For us sailing in Italy it’s a strange feeling. Since we left Italy 20 years ago we have been back only for few days a year and only in our parents’ home town. We have a faraway memory of the places we are going to re-visit by boat, but they are still new to us. We don’t feel home, but confident for the language and people way of living.
The 30-35 hrs it took us to reach the north tip of Sardinia from Menorca has been easy and comfortable with light winds and quite flat sea. Stintino is a very pretty spot and Massimiliano, from the Marina di Stintino has welcome us professionally and friendly. The place looks empty in the winter but we find a nice coffee bar in the old port of Stintino that become a regular starting point to explore the area and walk to the amazing beach La Pelosa.
The marina is well protected and we have time to do the 1000 hrs engine maintenance and other few things. We also rent a car to spend a visit to charming Alghero and other little villages in the area.
Thanks to our dear friend Riccardo suggestion we move to Porto Pozzo to meet the owner of the Island La Coluccia. Mr Boglione has recently bought this wild island of 260 hectares and is restoring the old pathways, the 2 old Stazzi (old Sardinian rural rectangular peasant dwellings made up of granite blocks), the vineyard in a sustainable “Coluccia farm”. There will be an organic vineyard and niche products like vermentino and oysters. But also a luxury camping “glamping”. La Coluccia is definitely a fascinating spot with an amazing view over il parco della Maddalena but also an ambitious project.
During our stay in the anchorage and our visit to Santa Teresa di Gallura we meet a couple of young families that have chosen this area of Sardinia as their new home looking at a more natural and simple life, escaping from the difficult moment of the life in the big cities of Milan and Torino.
The weather is improving and the days are longer and warmer is time to enjoy the turquoise waters of the Arcipelago della Maddalena! We decide to drop the anchor in the bay of Santa Maria Island. It’s very cute and the water is crystal clear. The island has only few holiday houses and in the night we notice only one little house on the beach with the lights on. The day after we introduced our self to an Italian couple that owns this lovely small house on Santa Maria beach and that have decided to spend the lockdown here and work remotely. They haven’t seen other person other than a guardian that brings them food once or twice a week for the last 6 months!
The wind change direction and we move to Porto della Madonna an amazing anchorage within the island of Razzoli, Santa Maria and Budelli. It’s still winter but the bay is spectacular and we feel like it’s almost summer!
Unfortunately la Maddalena island is in lockdown due to a spike of covid cases so we cannot stop and decide to continue to an anchorage close to Cannigione for provision.
The weather forecast shows a 45+ wind coming soon so we decide to stop in a marina for few days and find out that the luxury marina of Porto Rotondo has very reasonable prices in the winter. And there we meet Katia and Denis on their sparkling new catamaran “You and Me”. They also live onboard with 2 beautiful dogs and we find a lot to common things to talk about and also a similar sailing plan. We spend very nice time with them and great Easter lunch, but time is flying and we need to move on… will met them again later in Greece.
In Porto Rotondo marina we also met Horace, literally we just cross his way for an instant, but it’s unmistakably him, the same guy we met 20 years ago while sailing in the pacific, at that time he was sailing with his wife and they were just waiting for their first child. Now he is working for Solaris in Porto Rotondo and is still living in his aluminium sail boat and has the same bright smile in a wilde blond hair head!
On the 18th of April we live the anchorage of Tavolara to sail to Policastro from where we can drive (yes a car) to Naples to see our parents and family after more than a year!