Sardinia, Italy
June 9-17See photos below
From one beautiful country to the next! We took a morning flight leaving France, to the Italian island of Sardinia. When we landed in Olbia, the first thing we had to do was get a coffee. If it wasn’t the morning, I would have ordered a gelato as well. We waited patiently for Kamron and Claudia to pick us up, excited to see them and see the beautiful house where we would be staying for the week. Joining us at the house were some other friends of theirs from back in the UK, who we were excited to spend time with. After standing outside the terminal for a bit, we saw our friends. After a warm embrace, we made our way to the store to stock up on some essentials. The drive to back to the house was beautiful, with the emerald sea glistening as we climbed higher into the hills. No wonder this coastline is called Costa Smerelda, translated to the Emerald Coast. After about twenty minutes, we arrived to the secluded Villa Mehra. Upon opening the gate, Kamron steered the car up the winding driveway until he pulled into a parking spot next to the main living quarters. After unpacking the car and loading up the fridge, we were showed to our room on the level below and then given a tour of the property. It was absolutely stunning, from the massive pool, to the upper roof deck, to the stone walkways and paths. It was truly fit for a king. After checking out the facilities, we caught up with our friends who we hadn’t seen since April, and then headed down to rest up. That night Kamron was taking us to his favorite restaurant, El Mulino. They have some of the best pizza and pasta I have ever had, at a very affordable price. A pizza is only €5! Nevertheless, that is what I ordered and I was not disappointed. The dinner was great, full of laughs and lots of good food. To wrap up dinner, Kamron ordered an espresso which he unfortunately spilled all over the table cloth. This wouldn’t be the only time he had trouble when it came to beverages.
The next day we woke up refreshed and ready to see the world famous beaches that Sardinia boasts. The road down to the beach is as beautiful as any I have ever seen. Once we parked, we made our way to the small sandy beach that lay between the trees and the crystal clear water. We splashed around for a while and sat in the sun, soaking up the rays. After a couple hours and plenty of sun, we ventured back to the house to reset. That evening we poured some wine we found from the narrow cellar and took to the roof to watch the sunset. Seeing the golden light slide over the hills opposite the house is something I could watch every single day. We would both find ourselves on that rooftop during mornings and evenings to meditate while we watched the sun rise and lower form the sky. After a rejuvenating evening, it was back to Mulino for a delicious dinner. Everything was going well, we ordered two margarita pizzas and decided to split what we thought would be 100g of steak for €5, just enough for a small side dish. A few minutes later, the waiter came out with a massive steak simmering on a hot plate the size of a Wimbledon platter. I thought they had the wrong table. Then I realized the extent of my miscommunication and the language barrier. I had accidentally ordered a €75 steak. It would be an understatement to say I was shocked. After a minute of trying to sort out the problem, I had nothing left to do except enjoy my big mistake and share with those around me. Lesson learned, next time I am in another country and want 100g of steak, I will make it abundantly clear the true amount I intend to order.
More friends came, bringing the total to nine at the house. After some breakfast and a slow morning, we all made our way out to spend the day at the beach. We stayed for a few hours, just like the day prior, and then took our roasted selves back to the house to escape the sun. I could tell this was becoming a daily routine. We all lounged around for a while until it was time for dinner. Me and Ashley made some carbonara, which was delicious. It was my first time eating it though, so I am not necessarily the best judge. Everyone else threw together a BBQ. After dinner the drinks started flowing and before we knew it, a deck of cards had emerged and we were playing ride the bus. We played for a few hours and by the time we dispersed for bed there wasn’t a sober soul in the house.
Another morning another jaunt up to the roof to soak up the early morning energy. This quickly became a very special and grounding exercise to set my intentions for the day. Our daily activities stayed pretty consistent, with the rest of the house slow to rise and get the day started. I don’t blame them. Before we knew it, the beach was upon us, and the emerald waters stretched as far as the eye could see. We only lasted a few hours, prone to trying to hide from the sun after reaching our sunlight quota. That night, however, we would be exploring a different part of the island. We drove north along the coast, to the “humble” town of Porto Cervo. I was quite disappointed that we didn’t see Leonardo DiCaprio on a superyacht with a young woman on his arm. It is well documented that he enjoys spending time there. The food around the area was pricey and looked underwhelming so Ashley and I held out until later. After everyone else ate, we split with the others and went out for a late-night dinner at a rural, local spot tucked away behind an unsuspecting dirt road entrance. It proved to be a wonderful end to the night, with pasta and pizza and wine arriving at our table in intervals. We enjoyed the steady hum of Italian being spoken around us, fully aware of our own foreign presence. At about 1AM we made our way back to the house, happy to be in a comfortable bed.
