Aeolian Islands: Is last wk Sept too late?
Aug 16th, 2011, 12:04 AM
#21
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Barefoot : No trip report but....
The weather was well below what I would expect for Southern Europe in July. The Mistral was very strong we experienced consistent 20 mile an hour winds (day and night) for 10 days and it rained for 4. The temperatures were around 25oC and at many evenings it was too cold to sit out.
We have been visiting Sardinia for 12 years (5 in total) and its great asset is that it changes very little. Unlike say Sicily, the government in Sardinia has a strangle hold on development. You see few little buildings over 2 floors and I believe that new development within 2km of the sea is totally restricted.
We stayed in Conca Verde which is around 5 miles south of Santa Teresa. It is pefect. The sea inlet is very protected from the wind and it is a middle market discrete development of around 60 private villas and a 4 star hotel.
In a brief summary :
Bonifacio : our first day trip there and we loved it. Shabby chic at its height. Very French and a real contrast to Sardinia. The seascapes from the cliffs and houses/restaurants that perch over the sea blow away anything on the Amalfi coast. As a destination, it is well known in France but few other Europeans know of it. Some good restaurants and a real buzz about the place - it was very busy.
Santa Teresa : still sleepy and nowhere near as busy as Bonifacio. The new Marina development is fine and we had a good meal at Il Chiostro but compared with other such developments in Europe it hasn't really got going. We ate at Azzuro, good seafood and great atmosphere, it was difficult to get a table.
Countryside : Agriturismo Saltara, I can honestly say that a trip to Sardinia (ney a trip to Southern Europe) is not complete without a meal here. It is a fairly humble but large looking farm from the outside but on the inside you could easily be in a Tuscan Palazzo. They offer 3 set menus of differing content. The Classico is full work. for 40 euros and includes wine. All the food is either from the farm or local. It is a considerable operation, they are very slick but still keep a warm, friendly and local feel. Best eating experience I have had in years. DO NOT MISS IT.
La Maddalena : a day trip by ferry from Palau. the town has a very Venetian feel, old austere buildings and is a huge sailing base for the Italians. My year was made by being invited onto my dream boat by the Italian Navy who own it as a training boat. I have bumped into it 3 times over the years in Italy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/versagg...n/photostream/
The islands are beautiful and the town a great feel to it.
The Costa Smeralda : haven of the megarich is under pressure. Tourism is down 40% and it showed in the service we received. The coast is still some of the most stunning in Europe and the beaches the best in Europe. Porto Cervo is beginning to look scruffy and the whole area is beginning to lose its way. We did have the ridiculous experience of people queuing for our towel space on one of the beaches at Cala Di Volpe. If you get the chance - La Celvia :
http://www.ciaosardinia.com/eng/beac...a-celvia-beach
Is one of our favourites and is set in villas worth 10 millions euros. The villas themselves are a inspiration to any budding house design type of person. There is still a very small public car park and public access to the beach. Great swimming. Late September should be a lot less busy. There is a good (huge) Pizzeria just past Hotel Cala Di Volpe. It is always decent quality and considering the hotel next door is £5000 a night the prices of the pizzas are cheap at e8. we thought about living it up for one day and having lunch at the Hotel - at e80 each we slummed it next door at the Pizzeria.
Hotel Capriccioli has lovely views of the bay at Cala Di Volpe and good seafood.
South of Olbia : Olbia is a fairly dire place, very commercial, newish and industrial. The resorts just south of it are very plain and featureless. We made our first trip down to Golfo Di Orosei in search of the whales. it rained so hard that we couldn't really get out of the car. We made it as far as the town of Orosei which is interesting in its location on the river. One thing that shine out was the "unCosta Smeralda" nature of the locals. They seemed vary warm and genuine. This are is only 50 miles from Olbia, it could as well have been 5,000 miles away. We gave up driving any further south but the cliffs were beginning to allude to stunning scenery.
Let me know if you would like any more information!
The weather was well below what I would expect for Southern Europe in July. The Mistral was very strong we experienced consistent 20 mile an hour winds (day and night) for 10 days and it rained for 4. The temperatures were around 25oC and at many evenings it was too cold to sit out.
