Sapore 2010: Italian Sideways - Part 16
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Day 16, Monday, March 1
We both woke up feeling somewhat better, so after our continental breakfast we decided to drive across the bridge visit other parts of the Sulcis area on the main part of the island.
From Sant'Antioco to Portoscuso, to Gonnesa, to Santadi
via Domusnovas and Siliqua, and back to Sant'Antioco
We head up north along the coast toward Portoscuso and we drive through one of the few industrialized areas of Sardinia, featuring a gloomy and smelly huge oil refinery. However the small town of Portoscuso turns out to be quiet charming, with an old Spanish tower and a landscape of amazing big rocks sculpted by the sea water and wind which are typical on the island.
Portoscuso
We drive further north and stop for our cheese, tomato and bread picnic lunch at the deserted Gonnesa beach nearby the town of Iglesias, where we try to visit the Aru winery, which features an ethnographic museum as well, however, when we get there, there is nobody around, so we decide to head back toward Santadi to visit the local winery, whose wines we had enjoyed the previous two nights.
Aru Vineyards
Typical off season traffic jam in Sardinia.
On our way to the Is Zuddas caves, for half an hour we are stuck behind a flock of sheep
led by the shephard on a scooter, until they reach the turnoff to their night shelter.
Unfortunately the winery is closed to the public at 1PM, so we go to visit the nearby Is Zuddas caves, dating back to the Lower Cambrian era, or 600 millions years ago. Once again we are the only two visitors for the 4PM tour, so we have the guide, Stefano, all to ourselves and enjoy a leisurely visit and chat.
Stalactites and stalagmites inside the Is Zuddas caves
A strange stalagmite formation reminiscent of Disney's Goofy
Another amazing stalagmite which looks like a small bird
Back at the hotel, we both feel pitiful again and go for an early dinner to the trattoria Corru Longu, where they serve fixed price seafood dinners with portions big enough to feed a third world nation.
We start with what they called a 'taste', but in our opinion could have been a full meal, of a warm and a cold seafood salads, then we have 'taste' of Spaghetti allo Scoglio (Seafood Spaghetti) and Ravioli con Bottarga e Carciofi (Cheese Ravioli with Bottarga and Artichokes), followed by two large Orata alla Griglia (Grilled Sea Bream) with a side dish of oven grilled potatoes and a green mixed salad. The wine which helps us wash down what for us is an enormous meal, though we barely make a dent in it, is a bottle of the Terre Fenice Vermentino di Sardegna DOC bottled by Sardus Pater winery, located just a few blocks away, which we were not able to visit as it was closed for the season.
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- Our Own Sideways: Index
- Piω Gusto 2009 Sideways Six Parts December 2009
- Island Sideways 2009 Five parts October 2009
- Vinitaly 09 Sideways - Four parts April 2009
- Arezzo Wine Sideways 2009 - Four parts March 2009
- Birthday Sideways 2008: Lake Tahoe & Yosemite Park - Five parts October 2008
- Vinitaly Sideways 2008 - Four parts April 2008
- European Sideways 2008 - Ten parts February 2008
- Iowa Sideways: A Quest for Wine in the Midwest - Two parts November 2007
- Southwestern Sideways: A Quest for Western US Wine Not From California - Ten parts October 2007
- Lonesome European Sideways - Sixteen parts March 2007
- Partially Aborted Sideways - Five parts October 2006
- Italian Sideways 2006 - Nineteen parts April 2006
- Our Own 'Sideways' Trip - Four parts October 2005
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