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28
February 1999 A
Tale of Two Italys Whether
you prefer the wonders of nature or man, Italy is hard to beat. SIMON WILLIS
enjoys ritzy style and rugged landscapes in Sardinia. Sardinia
is two islands in one. A stylish and exclusive coast with a rough and rugged interior.
Simon Willis takes a two centre holiday to explore the very best of both
worlds. There is a
practical theory which helps when searching out the good things in life. If
you want the best haircut, find the person who does the hairdresser's hair. Likewise,
you'll get good treatment from the surgeon's doctor, the dentist's dentist,
and so on. So when you find the place where the Italians go on holiday,
you'll be sure of warm sun, perfect beaches, good food and a large slice of
style. Welcome to Sardinia. Although
encircled by excellent beaches, one achingly beautiful part of Sardinia's
coastline has become the exclusive social hub of the island. Discovered by
what we used to called the "Jet Set", it's now the playground of
the Concorde crowd. But they hide themselves away on their white pearls of
ocean going ostentation leaving plenty of space for us mortals to enjoy the
most stylish stretch of Mediterranean coast, the Costa Smeralda. And yet
there is a second Sardinia. It's not on any maps. Indeed, most visitors never
find it at all. It's a place where old magic is still conjured for special
occasions; where New Year falls on the first of September; where a
rebellious, almost lawless, streak still holds sway. It lies behind the
silken coastal fringe and deep in the volcanic mountains, where the people
are Italian only in name and Sardinian to the bone. They have resisted the
attempts of every invading army to tame them. From the Romans to the
Phoenicians to the package tour terrorists, all have stuck to the coastline
and left the mountain folks well alone. We wanted
to explore both Sardinias in one two centre holiday, from the pinacles of
pampered luxury to the stark summits of the Supramonte range. We packed
hiking boots alongside our best designer labels, and headed first into the
land of the bronzed and the beautiful. The
Costa Smeralda In July
and August the "Closed" sign is hung on the city gates of Rome and
Milan, and the smart set sail to the North East corner of Sardinia. The Costa
Smeralda is Italy's idyllic holiday retreat, with some of Europe's most
luxurious hotels tucked discretely amongst the hundreds of coves that nibble
into the coastline. Soft, sandy beaches shelve gently into a sea the colour
of a kingfisher's wings; so blue, so clean, and so beautiful it's a struggle
to believe this is not the Caribbean. The Aga
Khan discovered the charms of the "emerald coast" in 1965 when his
yacht sought shelter in one of its bays and he liked the place so much, he
bought it. Development has been controlled with a fanatical environmental
concern; buildings must be low, conform to strict designs, have a specified
area of open land around them and every rock and plant disturbed during their
creation must be replaced. The area has a private police force, private
refuse collection and private fire service with its own helicopter. Homes are
strictly reserved for the seriously rich. The
centrepiece is Porto Cervo, not so much a town as a theme port, purpose built
to look like a quaint, old fashioned fishing village, without the irritating
smell of fish. Everything is painted one of a hundred shades of teracotta.
This is where the rich and famous park their yachts and come ashore to sweep
through Prada, Gucci and Bruno Magli. Sharon Stone and Goldie Horn were
sighted while we were there. Surprisingly, coffees and drinks at the terrace
cafes cost no more than I'd expect to pay in any similar resort, although
simple lunchtime snacks were disappointing. Less
surprising is that Sardinia's most expensive hotels are on the Costa
Smeralda, places such as the Cala di Volpe. Were a theatrical designer asked
to create a mixture of Venice and Tuscany it would look something like this
hotel. Under pan-tile roofs, each room surveys a spectacular view across an
otherwise hidden bay, around which timber bridges and walkways connect
restaurants, pools, gardens and bars. The presidential suite occupies its own
tower, complete with swimming pool. The hotel was full, and anyway we couldn't
afford to stay overnight, but we booked a table at dinner to sample a little
of this luxury. The meal
was as theatrical as the hotel design, the performance directed by a skilful
Maitre d' and starring some of the wealthiest people I'll ever rub tables with.
"From England are you?", boomed a Texan oil man. "We have an
apartment at the Connaught - we try to get there for a month or so each year.
Oh you're not from London. So where exactly is Northumberland?". The
meal was good but the inter-table entertainment was excellent. Another
evening, in a different hotel bar where I could afford more than a mineral
water, I started chatting to Marion Puddu from England, a representative with
one of the tour companies who has lived on the island for twenty five years.
Back home she'd met and married a Sardinian, "and eventually, they
always return", she told me. "There are resorts springing up all
over the island", Marion explained, "but most people still prefer
to come to the North East because the balance is right here. The planning
restrictions have meant tourist development has been handled sensitively, and
people appreciate that when they get here". I asked Marion to give me a
quick run down on the various places in the immediate area, and the next day,
we checked them out for ourselves. Just a few
miles around the coast from Porto Cervo is Baja Sardinia. It's a busy, family
orientated seaside resort, cheaper than Porto Cervo and with non of its
reserve, but consequently non of its style. We kept driving and eventually
came to Porto Rafael built by Count Neville Rafael, who was part English,
part Spanish. It too is constructed around a marina, and is smaller than many
other resorts with a pleasant, somewhat arty atmosphere. It is quite a
distance from the other resorts, but I rather liked its out of the way feel.