We have been visiting Sardinia for 12 years (5 in total) and its great asset is that it changes very little. Unlike say Sicily, the government in Sardinia has a strangle hold on development. You see few little buildings over 2 floors and I believe that new development within 2km of the sea is totally restricted.
We stayed in Conca Verde which is around 5 miles south of Santa Teresa. It is pefect. The sea inlet is very protected from the wind and it is a middle market discrete development of around 60 private villas and a 4 star hotel.
In a brief summary :
Bonifacio : our first day trip there and we loved it. Shabby chic at its height. Very French and a real contrast to Sardinia. The seascapes from the cliffs and houses/restaurants that perch over the sea blow away anything on the Amalfi coast. As a destination, it is well known in France but few other Europeans know of it. Some good restaurants and a real buzz about the place - it was very busy.
Santa Teresa : still sleepy and nowhere near as busy as Bonifacio. The new Marina development is fine and we had a good meal at Il Chiostro but compared with other such developments in Europe it hasn't really got going. We ate at Azzuro, good seafood and great atmosphere, it was difficult to get a table.
Countryside : Agriturismo Saltara, I can honestly say that a trip to Sardinia (ney a trip to Southern Europe) is not complete without a meal here. It is a fairly humble but large looking farm from the outside but on the inside you could easily be in a Tuscan Palazzo. They offer 3 set menus of differing content. The Classico is full work. for 40 euros and includes wine. All the food is either from the farm or local. It is a considerable operation, they are very slick but still keep a warm, friendly and local feel. Best eating experience I have had in years. DO NOT MISS IT.
La Maddalena : a day trip by ferry from Palau. the town has a very Venetian feel, old austere buildings and is a huge sailing base for the Italians. My year was made by being invited onto my dream boat by the Italian Navy who own it as a training boat. I have bumped into it 3 times over the years in Italy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/versagg...n/photostream/
The islands are beautiful and the town a great feel to it.
The Costa Smeralda : haven of the megarich is under pressure. Tourism is down 40% and it showed in the service we received. The coast is still some of the most stunning in Europe and the beaches the best in Europe. Porto Cervo is beginning to look scruffy and the whole area is beginning to lose its way. We did have the ridiculous experience of people queuing for our towel space on one of the beaches at Cala Di Volpe. If you get the chance - La Celvia :
http://www.ciaosardinia.com/eng/beac...a-celvia-beach
Is one of our favourites and is set in villas worth 10 millions euros. The villas themselves are a inspiration to any budding house design type of person. There is still a very small public car park and public access to the beach. Great swimming. Late September should be a lot less busy. There is a good (huge) Pizzeria just past Hotel Cala Di Volpe. It is always decent quality and considering the hotel next door is £5000 a night the prices of the pizzas are cheap at e8. we thought about living it up for one day and having lunch at the Hotel - at e80 each we slummed it next door at the Pizzeria.
Hotel Capriccioli has lovely views of the bay at Cala Di Volpe and good seafood.
South of Olbia : Olbia is a fairly dire place, very commercial, newish and industrial. The resorts just south of it are very plain and featureless. We made our first trip down to Golfo Di Orosei in search of the whales. it rained so hard that we couldn't really get out of the car. We made it as far as the town of Orosei which is interesting in its location on the river. One thing that shine out was the "unCosta Smeralda" nature of the locals. They seemed vary warm and genuine. This are is only 50 miles from Olbia, it could as well have been 5,000 miles away. We gave up driving any further south but the cliffs were beginning to allude to stunning scenery.
Let me know if you would like any more information!
Aug 16th, 2011, 01:19 AM
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I love the Aelian islands and actually spent the largest part of my honeymoon on Panarea, but wouldn't trust the weather for that sort of holiday in late September or October. It should still be nice then; however I once stayed in Sicily in mid-September and had a lot of very heavy rain - to the extent that some roads were flooded and impassable for short periods.
