European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse \ \ almost heave n a amps photos by Gus Schuettler 1 a Quot is Sardinia h Frances amps map Sardinia an overnight ferry ride from Italy s Western coast is a world away from hectic Rome and chaotic Naples. J. Kino a ugh Mediterranean Bureau never never go to Sardinia in August without hotel the italian fixation for taking Sumner vacations in Masse swamp the Island s hotel capacity that month. Sun washed Sardinia bulges in july too. So it s Best Savoured during the off Peak periods of May june or september october when temperatures Aren t torrid rooms Are a snap to come by and there s a Good International mix of tourists to party wit i. Sardinia a after Sicily the Mediterranean s second largest Island has 1,200 Miles of glorious coastline much of it nearly deserted during the off Peak periods. The Island is Only an overnight ferry ride from Italy s Western coast but it s a world away from hectic Rome and chaotic Naples the few roads Are lightly trafficked and its motorists Are courteous Well for the most part. Visitors to Sardinia never forget the incredibly vivid changing colors of its Waters. With much of the Mediterranean coast be fouled Sardinia offers something rare unpolluted Waters. The sea around the Island is so Clear that the Bottom can be readily seen through 30 feet of water and beachcombers can eat raw shellfish with Little fear. A driving Holiday May not be your idea of relaxation but on Sardinia unless you re totally Content with sea Sun and Sand you really should have a Quick Loop of the Island can be made in about five Days using Cagliari the Island s capital and chief Southern port As a Start Stop arcades along Cagliari s waterfront shelter old fashioned cafes glinting with brass. Nearby restaurants serve just caught seafood at most reasonable prices. On the italian Mainland the Price of seafood in restaurants generally runs from expensive to outrageous. On Sardinia a memorable seafood Blowout washed Down with the Strong local wine should t Cost More than about $30. A. the Island s restaurants Al offer succulent Lamb chops suckling pig and steaming dishes of pasta laced with lobster. Quot a. /. A a Quot a a Cagliari has Little to offer the serious sightseer aside from a its Cathedral described by poet . Lawrence As having Quot come As it were through the mincing machine of the Bronze age figurines in the archaeological museum. Are also Worth seeing. It. However anyone who takes a boat tour of Cagliari s extensive lagoons will see a sight rare in Europe flocks of flamingos feeding and wading in the shallows. From Cagliari head up the mountainous West coast by. Way of medieval Oristano loll on the beaches around Alghero and wander the winding alleys of Castel Sardo perched atop a Promontory. A on the Way Hunt out some of the Island s 7,000 prehistoric Stone huts called these strange Cone shaped towers Date Back 4,000 years and Are scattered Island Many sitting in Fields surrounded by grazing sheep. 1 Sardinia s Northern Cap is a Painter s Delight with resorts straight from a Calendar Salesman s Catalon. Santa Teresa a. Dallura once a sleepy fishing Village smartly caters to yachtsmen and ferry passengers bound for the French Island of Corsica less than eight Miles away across the Strait of Bonifacio. Isles and islets refreshed by near constant breezes speckle the sea around Sardinia. Not too Long ago land Here was thought so worthless that Farmers bequeathed it to their daughters rather than to their sons. Nowadays that land of sheltered beaches and stupendous vistas changes hands at prices that would make a Ferrari dealer Blush. La Maddalena the largest of 14 islands in the. Archipelago of the same name has a Winter population of about14,000 people. In the summer the resort a the work and support Center for More than 2,000 americans connected with the . Navy base there a explodes with tourists and has a population of 60,000 or More. Close by and Down Sardinia s East coast is the Costa Smeralda the Emerald coast transformed in recent years by the Aga Khan into one of Europe s Glitz est resorts. Its vast Marina Porto Cervo gives Anchorage to private yachts the size of frigates. While the Costa Smeralda deserves Praise for the Way its architecture blends with the surroundings it strikes some visitors As a soulless place populated a for scarcely More than a month a with a ostentatious crowd of High rollers. The Northern part of the East coast is a land of canyons and bizarre wind Hen Rock formations in the South the beaches Are Long gentle and Sandy. There the most dramatic views Are supplied by water nymphs in dental floss bikinis Bottoms Only. No matter where you travel on Sardinia you la never escape its Heady scents of Rosemary mint Juniper thyme and Sage. And on one of the the Mediterranean s least populated islands a a place where the 4.5 million sheep outnumber the natives three to one. You la Welcome the sense of not being hemmed in by holidaymakers. Ferries nearly All take cars leave the Northern italian ports of Genoa Livorno and Piombino for several sardinian destinations. Departures Are frequent and fares reasonable from the port of Civitavecchi North of Rome to the sardinian ports of Cagliari gotta a,3iy a a Bia and Pono tones. Less frequent service is offered to Cagliari from Naples Italy and Palermo Sicily. A. British and German tour operators sell a wide assortment of sardinian holidays including Fly drive packages. Military Airlift come flights operate de tween Olbia and Mao is. 12 stripes Magazine february 21, 1991 top Sardinia has 1,200 Miles of coastline and offers Many opportunities for water sports. Above the Island boasts some unusual plants like this three Story Cactus. Left the Harbor of Posada. Far left a Cove on la Maddalena an islet off the coast of Sardinia
