April 7, 2023
Day 51: Oristano to Monastir
Needed GPS kinda day
“Here, I’ll toss your garbage out legally for you,” Patrick says after our break. He takes the plastic bottle off the back of Rachel’s bike and tosses it into the garbage bin.
We have breakfast provided and the host stays with us for a good conversation. The host used to be an English teacher; he knows a lot of words but still sounds very Italian. He also talks with his hands that is very Italian. Other guests (look like father and daughter) also join as we are almost done. Our host says the girl rides horses and mostly jumping.
Patrick navigates us out of town and onto a side road that passes an equestrian facility. As we ride past, we see the man and the girl and they wave. We pass by a large lake and see white flamingos. A little later there is a big archery practice range with targets set up and deer and bear statues.
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Today we are following RidewithGPS directions, we are very happy how it keeps us off the main roads. At one point the frontage road ends and we take another side road that is unsealed and not a direct route into the town of Uras where we take a food break.
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To reinforce that the GPS is needed today, Patrick keeps the tablet in his handlebar bag as Rachel usually keeps it in hers. “There are lots of twists and turns today,” Patrick says. And this turns out to be very true! The roads vary today: sealed and quiet, sealed with traffic and traffic sounds from the interstate, unsealed and bumpy through a beautiful countryside.
We are on a frontage road that follows the interstate. “It’s like being on a rail to trail that is next to a highway,” Rachel says. There is no traffic so that is nice riding, only downside is hearing the interstate traffic noise. This can be disconcerting though at times, when it is difficult to know what we are hearing from behind is on the interstate or our road.
Then we are on another road before getting back to the frontage road that has more traffic. We are riding through agricultural area and fields of sheep guarded by sheep dogs.
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We stop at a bus stall for another food break. And there is this......
After another break and still 25km away from Monastir, “I’ve lost the map,” Patrick says “We are going to need it in the next section.” He has been navigating us following road signs to the next town.
“I’m trusting RidewithGPS, it’s been good so far,” and the route goes again to an unsealed section. It’s beautiful with yellow flowers, interesting shaped trees and so much green!
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The last section we follow a river and though it’s downstream we don’t have the benefit of a downhill as the road surface is very rocky. There are also sections of huge puddles that we think are from the storm that passed over Sardinia the day we were on the ferry.
We arrive in town at 3pm and find the B&B Corte Arrubia for the night. The place is lovely and friendly owner. She speaks some English and also uses google translate to wish a good evening as we settle in the room. Patrick walks to a shop for supplies. We eat a ham and cheese sandwich for a late lunch. The restaurant we plan to go for dinner will not open until 8pm. At about 6pm Patrick finds on the map a pizzeria nearby and goes to order and then pick up instead.
Tomorrow, we ride 30km to Cagliari to catch the 5pm ferry.
Today's ride: 79 km (49 miles)
Total: 1,725 km (1,071 miles)
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