Getting to Know Villasimius
Today is going to the shortest cycle touring day ever. We wanted to stay one more night at the Fiore di Maggio but they are fully booked so instead we have booked a place in the centre of Villasimius, about 4k from here.
The sun was out and it was a beautiful blue sky day. The wind had dropped considerably but was still predicted to be fairly strong today. We set off after a full breakfast buffet that included scrambled eggs, bacon, and anything else we could have wanted and fantastic coffee. It was hard to leave this place.
This seas in this coastal area of Sardinia is ecologically protected (since 1990) as the Marine Protected Area Capo Carbonara. Apparently it is a scuba diving paradise known not only for its sea life but also for its shipwrecks dating back to Roman times.
We set out to explore the peninsula that pokes out into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Sardinia has been populated by several civilizations over its almost 3000 year history. The tower below was built by the Aragonese to defend the coast against invading Saracens. It stands sentry and reminds us of this Sardinia’s long history.
The actual tip of the Capo Carbonara is a military zone. We rode up as far as we could to check out the view back to Villasimius.
The Villasimius marina looks to be reasonably new and had several restaurants. This weekend it is hosting a ‘Nature Race’ which is a qualifying event for the European Championship. Not to trivialize it, but I never imagined that a good old obstacle course would become so popular that people would compete for money. I was born too early!
There are about a dozen beautiful beaches dotting this area. This one is called Spaggio Simius. It is a long beach of fine white sand. There is no swimming at this time for of year because of the surf and the thick seaweed washing up on the shore. But it looks like a fantastic place for kite surfing.
We moseyed back to the main drag of Villasimius and found where everybody was hanging out on this Sunday. A wedding was taking place in the main church, so naturally we joined the expectant crowd of on-lookers to see the bride and groom emerge. There were police in attendance for traffic control, a car with a big air horn was ready and waiting, the paper fireworks machine was ready to fire, plates were ready to be broken and and all the guests had their cone of rice and had been instructed how to throw it at the new couple. We waited for a good half hour and eventually the young couple emerged to a huge shower of rice and paper fireworks. They were swallowed up by the crowd so we couldn’t see it but we certainly heard the plates being broken. I jokingly wondered if this subliminally symbolized her refusal to do the dishes in this new marriage. The entourage left the church in their cars and proceeded to do hot laps around the town.
We left for a lunch break in a nearby park and when we returned, everything had been cleaned up and the town returned to its normal Saturday calm.
We checked in to the Hotel Belvir early to catch up on some sleep 💤 and watch the Giro d’Italia on TV. I had discovered a lovely rooftop lounge so picked up some beer and chips and we went up to enjoy some afternoon sun. We were joined by a Swiss couple who told us this was their 12th trip to Sardinia. We had a great afternoon of chatter about travel, launching children from the nest, retirement, the teaching profession and much more.
We had been given a restaurant recommendation by one of the guests at the Cagliari B&B, so we asked at the hotel if they would make a reservation for us. The Sa Tankitta is a well known and loved restaurant here and we learned that it often books up days in advance. So, we were very fortunate to get a seating for 7pm. I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.
I had the spaghetti with clams and David had a steak with a side of roasted vegetables. Needless to say it was absolutely delicious and we left stuffed.
The restaurant had large posters of historic Villasimius. We thanked the staff for the beautiful dinner and strolled back to our hotel which was all of two blocks away.
Today's ride: 15 km (9 miles)
Total: 66 km (41 miles)
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