Aug 16th, 2011, 03:23 AM
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Hi Caroline
Our visit was more recent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Me..._and_mudslides
but that was nothing compared to the rain in SW Scotland last Wednesday!!!!!
Our visit was more recent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Me..._and_mudslides
but that was nothing compared to the rain in SW Scotland last Wednesday!!!!!
Aug 16th, 2011, 04:08 AM
#27
humpty,
I've copied all the great suggestions and I'm sure we'll hit them! So sorry to hear about the weather....that happened to me when we went to the Turks & Caicos this March...rained 3 out of 4 days and it really diminishes the trip.
With any luck, we'll run into a drought situation. Thanks so much for taking the time to describe your trip. My husband will be jealous you got on that beautiful sailboat....we'll keep a watch for it and look longingly at it!
We're staying in Bonifacio for a night before going to Sardinia, but we're staying below at the port for ease of getting the ferry. Are we going to regret not staying on the top of the town? I could change our reservation.
I've copied all the great suggestions and I'm sure we'll hit them! So sorry to hear about the weather....that happened to me when we went to the Turks & Caicos this March...rained 3 out of 4 days and it really diminishes the trip.
With any luck, we'll run into a drought situation. Thanks so much for taking the time to describe your trip. My husband will be jealous you got on that beautiful sailboat....we'll keep a watch for it and look longingly at it!
We're staying in Bonifacio for a night before going to Sardinia, but we're staying below at the port for ease of getting the ferry. Are we going to regret not staying on the top of the town? I could change our reservation.
Aug 16th, 2011, 05:07 AM
#28
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Barefoot
Snap with us : Too cold in Hopetown, The Bahamas this February. Is the world weather changing?....
or are our memories fading. I just remember spending year after year as a child on Southern European beaches in 40oC lying in the sea to keep cool.
Bonifacio : I would say the marina/harbour area is the best place to stay. Very smart and lots of trendy bars/cafes. It just seemed like a fun place - we watched a £50m boat reverse into the tight harbour. There was a chap (about 40 years old) on the top deck, towel robe with 3 supermodels on each arm and a bottle of champagne in his hand. Tacky I know but it just as if everyone was having fun at all levels. Porto Cervo just didn't have the same feel. Lot's of wanabees wandering round spying A list types. Bonifaciois one of our small town finds of the last 10 years. Up there with Siracusa, Beaufort SC and Hopetown, Abaco.
The old town on top of the cliffs is shabby and very chic, property developers could have a field day here. Problem is that shabby is still shabby and some of it was stunningly beautiful but.....scruffy.
If your husband likes sailing and you come across the 4 Sparkman and Stevens Italian navy yacht at any of your stops, seriously ask them. I have found the Italian police to be down right hard work but the Italian military seem to live in the 1950s. Our great friend in Turin is an officer in the air force. He says the old school training gives them a feeling of comfortable elitism. The military I have encountered have been hugely friendly (seem to have little regard to security) and great fun.
I have seen the four boats over the years in Elba, Siracusa, Porto Ercole and now La Maddalena. They stand out a mile as they are so big (70 ft) and so well kept (12 young recruits to polish them. They were berthed in the military base but we could see them from the road. The gate was open and we just wandered in. On mentioning that I knew that they were designed by Sparkmen and Stevens in Newport RI, that was it, I was on.
They invited me out for a sail but we had to be back on the main island. Incredible to think that they are part of NATO and the grumpy reaction we always receive from British/US troops in a situation like this. You know you have done something special when you come home and see that the internet is full of models for sale of those same boats.
This is becoming a trip report but I just don't like the concept of the "look at me" trip reports.
Hotel La Coluccia, Conca Verde. I think we mentioned this before. A incredible design hotel with stinking TA reviews. We had dinner there. Yes, TA is entirely correct. The hotel is stunning without being intimidating (like some hotels are) : stark but warm at the same time. Food was good but the organisation was diabolically poor. The staff were lovely people but so naive as to the functioning of a 4 star boutique hotel, it was painful. Still had a good night and WOULD suggest a meal visit if only for the design of the hotel.
