Category: 2018-I) August September Sardinia Corsica Slovenia

Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometres and has a population of 2.07 million. One of the former states of Yugoslavia, Slovenia is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, and of NATO.

We are so happy we decided to add Slovenia to our trip, Ljubljana is Slovenia’s capital and a beautiful small city, it has plenty of green spaces, including the expansive Tivoli Park. The curving Ljubljana River is lined with outdoor cafes, bars and markets, it divides the city’s old town from its commercial hub, it is a vibrant, cyclist-friendly oasis, teeming with cultural activities, culinary delights, and architectural splendour. Ljubljana Castle is a castle complex standing on Castle Hill above downtown Ljubljana. It is a key landmark of the town. Initially a defence structure and since the first half of the 14th century the seat of the lords of Carniola, today is used as a major cultural venue.

Our Airbnb was in a great spot in the old city centre we stayed here for 3 nights then drove out to Lake bled for 4 nights.

Lake Bled wow what a picturesque place. The main attraction is a single island, home to Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. It has a fairy-tale feel about it. We did some great hikes here. Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica are the hills which rise above the west shore of Lake Bled. The hike is easy and present a delightful alternative or addition to walks along or around the lake. You are rewarded with one of the best views of Lake Bled, the island, castle and Karavanke mountain chain in the background. Another day we took a small boat out to the island in the centre of the lake to visit the church and to ring the bell. We had a very nice coffee in the restaurant on the island. In the afternoon I went to the small beach on lake bled and got in for a swim. Water was lovely.

Another hiked that is a must is Vintgar Gorge is a 1.6-kilometer gorge in north western Slovenia in the municipalities of Gorje and Bled, four kilometres northwest of Bled. Carved by the Radovna River, it is the continuation of the Radovna Valley. The sheer canyon walls are 50 to 100 meters high, with a total slope measuring about 250 m. The stream has created many erosive features such as pools and rapids, and terminates in the picturesque 13 m Šum Falls, the largest river waterfall in Slovenia, we continued the hike from the gorge up to St Catherine Church, we had a lovely lunch here.

We had two wonderful meals at Sova restaurant on the banks of lake bled, best food we have had for a while, so definitely worth a visit.

Geographically Slovenia would be a great place to live as it is only an hour’s drive to Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary. It would be perfect to live here for six months of the year and the other six months in Australia, how wonderful would that be.

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is located southeast of the French mainland and west of the Italian Peninsula, with the nearest land mass being the Italian island of Sardinia to the immediate south. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. Population: 330,000 Capital Ajaccio

The Flag of Corsica

The Flag of Corsica was adopted by General of the Nation Pasquale di Paoli in 1755 and was based on a traditional flag used previously. It portrays a Moor’s Head in black wearing a white bandana above his eyes on a white background. Previously, the bandana covered his eyes; Paoli wanted the bandana moved to above the eyes to symbolise the liberation of the Corsican people.

Corsica although only 12klm by ferry from Sardinia is quite different. It is so much greener and lush and about 10 degrees cooler. This mountainous island of thick brush, pristine beaches, white cliffs, amazing views, is a hiker’s paradise. We stayed 6 nights and shared our time between Ajaccio, Piana and Bonifacio

Ajaccio is where Napoleon is from, we went to visit the house he was born in, it is very interesting and worth a visit. It was nice to wonder through the old town of Ajaccio. We spent a day out at the Parata Headland and saw the beautiful Sanguinaires Islands and lighthouseonly it is only about a 30 minute drive from Ajaccio, this whole area is beautiful and has some gorgeous beaches.

Napoleon birth place

Statue of Napoleon

Napoleon and his brothers

Torra di a Parata

Sanguinaries Islands

Sanguinaries Islands and Lookout Tower

Lookout Tower 1608

Beautiful beach with the Sanguinaries Islands in the background.

Piana is a pretty village set in and overlooking the fabulous Calanqes de Piana (a series of red rocks and cliffs that plunge up to 300 metres into the Mediterranean below) the road between Piana and Porto along the stunning Calanches is one of the most beautiful drives we have ever encountered. The red rocks are truly beautiful although the drive has a lot of blind corners, therefore it is best to drive very slowly and carefully.

Calanqes de Piana

Great coffee shop at Calanqes de Piana

Calanqes de Piana beach

Bonifacio is a beautiful harbor city on the southern tip of Corsica. The old town is made up of narrow cobble streets, with plenty of shops, restaurants and beautiful old churches. The huge white cliffs are truly something to see against the blue Mediterranean Sea. The citadel, old town, and the views across the harbour and surrounding cliffs were a highlight of our visit.

Bonifacio Harbour

White cliffs of Bonifacio

We loved our time in Sardinia and Corsica, to really see Sardinia and Corsica I recommend you hire a car

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the Western Mediterranean, to the immediate south of the French island of Corsica. Population: 1.652 million

Flag of Sardinia

The four heads represent four victories achieved by the Kingdom of Aragon against the invading Moors: Zaragoza, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearics.

We spent the last 21 days between two islands, Sardinia which is part of Italy and Corsica which is part of France.

Our first stop, Cagliari the capital of Sardinia, we stayed in a wonderful Airbnb which was close to everything the city had to offer. The apartment was spotless clean and very spacious, the host is a great guy that gave us lots of tips about what to see and do and good places to eat. if you ever stay in Cagliari I would recommend this apartment, to find it on Airbnb look for “ROSINA House-apartment design splendid view”.

