Two Alex's Ride Europe - 2018

[Mellowtonin]

Day 7

Today we started from Portoscuso on the western coast of the island, and rode all mountain roads in the south, coming close to the capital of Cagliari, where we ran into some serious Italian traffic. Upon reaching the eastern edge of Cagliari bordering Monte Cresia, we finally decided to take a 30 minute brunch break composed of espressos, potato chips, and icecream.



The section of Route S125 from San Gregorio to San Vito was just about perfect, perfect serpentine curves complete with drop dead gorgeous views. At San Vito, I finally had a chance to explore the famous Nuraghe ruins scattered across Sardinia up close. It’s unbelievable that these mysterious structures were first constructed during the Bronze Age!

We head North then West, back to the commune of Perdasdefogu where we got lost and stopped to look for directions in front of the entrance of Salto di Quirra, a restricted weapons testing range and rocket launching site, also the largest military range in Italy for their Air Force.



We figured it was already two hours past lunch time, might as well stop and grab a bite! The waitresses were astonished by the two Alexes, and were filled with questions on where we came from.
After the delicious meal, we head back North East on Route SP13 amidst lush greenery. At Jerzu atop the mountain ridge, we stopped multiple times for pictures:

At last, an hour before sunset we reached the Tortoli on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea that separates Sardinia from mainland Italy. Little did I know the hotel we had at Arbatax would have the best view in house...

The Day's Route

 

[bikewanker]

My memory being what it is I had to go back to the beginning of this adventure. Since I’ve been dreaming of riding lately this is good. Please include an IMT review.

 

[budman]

Day 7 almost a year later... love it actually.

Good deal for the cold that surrounds us now.

That is an awesome view!

I only had to go back a couple of posts Wanker....

 

[Mellowtonin]

My memory being what it is I had to go back to the beginning of this adventure. Since I’ve been dreaming of riding lately this is good. Please include an IMT review.

I will at the very end! Stick around, there's even an awesome video which I edited from 9 days of footage.

Day 7 almost a year later... love it actually.

Good deal for the cold that surrounds us now.

That is an awesome view!

I only had to go back a couple of posts Wanker....

What can I say life got too hectic last winter, then I was too busy riding Kernville, Weaverville, and Pakistan. Holidays are the best time to play catch up!

 

[two wheel tramp]

Alex, I'm hatching plans to steal the other Alex.

 

[Mellowtonin]

Day 8

Today I woke up to gentle rays of sunshine overlooking a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean Sea. After checking out from our lovely hotel, we first hiked and explored the Nuraghe tower atop the one lonely hill directly across the waters from our hotel, followed by a visit to the locally famous Red Rocks Beach at Arbatax.







Today's route took us around the perimeter of Gennargentu National Park, thru fields of wheat, fruit orchards, as well as herds of sheep, cows and goats whose milk is used to produce the exquisite local Pecorino Sardo & Fiore Sardo cheese.

After a brief espresso break and refueling at a petrol station in Seui, where the neighbors had an impressive laundry display hang drying in the wind, we began our day's journey to Su Gologone in Oliena. Not even an hour later however, the unthinkable happened...Team Alexes got split up!

It turns out the GPS units we were given had two different maps programmed in them (must've been from separate, previous guided trips). It also did not help that one of the Alex was a lot faster than the other. With no choice but to place absolute trust in the interactive map, I made a bee line for our hotel. With only brief stops to sip water and enjoy my granola bar...this turned out to be a wise decision, since our hotel for the night was located in one of the most remote countryside of Sardinia...there would've been no way of even finding this place after sunset.

In the end, both Alex’s were reunited at the beautiful hotel Su Gologone at sunset, a celebratory feast was much needed (easily the best food we had in Sardinia)! Neither one of us ran off a cliff our got arrested for riding like a jackass to save time. Oh, and the waiter (who looked and spoke English like Hans from the original Die Hard) turned out to have just moved back to his hometown of Oliena from San Francisco, what a small world!

Route for the day

 

[bikewanker]

Looks like your dinner plate was served hot on a Nuraghe wave rotor? It has a bronzed appearance. Guess I still have plenty of time to tell my September fly and ride!

