8/5 DAY 6: SCUBA DIVING & INTO ALGHERO

I got up early, packed up, and was out of the campground by 8:30. I took a rather circuitous route. I should have checked my map before leaving. I headed to Capo Galeria to go scuba diving. Sardinia is one of the best diving spots in the world. I'd be a fool to pass up such an opportunity. My instructor's name was Antonio. It was a bit more of an official course than my experience 20 years ago down in Mexico. The water was completely transparent. At ten meters down it was chilly, even with a wet suit. It was magical. I felt like I was like flying.

Afterwards it was a quick jaunt to Alghero and the campground Mariposa, on the outskirts of town. This campground was like a refugee camp. I'm surrounded by Germans frying pork. Everyone's tents are hemmed in. Thin colorful fabric is all that separates me from the snoring Germans. I didn't intend to spend any time here. At least the beers were cheap.

Alghero is enchanting. It's like a giant fairy-tale sandcastle. It was completely vacant during the heat of the day, but at 5pm everything came to life. I found a nice piazza to have a few beers, pecorino, and pane carasau. The people watching was superb. I caught a religious procession through one of the city gates. Later I rode my bike all over the place. It's a small town and I rode from one end to the other and then back again, taking it all in until it got dark. It's fun riding when it's cool and I'm not carrying a heavy load. I can cover a lot of ground quickly.

8/4 DAY 5: FINALLY IN THE SWING OF THINGS

I'm taking the day off. I'm riding over to the cave and that's it. I'll stay here again tonight. Tomorrow will be a short trip to Alghero where I again plan to spend two nights. I'm sore and tired, but I slept well last night. I'm running out of Euros and need to conserve cash until I can get to an ATM.

I picked the hottest time of the day to ride to the cave, Grotta di Nettuno, for the contrast in temperature. It was indeed cool down there in that beautiful enchanting place. At the end of Capo Caccia there are some 600 stairs down along a cliff to the sea cave entrance. The ride there and back was great, with no load and a freshly greased chain. I raced like a madman. It's so incredibly beautiful here. The unspoiled coast continues around every cape and cove.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in my hammock with provisions of beer, pecorino, and pane carasau. I ate, read, wrote in my journal, and relaxed. Two hours before sunset I headed down to the beach for a swim. The water was so cool and refreshing. I climbed up on my rock and watched the sun descend over the horizon. Afterwards, I proceeded up the hill and sat there for another two hours on the edge of a cliff. This is when I most enjoy the sea. The colors on the horizon were spectacular and I had the place completely to myself.

8/3 DAY 4: R&R

I slept so well last night. It was completely replenishing. I awoke to the seven chimes from the bell tower, got up, shaved, and was packed by 8AM. I gave the keys back to Anna. She wouldn't let me take her picture. Then I was off. I didn't have breakfast until I found blackberries. They literally line the roads of Sardenia. I had plotted the shortest route to Capo Caccia avoiding the main roads. It was a beautiful ride. I passed through the smallest villages. The nicest lady at the supermarket offered me cold frizzly water. I've taken a liking to frizzly water- frizzante in Italian. Things cost nothing in the interior.

I arrived at the three star campground just before noon. We had our laughs at the front gate. I guess not too many people arrive by bicycle. I set up my camp and dutifully did all my laundry. Then it was down to the market for some pane carasau, pecorino cheese, and a big bottle of beer. I headed back to my hammock for the good life. I stayed there all afternoon. This morning I had noticed patterned sunburn on my chest, meaning that I needed to start wearing sunscreen underneath my clothes. I also noticed chaffs on the bottom of my feet and saddle sores. This trip is totally doable. I started it by stretching my legs and covering ground. I regret not having spent the night in Palau. It was nice there. From now on I'll plot my itinerary around campgrounds.

I'm right outside of Capo Caccio, a huge rocky cape that bulges out into the sea. There's a cave there which I'll visit tomorrow. I'm camped in a small cove called Torre del Poricciolo, named after the Spanish tower which stands guard there. I went for a swim and then sat on a rock while watching the sun set. The panorama was beautiful and all mine to myself. After a hike up to the tower to watch the blue waves crash into the rocky coastline I went out for some fish (finally!) and a couple of beers. This place is setting me back. Time to hit a supermarket.

8/2 DAY 3: THE LONG HAUL

The early bird today didn't have to pay for camping. I left before the office opened. I felt bad. I'll have to check office hours or pay the night before from now on. I'm an outlaw here already. I headed down the coast to Castelsardo which I knew I'd enjoy. It's an old Genovese fortified city set on a cliff which extends out into the sea. Beautiful. I rode to the top of the town and then climbed the castle. I could see Porto Torres off in the distance. I was unable to find the perfect cafe so I moved on. I passed a group of cyclists from Milan who had just begun their trip. I peddled hard to Porto Torres. It was hot and I was hungry when I arrived, so I stopped for lunch. I had a nice big salad and a cold beer. Afterwards I was tired. I had heard the road ahead was hot and sparse so I turned back a few kilometers to a pine grove I had spotted on the way into town. I strung my hammock in the trees and slept for two hours in the cool breeze. When I awoke it was time to continue. I went back through Porto Torres and visited a Roman ruin on the west side of town. There I rode my bike across an old Roman bridge. I passed through the industrial zone and hit a head wind my last 20 km into Stintino, a small fishing village at the northwest part of the Island. There were great beaches here, but nowhere to camp. I rented a room from a lady down the street from a booked up bed and breakfast. It set me back 50 euros, which I reckoned was pretty good. I desired a nice seaside dinner. There was no seafood, but an excellent local type of lasagna. It's beautiful here, but unfortunately I feel like I should head south towards camping facilities. I got a map of all the campgrounds in Sardinia from the tourist office. It's like the rosetta stone. I'll plot the rest of the trip around these. I'm tired of my bike tonight. I'm looking forward to my big comfy bed. I'm covering ground too quickly. It's time to slow down.