The day ahead was harrowing, but it was impossible to know this until later when we were in the middle of a torrential downpour while driving the unkempt backroads of Sardinia. The plan was to drive the two hours from Arzachena, where the house resides, to the beautiful and ancient town of Castelsardo in the Province of Sassari. The ride there was magical as we weaved up and down tiny roads that cut straight through passes in the mountains, ascending back into the natural valleys of the island. We passed a few small towns on the way, noticing how far they resided from more established cities. We knew we had arrived when all of a sudden after turning a bend in the road, we saw the 12th century castle perched atop a hill with colorful buildings all around it. The city looked as if it was dropped directly on top of the hill, and left untouched for centuries. Driving through the city, we could tell straight away that cars were not meant to be there. If someone was approaching, we had to reverse into an alley and wait for them to pass. When we parked at the base of the castle, we started walking around, peering over retired ramparts and low fortifications out towards the sea. We made our way across the hillside, eventually ending up at a restaurant that still lives in my dreams to this day. It is the bolognese specifically that haunts me, one of the best I have ever had. And I have tried many. After a delicious meal with an unmatched view, we noticed dark and ominous clouds looming overhead starting to break. In almost in instant, the rain was torrential. We slogged back to the car, clothes soaking and stuck to our bodies. I decided to drive back in the storm, and I am glad I made that decision, but it was without a doubt one of the sketchiest drives of my life. What started as rain turned into a full-on thunder and lightning storm. As I drove on, all I could see through the windshield were raindrops the size of dimes, and constant purple flashes lighting up the whole sky. For about 90% of the ride home, I was doing my best to act calm while my heart was trying hard to jump out of my chest. It was terrifying dipping and dodging potholes disguised as puddles, and avoiding premature landslides quickly forming in the roads. What should have taken two hours took almost twice that time, but finally we were home safe, only to find that the power and water had been knocked out from the weather. In fact, the next day as we were walking around the house to the roof, we discovered a massive chunk of roof had been blown off, most likely from a direct lightning strike. It’s a good thing we were gone when that happened. After a few failed attempts to restore the electricity and water, all we could do was sit by candlelight and laugh about the adventure of the day. Eventually the monsoon rains ceased and we were able to fall asleep to the mellow sound of collected rain falling from the balcony above.
Waking up well rested and early, we drove to a small town called San Pantaleo for a coffee and a few ingredients from the market to make banana pancakes. After the cappuccino, on the short walk back to the car I saw the most beautiful car I have ever laid eyes on. One day, I am determined to import one from Italy. The Fiat Panda 4x4 forever has my heart as a pocket sized off-road capable vehicle built for the Dolomites. After this short love affair, it was back to the house to make a heap of pancakes. We had another fun day planned, so it was important to fuel up before departing. After stuffing ourselves sufficiently, we loaded into two cars and drove to the small port town of Palau where we would load our cars and ourselves onto a ferry, bound for the beautiful island of La Maddalena. After docking and retrieving the cars, we parked and proceeded to walk the small downtown area past restaurants, souvenir shops, and many gelato stands. We strolled into a beautiful, centuries-old church across from an adorable restaurant where we ended up eating. We sat outside, trying to find shade to avoid the blazing sun. Located in the main square, it was a joy observing as happy families walked past, soaking in the beauty around them. I was doing the same, so thrilled to have the ability to experience such an amazing place. After the food and drinks were ordered and consumed, Kamron ran into his second beverage snafu. He had finished his first drink and wanted another. He intended to order a drink called “Around the World”, signifying it by twirling his finger in a circle above his head. The server gave a thumbs up and put in the order. After about 25 minutes, the nine of us were wondering what was taking them so long. Then, as if on cue, two servers came out with nine drinks instead of one. We were all confused until the lady made the same gesture that Kamron had made when he ordered. She thought he meant another round! It was a hilarious mistake, almost as comical as my steak mixup. After collectively finishing the other round of drinks we made our way to a small, secluded beach where we all swam, and where Ashley and I scaled some rocks jutting out of the water. We spent a lovely few hours enjoying the beach before it was time for us to get back to catch the ferry to the mainland. Before we could drive off though, we realized that our front tire was flat. Like a pitstop team, we changed the tire as fast as possible so we didn’t miss the boat back. We made it just in time, with a few minutes to spare for some stracciatella gelato. Over the back of the barge we all sat head in hands, watching as we slowly floated away from the island.
The final night in the house would be our last before it was time to move on once again. For a send off we revisited the romantic town of San Pantaleo, this time seeing it in a whole new light, or shall I say darkness. The cover of night always adds mystery to places and things, even when none exist during the day. In this instance, beautiful bistro-style lights had been strung from building to building, leading to the main square where a few restaurants and bars were serving espressos and martinis side by side. It was the perfect way to conclude our time in Sardinia, looking on as a big group of kids were playing ball games across from the church. During one of their games, a young kid kicked the ball across the square smashing into a table of drinking adults, destroying a few glasses and causing quite a ruckus in the process, momentarily attracting the gaze of everyone around us. As we sat around the table, we were all very appreciative for Kamron who had invited all of us to experience the Sardinian life, if only for a week. We walked back to the car for one final night at the villa, and the next morning we were back on another flight, this one taking us to the historic city of Naples.