 

[SFMCjohn]

wonderful pics!

IMTBike has at least three white 700GSs, just checked our pics to see if one of yours was the same one we had from Lisbon ...

 

[boney]

arty

Love the follow up! Looks like a great time for sure.

 

[Mellowtonin]

Alex, I'm hatching plans to steal the other Alex.

First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll burn him. Second, don't give him any beer, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight or he'll get the BG's!

Looks like your dinner plate was served hot on a Nuraghe wave rotor? It has a bronzed appearance. Guess I still have plenty of time to tell my September fly and ride!

You know I never noticed it until you pointed it out We were too focused on local cheese, fresh pasta, spit roasted lamb, and the most excellent wine

wonderful pics!

IMTBike has at least three white 700GSs, just checked our pics to see if one of yours was the same one we had from Lisbon ...

John! If the right side case had scratches all over, that would be one of ours. We parked a block from the Plaza de Catalunya Apple Store in Barcelona for 30 minutes, some a-hole did it when they were pulling out their scooter on the neighboring stall, didn't even bother leaving a note. We were worried since neither of us purchased insurance coverage, but IMT was super cool about it during the return inspection.

arty

Love the follow up! Looks like a great time for sure.

You know it, Sardinia is truly one of those hidden gems.

 

[alemeno214]

First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll burn him. Second, don't give him any beer, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight or he'll get the BG's!

True story

 

[two wheel tramp]

Pffft. Like I don't understand man child care 101.

 

[Mellowtonin]

Day 9

Today was the one rest day on our Sardinia itinerary...meaning we would ride in a giant loop, returning to the same hotel at night after having ridden in motorcycle heaven - Gennargentu Park once more.



After enjoying an outdoor breakfast surrounded by nature, we made our first stop in the neighboring stop of Oliena, were our maitre d' from the previous night was born and raised. It was a town famous for its wines like Nepente which is made from the local Cannonau grapes, explaining why we were so impressed at the dinner table. We then rode along the Supramonte, an area of mountains/highlands located in the center of Eastern Sardinia. We stopped to take a panoramic picture at the highest peak, Monte Corrasi - elevation 4,800 feet:

We rode toward the town of Orgisolo, a village infamous for its bandits and kidnappers (historically known as the Bandit Captiol of Sardinia). While crime and violence have subsided today, the bullet marked road signs and lamp posts serve as a stark reminder of the not so distant past.



During our descent down the picturesque Fiume River and Flumendosa Valley, thank goodness for our guide book warning ahead, as free roaming cattle with the slippery "green ice" which they leave on the road was overtly abundant. The local beef loved to stand in the middle of the road around blind corners:

Sardinia, being a microcontinent meant that we would experience a smorgasbord of sceneries ranging from the highlands, to alp like ridges, to tropical beaches, then Mojave desert (complete with local cacti), all within one day’s ride. We ducked out of the rain at a cafe in the mountain village of Villanova Strisaili, and took some time to enjoy the blissful combination of a hot cappuccino and frozen ice cream bars.



We arrived at the pizzeria in the town of Baunei as recommended by the GPS shortly after 2PM, but was told by the cook that we'd just missed pizza baking time.


Great view but no pizza!

Another 10 klicks North, we are now rapidly climbing in elevation with a commanding view of the entire Eastern coast of the island, it was finally time to stop for lunch...freshly made gnocchi!

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After filling our bellies, we continued riding North, following the Gola Su Gorruppu (Gorropu Gorge National Park), one of the most fascinating and impressive landmarks of the Gennargentu Mountains, with towering 1200 feet walls surrounded by a thick and impressive forest:



Rounding off the afternoon, we took the extended route and went east to visit the laid back beach town of Gala Gonone, hoping to catch the sunset. As an alumni of UCSD in La Jolla, I felt right at home. A couple feral cats took shelter inside the silverware storage cart from some bistro on the pier, it was the perfect picture:







We made our way in the dark underneath star light back to Hotel Su Gologone, what a glorious, wonderful day it was!

The day's route

 

[Mellowtonin]

Pffft. Like I don't understand man child care 101.

