HAAS

I had planned to spent time hiking in the Sardinian mountains but due to some very rainy days I just had one day. The Supramonte Mountain Range has the second highest peak of the island. Monte Corrasi is the Supramonte highpoint. The mountain is made of limerock, which is quite similar to that of the Dolomites but much older and therefor more eroded. I choose Nuoro as base camp and the town to spent a few nights. Traffic wise Nuoro is an extremely confusing city. I was amazed I only got one parking ticket. Part of the city center is off limits without a special permit during some hours of the day. Camera’s enforce this rule. Several times my navigation led me through a maze of narrow streets on a hill. The proximity alarm was beeping and the dashboard lit up with red warning lights. But not a scratch.

Before I arrived in Nuoro I visited the Roman Aquae Ypsitanae thermal baths of Fordongianus on the left bank of the river Tirso. The sulphurous waters are pretty hot and flow into the icy cold river. In the river somebody made an artificial bath with a ring of stones. A group of Germans traveling by camper van were bathing in the river. I joined them after burning my feet directly in the thermal water. The ancient thermal bath itself was closed. Apparently prayers are carved in the stones in honour of the Nymphs, Greek water divinities protecting Aquae Ypsitanae, and of Aesculapius, Greek god of the medicine.

Locanda Del Muggianeddu

Between Fordongianus and Nuoro I stopped for lunch in a local restaurant called Locanda Del Muggianeddu in Tonara. No website. The address is as follows: Via Monsignor Tore, 26, 08039 Tonara Nuoro, Italy. I arrived too early for lunch, wasn't allowed to sit down, so I walked around for half an hour. A few minutes after opening time the place was already half full with locals. In the fireplace a log was slowly burning.

I ordered antipasto della casa, which was a rich plate filled with: smoked cheese, melted cheese, pickled vegetables, fried vegetables and meats, all perfect quality. The truffles ravioli was not available so I choose something which seems people would eat at home: flat bread doused with tomato sauce and a fried egg on top. For desert I had to go for torrone. Torrone di Tonara is famous and there is no better place to eat it than in Tonara. All in all another excellent lunch, with a little help in German from a villager who had lived in Zwitserland as a migrant worker.

Mountain hike

Days are short in November so I knew it wasn’t going to be a very long hike. I tried to drive up to what seemed to be a parking place on Google Maps. In reality the road leading to the spot was a goat’s path and I had to turn around with all the proximity warning sounds of my Volkswagen Golf beeping like crazy. I parked somewhere much lower and hiked up to the place, which wasn’t a parking place at all. From there on the paths were pretty much at the same elevation. It took a few hours to get to the highest peak. The next day more rain was predicted so I stayed on the mountain as long as possible, just sitting there watching the sea in the distance.

Nuoro is the town on the far left side of the frame.

Punta Corrasi (1463 m.)

View from the highest peak of Supramonte Mountain Range and the second highest peak of Sardinia.

Strada Statale 125 Orientale Sarda

I had to make it back to Cagliari for my flight. The SS 125 is a somewhat famous road in Sardinia. Total length of this coastal road on the eastern part the island is 354 kilometers. The section until Santa Maria Navarrese takes you over a high mountain pass, which was supposed to be spectacular. After the Swiss Alps I wasn’t particularly impressed and driving across the pass was not a Top Gear worthy challenge. But you do pass cheesemaker Gruthas who sells pecorino cheese directly from the farm. Of course I bought a big chunk of pecorino. They sell both sheep and goat pecorino. But now I can’t remember whether I bought sheep or goat pecorino. Probably goat, since I had to fend off a flock of goats who were trying to steal my lunch an hour earlier.