I will remember Cagliari for its amazing cheese, we went to Mercato San Benedetto wonderful markets, that sold seafood, fresh fruit and vegetable, bread, meat and cheese. We spent about 30min going through several different cheeses with one of the experts. We finally decided on 3 different types of cheeses Grand Pandano, Pecorino and the final one was a Pecorino with truffles running through it the best cheese we ever had. Another thing I loved about Cagliari, each evening the locals gather together in the square to dancing, it was the sort of dancing that everyone could join in as the steps where simple. I joined in myself, it was great fun for everyone.
The old, historical district develops around what was once the “Rocca di Castro”, a fortress dating back to the Pisan period which gives the area an impressive and medieval quality and the elegant Umberto I terrace, which commands sweeping views over Cagliari’s jumbled rooftops to the sea and distant mountains makes for an impressive city. Crowning the Bonaria hill, this religious complex is a hugely popular pilgrimage site. Devotees come from all over the world to visit the 14th-century Gothic church sanctuary and pray to Nostra Signora di Bonaria, a statue of the Virgin Mary and Christ that supposedly saved a ship’s crew during a storm. To the right of the sanctuary, the towering basilica still acts as a landmark to returning sailors.

Mercato San Benedetto great markets, amazing selection of cheese

Beautiful streets in Cagliari

Santuario & Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria.

It has great beaches like Poetto beach, 8 km long which is only 15min from the city centre, the water is very clean and clear and great for swimming. From Poetto beach, on your right, you will see a beautiful rocky mountain the name is Saddle of the Devil, it has magnificent views over the sea to be enjoyed from its. Across from the beach the Molentargius Park covers an area of around 1600 hectares is a bird sanctuary. After 6 nights in Cagliari we hired a car and spent the rest of our time travelling around the island.
We stopped at some amazing places, Santa Teresa, Olbia, Alghero

Poetto beach

Saddle of the Devil Mountain

Olbia’s is based around Corso Umberto, a lively shop-lined street leading uphill from the waterfront. At the top of a low hill, it opens into Piazza Margherita, a kind of low-key hub of the city. We spent a day visiting 1. Chiesa di San Paolo is a church built on the site of an ancient temple, it has a beautiful multi-coloured dome and a handsome stone exterior belying its relatively recent date (1700s). Modern frescoes inside celebrate popular recent saints and religious figures including Padre Pio and Pope John Paul II. Olbia’s other significant church is just outside the heart of town. 2. The Basilica minore di San Simplicio is a Romanesque granite church dating back to the eleventh century.3. Fausto Noce Park is a favourite among the locals and tourist, there are lots of species of Mediterranean flora, benches, exercise paths, sports structures (tennis courts, football pitches, changing rooms, a small amphitheatre, and bowls club). Four fountains which decorate the park. We had a wonderful day. We stayed at the very nice Geovillage a sport wellness and convention resort, the pool area was very nice.

Chiesa di San Paolo

Basilica minore di San Simplicio

Fausto Noce Park

Geovillage

On the drive from Olbia to Alghero we stopped at Sassari to see the Basilica di Saccargia built in 1116 and the Fountain of the Rosello built in 1603.

Basilica di Saccargia

Fountain of the Rosello

Alghero one of Sardinia’s most beautiful medieval cities,  is the main resort in the northwest. Its origins can be traced back to about 1300. The imposing town walls, the refined historical palaces, the old churches and harbour– together with the local restaurants, souvenir shops and bars make the old town the most vivid parts of the city.
The Neptune Grottoes can be reached by boat or by stepping down (the Cabirol Staircase) – with its 656 steps – which allows you to reach the Grottoes directly from the promontory, the view going down the steps is incredible the huge white cliffs with the amazing blue sea crashing against the rocks and the caves at the bottom make the climb worthwhile. Before 1959, the date when the staircase was finished, the Grotta di Nettuno could be visited just from the sea and, consequentially, only when the sea was calm.
We enjoyed a few afternoons on Porto Conte Beach and the lovely Hotel Corte Rosada which had a great pool area.

Alghero harbour area

Very interesting house boats

Steps down to the Neptune Grotto

Cliffs on the walk down to Neptune Grotto

Neptune Grotto

Santa Teresa Gallura is a town on the northern tip of Sardinia. The southern coast of Corsica can be seen from the beach. It is a seaside resort in a lovely coastal setting. The central square, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, is a large open pedestrian space lined with cafe-bars and souvenir shops, coral and jewellery stores. The tip of the promontory is crowned by a historic watchtower, the Torre Longonsardo, which you can climb to admire the views, there is also a beautiful statue of either St Teresa or Our Lady looking out to sea. I could not find any information on it. I think it is a new Statue. It is lovely to walk from Santa Teresa to Capo Testa lighthouse, there are some very nice beaches along the way and the views and rock formations from the light house make it worth the walk. There is also a very nice bar (‘sea lounge club) – not cheap, but just so nice to enjoy a drink and snack, it’s also above an amazing little cove – Cala Spinosa which is breathtakingly beautiful. We had to stop for a swim here.

St Teresa or Our Lady looking out to sea

Capo Testa lighthouse

Sea lounge club

Cala Spinosa

M doing his best impression of Daniel Craig

From Sardinia we took a ferry to Corsica. Corsica is only 12 kilometres by ferry from Sardinia