively smooth and elegant, compared to certain streets here in Pittsburgh.
A couple of questions:
[1] I probably would not rent a car, if it can be avoided — but can it be? Do you happen to know how good the island’s train service is? I’m mainly interested in historic cities and towns, as opposed to remote nature spots.
[2] Did you happen to spot any of those infamous giant cruise ships off Cagliari or Alghero? I’m afraid the very sight of one of those behemoths, along with the tourist hordes they disgorge, would be a disincentive for me. (Sorry if you addressed this point in your report; but there was a lot of detail, and I might have overlooked it.)
intended job. A couple of comments from early in the report stood out for me:
“The ticket-taker expressed surprise at visitors from the US — we liked that.” Yes, I would too; I’ve had that experience elsewhere, and have always appreciated it.
“Few English-speaking voices.” A big plus for me. I always try to get away from English, but it’s not easy these days.
And though it has nothing to do with my travel plans: “We’ve seen worse [road conditions] on interstate highways in Pennsylvania.” I’m not surprised; I live in Pennsylvania myself. Even though I haven’t been in Sardinia, I would have no doubt you’ve seen worse conditions here! Though in fairness, our interstate highways are relatively smooth and elegant, compared to certain streets here in Pittsburgh.
A couple of questions:
[1] I probably would not rent a car, if it can be avoided — but can it be? Do you happen to know how good the island’s train service is? I’m mainly interested in historic cities and towns, as opposed to remote nature spots.
[2] Did you happen to spot any of those infamous giant cruise ships off Cagliari or Alghero? I’m afraid the very sight of one of those behemoths, along with the tourist hordes they disgorge, would be a disincentive for me. (Sorry if you addressed this point in your report; but there was a lot of detail, and I might have overlooked it.)
Last edited by Faedus; Apr 27th, 2022 at 12:10 PM. Reason: to correct "typo"
#39
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Thank you for the report. I’m considering a re-visit to Italy, and though it’s not likely to happen until next year at the earliest, Sardinia has been one of the places I’ve considered concentrating on. Though I’m not quite convinced that I “gotta go,” I’m now thinking about Sardinia a bit more seriously than before, so at least in my case your trip report did its
intended job. A couple of comments from early in the report stood out for me:
“The ticket-taker expressed surprise at visitors from the US — we liked that.” Yes, I would too; I’ve had that experience elsewhere, and have always appreciated it.
“Few English-speaking voices.” A big plus for me. I always try to get away from English, but it’s not easy these days.
And though it has nothing to do with my travel plans: “We’ve seen worse [road conditions] on interstate highways in Pennsylvania.” I’m not surprised; I live in Pennsylvania myself. Even though I haven’t been in Sardinia, I would have no doubt you’ve seen worse conditions here! Though in fairness, our interstate highways are relatively smooth and elegant, compared to certain streets here in Pittsburgh.
A couple of questions:
[1] I probably would not rent a car, if it can be avoided — but can it be? Do you happen to know how good the island’s train service is? I’m mainly interested in historic cities and towns, as opposed to remote nature spots.
[2] Did you happen to spot any of those infamous giant cruise ships off Cagliari or Alghero? I’m afraid the very sight of one of those behemoths, along with the tourist hordes they disgorge, would be a disincentive for me. (Sorry if you addressed this point in your report; but there was a lot of detail, and I might have overlooked it.)
intended job. A couple of comments from early in the report stood out for me:
“The ticket-taker expressed surprise at visitors from the US — we liked that.” Yes, I would too; I’ve had that experience elsewhere, and have always appreciated it.
“Few English-speaking voices.” A big plus for me. I always try to get away from English, but it’s not easy these days.
And though it has nothing to do with my travel plans: “We’ve seen worse [road conditions] on interstate highways in Pennsylvania.” I’m not surprised; I live in Pennsylvania myself. Even though I haven’t been in Sardinia, I would have no doubt you’ve seen worse conditions here! Though in fairness, our interstate highways are relatively smooth and elegant, compared to certain streets here in Pittsburgh.
A couple of questions:
[1] I probably would not rent a car, if it can be avoided — but can it be? Do you happen to know how good the island’s train service is? I’m mainly interested in historic cities and towns, as opposed to remote nature spots.
[2] Did you happen to spot any of those infamous giant cruise ships off Cagliari or Alghero? I’m afraid the very sight of one of those behemoths, along with the tourist hordes they disgorge, would be a disincentive for me. (Sorry if you addressed this point in your report; but there was a lot of detail, and I might have overlooked it.)
First, regarding roads in Pennsylvania. I travel a fair amount on interstate highways, and it’s the only place where I have seen giant potholes, even recently. A number of years ago, there was one so large it swallowed some truck tires before us and then blew out our two left tires. I had a summer business in Maine at the time, and, shortly thereafter, I was excited to meet former presidential candidate and governor Bill Scranton as a customer. I said “Glad to meet you, I stayed up all night during the convention in 1964 but about the $1,000 your highways just cost me............” We became fast friends, and he promised to tell his son who was then the Lt. Governor.
We saw no cruise ships in tiny Alghero and frankly don’t even recall any in much larger Cagliari.
Driving, except in the immediate area of Cagliari, was quite nice and easy, with sheperds and their flocks the biggest danger. Public transportation is generally very limited from what we could determine, and we cannot imagine enjoying what Sardinia offers without a car.
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Thanks for the response. I was hoping public transportation on Sardinia would be better, but then, If I visited I would probably spend most of my time in the two main cities. Also, I don't think I've yet seen such potholes on a Pennsylvania interstate highway yet, though I wouldn't be surprised if you have. Pittsburgh produces some real whoppers, though. Finally, I presume you are enjoying Sicily!