The nearby town of Palau is the main ferry port for Corsica and the islands
of Maddalena and Caprera. Marion had described Palau as having "all the
charm of Folkestone", although a friend, who is a fanatical wind surfer,
thought it superb and rode his board all the way across to Maddalena, dodging
car ferries. Driving South from Porto Cervo we came to Porto Rotondo. Because
it's just outside the building restrictions of the Costa Smeralda, tourist
development has been less restrained, but it's still tasteful and not too
crowded. There are many well designed apartments here and, in early June,
only a few were occupied. Our real
challenge on the Costa Smeralda was to find an elegant hotel with good food
at a sensible price, and I'm delighted to say that we succeeded. Barely one
kilometer from the million dollar yachts of Porto Cervo is the Hotel Le
Genestre. It has the ubiquitous teracotta paint job and quaintly fake rustic
beams, but non of the stuffiness of the outrageously expensive hotels like
the Cala di Volpe. Trur, the setting is not as grand, and the service
considerably slower, but we could enjoy the good food without feeling we had
to chew every mouthful fifty times to extract maximum value for money. Set in
large wooded grounds on a headland, it's a five minute walk from a small
private beach, the perfect spot for a 'lie-around-in-the-sun-with-a-book'
type of holiday. So that's
what we did. Eventually, our pulses slowed and, just about the time that
quiet relaxation was starting to change into 'what-are-we-going-to-do-today',
it was time to pack up and seek out the second Sardinia. We were heading for
the hills. The
Mountains Were it
required to do so, the steel door to the council offices in the town of
Orgosolo could be removed from its hinges and used, quite effectively, to
strain pasta. It appears that, when one of the locals had a disagreement with
his elected representatives, rather than wait for due democratic processes,
he reached for his rifle and ventilated their front door. This is a
town of powerful emotions which are displayed for all to see. But rather than
take up arms, the locals usually reach for their paint brushes. Since the
1960's virtually every flat, vertical surface has been used as a forum for
political protest and huge murals now depict three decades of disputes from
around the world. To wander these streets today is to stroll through a huge
open air gallery chronicling the worlds greatest political controversies. There is
really only one hotel to stay in around here. Others have tried to open but
for one reason or another, there have always been... how shall I put it....
complications. Better to leave it at that. The Su Gologone is family run, and
a long established part of the community. It began as a restaurant, and as
more people wanted to stay after their meal, more and more rooms were added
until there are now more than sixty. Navigating between them is helped by the
paintings and sculptures which decorate rooms and corridors, all by local
artists, some from Orgosolo. The white washed walls are built onto the side
of a gently sloping hill and enclose beautiful gardens, through which we
strolled to the pool, tennis court and most importantly, the restaurant. Su Gologone
is a bastion of traditional Sardinian cooking, a place where the old ways are
kept alive for locals and visitors to enjoy. Meals begin with warm sheets of
wafer thin unleavened bread being placed on the table cloth. Called
"pane carasau" or "carta da musica", the bread was
carried by shepherds as it keeps fresh for a long time. Home made pasta would
be followed a plate of meat, either lamb, kid or wild boar, slow cooked in
old fashioned, wood fired ovens. Local people ate alongside tourists, and chatting
to them later, they insisted that the dishes really are authentic fare,
"But today no one else knows to cook them. Or has enough time". There are
daily organised excursions into the mountains, in which a Landrover does some
of the hard work, then the legs are left to tackle the rest. One of these
trips took us close to the summits of some of the major peaks in Sardinia's
Supramonte range. We followed a rough, high level track through broken
limestone terrace to what looked like an abandoned shed but which turned out
to be a shepherd's summer house. Our guide, Fabrizzio, explained he was a
friend of the owner who was out tending his goats, but wouldn't mind if we
looked inside. Dipping under the low beam which supported a corrugated iron
roof, held down with rocks, we entered the one room hut. Inside were two
beds, a sturdy table and, hanging above it, a rack of ten slowly maturing
goats cheeses. In the centre of the floor was a rough stone fireplace, but no
chimney. Fabrizzio explained the door would be opened to allow the smoke to
escape, "But not too much. It's good for the taste of the cheese". Another
walk took us to one of Sardinia's hidden historical sights. All over the
island are tower-like structures called Nuraghi, which were built from 1400
BC and vary greatly in function and complexity, from fortresses to watch
towers to simple dwellings. We were heading for one of the most famous called
Tiscali, an expedition which involved climbing part way up the side of a
mountain and then dropping into a hidden side valley. Squeezing through a gap
between two huge rocks, we found ourselves in what had long ago been a giant
cave, until the roof had collapsed. Here, in the safety of the enclosed,
overhanging rock walls, the ancient Sards built their community, and now we
could wander around the remains of their homes. Trees had grown in what was
probably once a thriving square, but in their cool green light, Tiscali still
seemed a special part of this special island, a spiritual centre of the
second, secret Sardinia. Travel
Brief Packages:
Package tours seem better value than arranging
flight and hotels independently. Several UK companies offer various locations
in Sardinia including Citalia: 0181 686 5533; Magic of Italy: 0990 462442;
Costa Smeralda Holidays: 0171 493 8303; Holiday Options: 01444 881414; The
Italian Connection: 171 486 6890; Italian Escapades: 0990 437227; Italian
Expressions: 0171 435 2525 Italiatour: 0171 605 7500; Sardatur: 0171 242
2455; Voyages Ilena 0171 924 4440 Flights:
Charter flights from various London airports to
Olbia (near the Costa Smeralda), Cagliari and Alghero. Time to
go: The short season is June to September. By October,
many of the hotels are closed. It's worth avoiding the peak season, mid-July
to end of August, when the resorts are most expensive and crowded. Transport: Public
transport is infrequent so it's worth hiring a car. It's often cheapest to
arrange it through the tour operator when booking. |
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