I am on the island of Sardinia which is approximately 300 miles (500Km) from the western coast of the Italian mainland, in the Mediterranean. Sardinia is only second in size to Sicily as being the largest island in the Mediterranean. The first segment of my month-long trip to Sardinia is a bike trip. The Backroads Company delivered a fantastic cycling experience. This was a six day ride with generous elevation gains most of the days. The average daily ride was 35-45 miles (58-75Km). Our group of ten was led by a couple of great guys. They were excellent as leaders, as well as cohorts. The Backroads Company arranged all the logistics, as well as lodging/baggage transport, and most meals. From beginning to end this was a well organized and well executed operation. The first few days’ rides were in and around the Gennargentu Mountains. These mountains are extremely rugged with stunning formations of granite rising to elevations in excess of 6,000 feet from sea level.
Our leader Gioele (pronounced Jo-eleh) is seen here giving the group the AM briefing. Each morning we were given the bullets of that day’s ride, as well as some approximate meeting spots along the way. Because each bike was equipped with a handlebar mounted satellite GPS device, it precluded having to ride as a group. It was nearly impossible to lose that day’s ride plan and get lost. Some riders chose to ride solo and some in pairs.This image is at the beginning of our ride on iconic highway SS 125. The ascending highway can be seen as the horizontal line cutting across the mountains in the distance.Vineyards along the ride could be seen frequently. Many other fruits and vegetables were also being cultivated. Refueling with fruits and water after two hours of riding. These were three of my fellow riders who happened to be at our van’s roadside stop when I arrived. (The woman nearest the van bears a striking resemblance to the housekeeper I had in my 2013 trip to Sicily.) Not only did we need water and fruit sugar at these roadside stops, we needed plenty of sunscreen, as we barely saw a cloud for the entire time.The charming little village nestled in these mountains is San Pantaleo. Little cafes, bars, restaurants, and of course some shopping can be found here. I had time, so I decided to enjoy a beverage at a cafe.These two women were not part of the biking group, in case that wasn’t obvious.. They were enjoying an Aperol Spritz and a white wine, while also inhaling hard on their vapes. They also spoke with heavy Russian accents. It’s nice to see these Eastern Block folks enjoying some of the same vices as western folks do. See, we have that in common.From my observations of this guy, he owned the little cafe. I was observing him from one of the cafe’s outdoor tables. He seemed to be constantly pacing, while engaged on his phone, drinking espresso alternating with Aperol Spritzes, and smoking cigarettes incessantly. He’s also a Jack Nicholson fan judging by his tee-shirt.View from the summit of today’s ride.Motos from Deutschland at the summit rest stop. After spending three hours riding up to this point it’s easy to see why people from all over the EU travel here with their motorcycles to gobble-up these awesome mountain drives and vistas. Their body armor was impressive too. I’m glad no one in our group experienced an incident requiring such protection.Another pic of my German friends and their powerful machinery. The women looked tougher and stronger than their male counterparts.Ready for the 17 mile (27Km) ride downhill? Not a lot of shoulder for us here. The idea is to stay your line and hope that everyone else does the right thing too. Any altercation is most likely a horrific one. Besides a possible distracted driver, the most significant danger is a pot hole. However, this highway was in exceptional condition. Had I known at the beginning that there was not one pot hole to be encountered, I could have relaxed a bit more on my handgrips.Pictured here is the switchback portion of the decent to our lunch spot and then to the sea.Lunch at the Hotel Villa Cedrino located near the bottom of our decent.There was an awesome hotel pool here as well. Our group was able to have lunch, but no pool activities were permitted. I get it, “some people just don’t belong.” If I ever revisit this area I will consider a two night stay here. It’s an absolutely peaceful and beautiful location.Finally back to sea level and in the water. Air temp 85, water temp 78, just perfect.No photo filters were applied to this image. You think this guy will wish he had used some sunscreen? Ouch, that’s gonna hurt later. He looks like he spent some time in a microwave. And if you zoom in, there’s another small unpleasant surprise waiting.Moonrise over the mountains, and a picture perfect way to welcome the evening.
Our next ride will be north of our present location on the eastern side of Sardinia. The area we will be visiting and exploring is know as Isola Maddalena and the Parco Nazionale de La Maddalena. These areas will be as stunning as today’s but different; as mountains are replaced with beaches and ocean vistas.