8/1 DAY 2: THE NORTHERN COAST

I awoke and decided to change my itinerary. I'm heading back to the coast. It's too hot to be out in the sun between noon and 4PM. I need good places to relax during this down time and nothing beats the cool Mediterranean. The sites in the interior aren't worth the grueling heat. After packing up my camp and eating many more handfuls of blackberries I headed back north to the coast. In the shadow of an old Spanish tower overlooking the aquamarine waters of Santa Theresa, I enjoyed the cantaloup I had brought from Genoa. Santa Theresa is nice. It's more down to earth than Porto Cervo and it's got plenty of history and character. For my siesta I headed over to Capo Testa (testa meaning head), a huge granite outcropping that juts out into the sea. I found a place in the shade to curl up after my swim. Surely I have found paradise. Changing out of my swimsuit I stubbed my toe so bad the nail was ripped out. This granite is unforgiving. I had to climb back up the cliff back to my bike before I could administer first aid. My first puncture. Afterwards I rode west, putting Capo Testa in the distance. Corsica was clearly visible across the water. I finally stopped at one of the small cheese stands I'd been passing. What a treat! I loved the sweet pecorino cheese. I had a nice little dinner there before continuing on along the coast. I went through a pine forest and through countless cow pastures with ever abundant blackberries. With Castelsardo in reach for tomorrow, I pulled into a campground. There I enjoyed a shower, a shave, a recharging of my iPod and a couple of cold beers.

7/31 DAY 1: THE EMERALD COAST

The ferry pulled into Olbia at 7AM and I immediately set out to explore the town. Everything was still closed, so I headed out, first in the wrong direction, and then north towards Porto Cervo. The scraggly granite mountains here are beautiful. It reminds me of Baja California or northern Mexico. I rode into the luxury resort of Porto Cervo. The jet set yachting thing isn't my scene at all. This is how most people probably associate Sardinia. At least it's subdued. I found a beautiful little beach south of town where I took my first swim. The cool clear water really was emerald. Afterwards, I wound my way around the cape to Palau. There were so many beautiful spots along the way. I managed to slice my headphone cord and dent my luggage rack trying to get to one of those spots. I also gouged my calf. Off road seems to be where the danger is. I found a beautiful spot in Palau to stop and go for a swim. I sat on a big granite formation, ducking in and out of the shade. I should have avoided the sun completely, but the breeze was so cool. I read and ate peaches in between dips. It was perfect. At around 4PM I set south for Arzachena. Here I found a new set of headphones and stocked up on water. I need to keep three liters in the racks at all times. I visited a number of prehistoric archeological sites, called Nuraghye and Giant's tombs. The sites weren't as dramatic as I had hoped. The last two were closed by the time I got there so I jumped the fence. It was starting to get late. The setting sun was stunning as I headed down this quiet little road in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by massive granite formations and ancient cow pastures. I found a large patch of blackberries where I ate to my hearts content. Sardinia is providing my nourishment already! It was getting dark so I pulled my bike and all of my gear over an old stone wall and set up my tent in the pasture. It ended up getting pretty cold that night. I had to wear my jacket and use my towel as a blanket. I guess I should have packed a sleeping bag.

7/30 THE LONG TRIP GETTING THERE

I arrived at the train station early in the morning only to be told by the ticket agent that I couldn't book an itinerary that would get me to Genoa in time for my 9:30PM ferry. I pulled out my notebook and showed him the itinerary I had found on the Internet. I booked my tickets, but the train was late. I almost missed my first connection and had to run across the tracks with my loaded down bike to make the next train. I made it to Genoa with no further problems five hours before the ferry was set to sail. I rode my bike all over town, catching my first glimpse of the Mediterranean. Genoa is a series of steep ravines sloping out of the mountains into the sea. Many times I found myself heading the wrong way up into the hills. The one way traffic streams were frustrating, and I often found myself going against traffic. The narrow streets in the center of town were densely packed with people. I purchased food for the overnight ferry trip, including a bottle of Campari and foccacia bread. Somewhere a wad of Euros slipped out of my pocket. I arrived at the ferry an hour and a half early and rode my bike up the ship's gangway and into the hold. I secured it for the long voyage alongside the cars and motorcycles and headed upstairs to the lounge. The full moon was breathtaking on deck as we headed off for Sardegna. Hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep.