It was about time we made a move today, so we made the 32km journey to Torre di Bari, beside Bari Sardo. Interestingly, the same journey the Nuraghic people must have made with hundreds of tonnes of Basalt when they built the Nuraghe in Foxi Manna we saw yesterday, according to the information board nearby. The Nuraghic people used basalt to build the Nuraghe they used as forts / housing, necessarily only available in appropriate volcanic area and it seems they were quite prepared to carry it large distances to do so.
So after the usual sunrise beach walk and services were completed at Foxi Manna, we set off to Bari Sardo… to another beach side campsite. A quick stop off in a Bari Sardo supermarket on route for some fresh supplies, which involved several rejected turning suggestions from the Sat Nav as it tried to squeeze us down alleyways the width of a house before we eventually arrived with relief in the carpark.
Bari Sardo is a stopping off point north for some hiking planned tomorrow. It is a beautiful beach with obligatory Saracen-defence tower watching over the headland. There are a few other campers here mainly from Germany and many with small children. Otherwise the beach resort is deserted, so we had several miles of beach to ourselves when we went off to explore.
After another lovely tuna salad with fresh local produce for lunch I decided it was time to attempt to attempt a hilly cycle after yesterday’s plan was aborted. I had plotted a 30 mile route using my app, though only 2000ft elevation change. It was a nice sunny day but with a weird intermittent gusty wind which seemed to come from nowhere from a gentle breeze to sudden 20mph+ gusts. Anyway, I thought I could have a go and turn back if needed.
The route started well then turned down a very rough road I had to u-turn back to, as I passed it not even realising it was a road. I soon realised it was a road though, when a large HGV appeared in the opposite direction. I ducked under a roadside bush to avoid him then bounced over the rough road to the end. Realising during the course of the rough road that my tyres were really quite flat! Really should have checked that before. I carry a lightweight mini pump which I put to use and was on my way again.
I followed the route through Cardedu on my bike computer and realised it was taking me onto the SS-125. On the planner it had looked like the old road but this was definitely to the elevated new road we had driven down and hour or so before. There were no big signs about no bikes, which maybe only applies to the dual carriageway sections. However, when I gingerly got to the top of the slip road outside the traffic lane I realised I was on a section which was probably elevated to about 200ft on a large concrete flyover and now the wind decided to really start gusting. I decided discretion was the better part of valour when travelling on the very thin tyres of my road bike in high winds and walked my bike the wrong way back down the slip road off the carriageway, thankfully with very few cars to contend with.
I worked out the old ex-SS125 cut across the loop of my route here so I followed that with the Sat Nav bleeping to u-turn until I reached the other side of the loop and was able to follow it back to the campsite. Only 16 miles in the end, but still a bit of hills and some very determined head winds. Bari Sardo town had some pretty parts with colourful church domes and wall murals which we did not get to see on our drive through.
Kev had been on another walk with the dogs when I got back and on his return found the campsite cafe open so had just ordered a drink when I got in. A quick repacking of the bike of the rack and change of clothes and I went to join him.
A tourist brochure at the cafe talked about the narrow gauge “green train” which literally goes through the mountains near here. It must be quite a route by train, it seems to have multiple hairpins to get there. They even do a wine tasting route in the summer which makes multiple stops to taste the local wines made on route. It sounds great! Sadly it closed in September for the winter as it seems they do get snow on the hilltops round here in the depth of winter. However, a pharmacy sign in Bari Sardo I passed today was reading 24.5 degrees so no sign of snow yet. I knew it was hot cycling up that hill!
In for a Penney 