If you want some fun - hire a small boat from any of the NE ports and zip over to the Maddalena islands. We could not as every day of 14 the hire companies would not issue boats due to the sea state.
Snap with us : Too cold in Hopetown, The Bahamas this February. Is the world weather changing?....
or are our memories fading. I just remember spending year after year as a child on Southern European beaches in 40oC lying in the sea to keep cool.
Bonifacio : I would say the marina/harbour area is the best place to stay. Very smart and lots of trendy bars/cafes. It just seemed like a fun place - we watched a £50m boat reverse into the tight harbour. There was a chap (about 40 years old) on the top deck, towel robe with 3 supermodels on each arm and a bottle of champagne in his hand. Tacky I know but it just as if everyone was having fun at all levels. Porto Cervo just didn't have the same feel. Lot's of wanabees wandering round spying A list types. Bonifaciois one of our small town finds of the last 10 years. Up there with Siracusa, Beaufort SC and Hopetown, Abaco.
The old town on top of the cliffs is shabby and very chic, property developers could have a field day here. Problem is that shabby is still shabby and some of it was stunningly beautiful but.....scruffy.
If your husband likes sailing and you come across the 4 Sparkman and Stevens Italian navy yacht at any of your stops, seriously ask them. I have found the Italian police to be down right hard work but the Italian military seem to live in the 1950s. Our great friend in Turin is an officer in the air force. He says the old school training gives them a feeling of comfortable elitism. The military I have encountered have been hugely friendly (seem to have little regard to security) and great fun.
I have seen the four boats over the years in Elba, Siracusa, Porto Ercole and now La Maddalena. They stand out a mile as they are so big (70 ft) and so well kept (12 young recruits to polish them. They were berthed in the military base but we could see them from the road. The gate was open and we just wandered in. On mentioning that I knew that they were designed by Sparkmen and Stevens in Newport RI, that was it, I was on.
They invited me out for a sail but we had to be back on the main island. Incredible to think that they are part of NATO and the grumpy reaction we always receive from British/US troops in a situation like this. You know you have done something special when you come home and see that the internet is full of models for sale of those same boats.
This is becoming a trip report but I just don't like the concept of the "look at me" trip reports.
Hotel La Coluccia, Conca Verde. I think we mentioned this before. A incredible design hotel with stinking TA reviews. We had dinner there. Yes, TA is entirely correct. The hotel is stunning without being intimidating (like some hotels are) : stark but warm at the same time. Food was good but the organisation was diabolically poor. The staff were lovely people but so naive as to the functioning of a 4 star boutique hotel, it was painful. Still had a good night and WOULD suggest a meal visit if only for the design of the hotel.
If you want some fun - hire a small boat from any of the NE ports and zip over to the Maddalena islands. We could not as every day of 14 the hire companies would not issue boats due to the sea state.
Aug 16th, 2011, 06:49 PM
#29
Humpty,
Your posts are always a delight to read. Thanks for the insider info on the make of the yacht and we'll be sure to drop the name if we're ever lucky enough to come across it (we are going to Siracusa also on this ship so may have a couple of opportunities). We definitely hope to be able to take a boat to Maddalena Islands (I hope at least the ferry runs or we won't get to Sardinia)
You're making me wish we were spending more than one night in Bonifacio....hope we also duplicate your supermodel viewing (well, at least my husband would love it!) And, I'm glad you reconfirmed the bad reviews for La Coluccia so we don't regret not staying there....maybe a lunch outing would be doable.
Your posts are always a delight to read. Thanks for the insider info on the make of the yacht and we'll be sure to drop the name if we're ever lucky enough to come across it (we are going to Siracusa also on this ship so may have a couple of opportunities). We definitely hope to be able to take a boat to Maddalena Islands (I hope at least the ferry runs or we won't get to Sardinia)
You're making me wish we were spending more than one night in Bonifacio....hope we also duplicate your supermodel viewing (well, at least my husband would love it!) And, I'm glad you reconfirmed the bad reviews for La Coluccia so we don't regret not staying there....maybe a lunch outing would be doable.
