Walking in Sardinia. Paddy Dillon
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all the fine detail about routes and timetables is there. Once again, you will not get this level of detailed information once you reach Sardinia, so print out everything you need.
ARST buses are dark blue, and in some areas there are also light-blue FdS buses. The latter are technically part of the railway system, but are effectively merged with ARST. Bus stations (stazione dei pullman) exist in towns, while villages and country roads have bus stops (fermata). In case of difficulty finding a bus stop, ask a local person for help. Bus drivers may not be keen to pick up or drop passengers off between stops, but may do so on request. Make it quite obvious from the roadside if you want a bus to stop, making sure that there is a safe space to pull over. Be sure to give the driver advance notice if you want to get off the bus in a remote place.
Tickets (biglietti) are exceptionally good value, but must be bought before boarding a bus, usually from bars or tobacconists. Again, ask a local person for help to locate a sales outlet. Tickets must be validated by machine on boarding buses, although sometimes the driver does this. If a ticket cannot be bought in advance, bus drivers may sell one on board at an inflated price, or they may insist, with obvious ill-feeling, that passengers get off the bus at a sales outlet further along the route and buy a ticket.
Notes on timetables may include the following terms – da X per X (from X to X), per X da X (to X from X), giornaliero (daily), feriale (Monday to Saturday), scolastico (schooldays), domenica/festivo (Sunday/holiday) and con cambio a X (change at X). If you don't understand specific terms, ask someone for an explanation long before you need to catch a bus.
Large towns have their own bus companies running frequent urban services. These include CTM at Cagliari, ASPO at Olbia and ATP at Nuoro. Tickets must be obtained before boarding buses and validated on boarding. They are good value, generally allowing unlimited travel for a period of 90 minutes.
Taxis
In some instances, where buses are infrequent or absent, and car hire is unavailable, a taxi might be sought. Unfortunately, taxis are extremely rare outside the main towns and resorts, and while they seem good value for short urban journeys, they are prohibitively expensive for long journeys into remote areas. Bear in mind that some companies that offer trekking tours are willing to provide lifts to and from the places they regularly take their clients (there are lots of posters advertising these tours – just give the company a ring for more information).
Pointing out a route along the coastline of Ogliastra
Accommodation
Despite the apparent remoteness of some mountain villages, a range of accommodation is often available in a surprising number of places. Tourist information offices carry annually updated accommodation booklets, listing everything from hotels and guest-houses to hostels and campsites. Listings can be checked online – for Nuoro www.provincia.nuoro.it on the ‘Turismo' link, followed by ‘Guida all'Ospitalità’; and for Ogliastra www.turismo.ogliastra.it on the ‘Dove Dormire' link. Interestingly, the English term ‘Bed and Breakfast' features abundantly on roadside notices, although that is no guarantee that the proprietors will speak any English. If a wide range of walks from this guidebook are to be covered effectively, it is probably necessary to stay at a number of locations around the area in order to avoid spending too long travelling.
Of particular note is The Lemon House, a guest-house at Lotzoraì run by Peter Herold and Anne McGlone www.peteranne.it. They offer particular assistance to outdoor enthusiasts, covering such diverse activities as walking, rock-climbing, cycling, kayaking and general touring. They can help, if necessary, with guiding and accompanying their guests and with language issues. Walkers without cars have access to several bus routes at Lotzoraì, and the couple regularly offer guests lifts to and from nearby routes and attractions.
Health and Safety
Visitors are unlikely to contract any illness in Sardinia that they couldn't get at home. (Some low-lying parts of Sardinia used to be malarial, but the island was sprayed with DDT after the Second World War and the disease was eradicated.) All towns and many villages have pharmacies that can provide over-the-counter relief and remedies. More serious illness or injury might require a doctor or hospital treatment, so, if you are a European citizen, carry a European Health Insurance Card, which will allow at least some of the cost of treatments to be recovered.
The island's wildlife should cause few problems. Mosquitoes remain, and, while irritating at times, they carry no harmful diseases. There are snakes, although these will usually slip away when disturbed and will not bite unless cornered or handled. Honeybees will react aggressively towards anyone getting too close to hives, so give a wide berth to any hives you might see.
Flocks of sheep are often guarded by large white dogs that bark menacingly when approached. These are related to Pyrenean sheepdogs, and work unsupervised by man. They are extremely loyal to their flocks, living and travelling full-time with them. These dogs are not dangerous, provided that they are treated properly. Do nothing to alarm the sheep, as the dogs will interpret this as a threat and will react accordingly. Do not threaten the dogs by shouting or waving arms or sticks. If a dog approaches you, stand absolutely still and keep calm and quiet. The dog is simply trying to identify whether you are a ‘threat', and while it may bark, it will not attack without provocation. Once the dog is satisfied that you pose no threat, it will return to the flock. Do not attempt to pet, feed or distract it in any way. It is a working dog whose first responsibility is to the flock it guards.
Sheepdogs often guard flocks, and it is important not to aggravate or threaten them
Travel insurance can be useful, but check the wording of the policy, since some might class mountain walking in Sardinia as a ‘hazardous pursuit'. Mountain rescue is available and is provided free of charge (see ‘Emergencies', page 32).
Food and Drink
Surprisingly, for a large Mediterranean island, Sardinia is not noted for seafood. However, sea urchins, or ricci, are firm favourites around Cagliari, and fish are featuring more and more on menus. The reason for the dearth of seafood is historical. The cliff coast lacked natural harbours in many places, and accessible stretches of coast were subject to pirate attacks. As the coast was also malarial, settlers gravitated inland towards the mountains.
Cows, sheep and goats provide meat, and most of their milk is used for a variety of cheeses. Ricottas, provolas and pecorinos are Sardinian specialities. Arborea, an old name for Sardinia, is the brand name for local cow's milk. Pigs are widespread, often free range, and a roast suckling pig forms the centrepiece of parties around the island. Pork is used in salamis, hams and other products. Wild boars, rarely seen by walkers, are hunted in the forests. Horse-meat occasionally features on menus. Vegetarians will struggle to find a variety of meat-free items on menus.
Sardinian meals have courses named in the same way as Italian meals, and while some foodstuffs are instantly recognisable, others may be unfamiliar. Anything that is currently in season will be described as stagione. Local wines are derived from cannonau grapes, while the name of the local weak beer, Ichnusa, harks back to an ancient name for the island of Sardinia, meaning ‘footprint'.
Appetisers, or antipasta, often include crispy, poppadum-like pane carasau, along with a mixed plate of hams, salamis, pecorino and olives. A thicker crisp-bread, pistoccu, is likely to be served if the first course is a broth. Dip the bread into the broth, or into olive oil containing tomato, garlic and basil, to soften it.
The first course, primi, commonly includes ravioli-like culurgionis, containing pecorino and potato. Also popular is malloreddus (often likened to gnocchi, but different), commonly served with sausage and tomato sauce. Spaghetti is also frequently on the menu.
The secondi, or main course, is usually spit-roast meat or offal, served on a wooden