Why do holidays always go by so fast?!
I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the last days of summer/early Autumn. We recently got back from a 12 day trip to Sardinia, a gorgeous island sandwiched between Corsica, Sicily and mainland Italy.
We flew from Bristol to Olbia airport, located on the north-eastern part of Sardinia, before (following much queuing and negotiating costs) picked up our hire car and headed to the first part of our stay, up in the Sardinian mountains, about 30 minutes drive north of a small town called Oschiri.
Part 1: Peace and Solitude
The first few days of our break were spent in the middle of nowhere. Truly, the middle of nowhere. We spent 4 nights in the most remote part of the island I think we could find. We’ve had quite a hectic year full of interviews, exams, new jobs, art markets, artwork, moving home, family commitments, full-to-the-brim weekends, and so on, and it reached a point a month or so ago when we both hit a wall. I was running on some weird adrenaline, completely incapable of sitting still for more than 5 minutes, and Matt was plagued by nasty bouts of insomnia. We decided at the start of summer that the best thing to do was to find somewhere to holiday where we could completely switch off. We ended up booking a house up in the Sardinian mountains, surrounded by trees, trees and more trees.
Sketch of the house we stayed in
The view from the garden area <3
The journey from Olbia was the first time I had driven abroad. The first hour of the drive might have scarred Matt for life but I am now ambidextrous at driving (if that’s a thing!?). The house was nothing fancy, no modcons, just the essentials. A back-to-basics escape from our daily lives.
I don’t think I have ever stayed somewhere so quiet before. There was no noise save for the wind through the trees and the buzzing of bees and small birds. Silence is so rare in our daily lives that when that when you do experience it it is both a funny sensation and something to be savoured.
The majority of our time in the mountains was spent relaxing, enjoying each other’s company and going for walks. Getting away from the hubbub of daily life was rejuvenating and reminded both of us to appreciate the small things and to make time for each other.
A quick watercolour study of the local wildlife!
When we did venture out of our little hideaway, we took a short trip to the small town of Oschiri. Very Italian. Very pretty. Completely non-touristy. We didn’t stay long but it was lovely to take a stroll through.
We also stopped at Lake Cognihas, the largest lake in Sardinia (man-made) and very beautiful. Going off the beaten track led us to a small, secluded lake-side beach which we had entirely to ourselves! I loved it.
View of Lake Cognihas
Four nights in the middle of nowhere was enough for us and, as much as I had a wonderful, reflective and rejuvenating time, I was excited to leave and head to our next and main stay, Alghero (and escape the bugs!).
Part 2: Gorgeous Alghero
The drive from the mountains to Alghero took us about 1.5 hours. One of the great things about Sardinia is its size; it’s really easy to see more than one part of it.
Alghero is beautiful. I fell in love with the town, the coastline, the whole place. We spent our first half day after our dropping the car off orienting ourselves. Our little flat was located 5 minutes from the old town and 1 minutes’ walk from the promenade. To say we had good views is an understatement. Our flat was another Air B&B find and one I would recommend without a shadow of a doubt. It was perfect for the two of us.
I won’t go into the details of each day in Alghero. As they say a picture speaks a thousand words! And so here are some photos on my favourite parts of our time in Alghero :)
Walking along the Alghero promenade, where I also went for my morning runs.
A view over Alghero from the Bell Tower.
A view of Alghero's Cathedral. So heavy they had to build archways connecting it to the other buildings for support!
The old town is AMAZING. It is so beautiful and the streets are such a pleasure to walk around. And so clean!
Dreamy evenings with my favourite person <3
Aperol. Aperol. Aperol. My current favourite drink! Italian and sunset coloured. What more could you ask for?!
It wouldn't be an Italian holiday without pizza! I even braved a full wheat/gluten one. I trippled in size afterwards but it tasted great! #lifestooshort
Lots of fresh fish on the menu! This was when Matt decided to order a fish dish priced by weight. Needless to say, the bill was as massive as the fish they dished up!
DAIRY FREE ice cream! As someone who struggles with dairy, this was a dream! And the best I've ever tasted! Well done Gelateria K2.
The main beach by Alghero. Not bad!
A hidden away beach full of locals near our flat.
No need for words really. Just a stunning, relatively untouched coastline.
The boat entrance to Grotto Di Nettuno, a stunning and huge cave, utterly worth the 2 hours it took us by bus to get there!
All my photos of the Grotto Di Nettuno are blurred :( Here's me traipsing up the 700 steps instead!
We didn't see a lot of art however this fantastic, slightly odd, street art was hiding under a bridge!
I love going away and don’t think I will leave it another year and a half again! Taking time out from daily life, be it an extravagant holiday or walk through the countryside is so important. If I take anything from our Sardinian holiday (aside from wanting to move there!) it is to appreciate the love and happiness of any given moment. It’s always there, even if it takes a little searching. It’s too easy to get caught up in the rat race and to never sit still. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished if you slow down and appreciate the small things.
Here’s to the next adventure with my best friend, love and partner in crime!
Sarah x
P.s. Perhaps my absolute favourite thing about our holiday, the sunsets. Just incredible.