I think you're the first person I've met who doesn't like Gizmo/Gremlins

 

[Mellowtonin]

Day 10

Our time in Sardinia was nearing its end, but not before mother nature hitting us in the face with the largest storm of 2018 (the same hurricane that flooded Venice one year ago). It was all bad news on the forecast, we were scheduled to ride thru the eye of the storm as we make our way across one of the highest summits on the island.



I will never forget the look on the concierge's face (stately woman in her 50's) as the two Alexes checked out from the hotel in their Aerostitch and helmets. Her expression was a mixture of disbelief and concern, as the TV news on the background advised folks to stay in doors. I could almost hear her utter, "Those crazy Americans" under her breath when we left through the front door.

We made it to the town of Bitti 54 klicks north of Su Gologone without getting wet, the local cafe owner was so friendly. He took out chairs and tables for us to sit in front of his store (stored inside because of the incoming storm) and enjoy a nice cup of espresso, and even invited us inside to hangout with his posse. We finally got to try homemade Sardinian Pecorino cheese as well as prosciutto! As the owner explained, he wanted us to help them eat as much as possible, before the cheese or the meat expired.





The group of locals chatting inside were very curious about our trip so far, and we ended up staying a bit longer than planned (30 minute break turned into an hour). As I watched in horror of the ominous sky and gathering storm clouds, we eventually had to forcefully excuse ourselves to continue the day's ride. That's Sardinian hospitality for you, something I would never forget.

We hooked into the road to Budduso, snaking through an impressively large cork tree forest,taking us north into the Monti Limbara mountains. By this time we were riding our motorcycles in one of the most extreme weather I had been in. I watched as the dainty F700GS'es were blown three feet across - completely sideways by the wind, pelted by rain drops the size of bullets...as well as crashing thunder and distant lighting striking the ground. By the time we rode through the storm and stopped at the village of Sant'Antonio di Gallura for lunch, both of us were completely soaked thru to our knickers.



We found a little bistro complete with spiral staircase (the owner was a large man, reminded me of a Mafioso for some reason, even though his demeanor was super nice). Took an hour break to wring out the water from our clothes s well as stuff our bellies with hot soup and pasta.

After the much needed respite, we continued on to Arzachena then Olbia, making our way into the heart of the famed Emerald Coast...Porto Cervo under crystal blue skies. No doubt this was one of the most touristy parts of the island, developed in the 60's with money from an Arabian prince - Prince Aga Khan IV, the marina at Porto Cervo is now a popular spot for the rich and famous (especially Russians). Our hotel room balcony had its own docking area for private sail boats:









But given it was the end of October, we were greeted with abandoned villas and closed luxury shops...the whole place was eerily deserted, with exception of a band of roving feral cats!





After a wet, cold, and exhausting day, we called an early night at the super luxurious hotel...the memory foam mattresses were simply amazing!

The Day's Route

 

[bikewanker]

What a good trip for me to read about this morning as it rains and I dream of riding from the comfort of the man chair. You may continue Alex.
I am curious how Gremlins became a Christmas movie.

 

[Mellowtonin]

What a good trip for me to read about this morning as it rains and I dream of riding from the comfort of the man chair. You may continue Alex.
I am curious how Gremlins became a Christmas movie.

Thanks Chris, I'm glad I have your permission to finish my ride report

Here's a well articulated explanation why Gremlins is absolutely a Christmas classic!

https://www.fatherly.com/play/gremlins-best-christmas-movie-dads/

 

[Mellowtonin]

Day 11

Today was the last day of our tour around Sardinia, we rode from Porto Cervo along the coast the posh marina of Palau, where we found a rally ready DRZ400 parked by the cafe:

On the very outskirts of Palau, following a semi-hidden trail on foot that led to a secluded beach, I finally laid down on the white sands of the Emerald Coast:




Looking a bit haggard after 11 days of none stop riding!


The main agenda of the day was to make our way back to the industrial port of Porto Torres, where we were to spend a short night before boarding the ferry back to Barcelona. We were retracing roads which we had passed thru the very first day on the island, scenery was mostly a combination of emerald colored coastal views and grassy knolls. On our descend down the opposite side of the same Monti Limbara Moutnains from yesterday, I was able to take a picture of the divine lights over Oschiri as we were making our approach to the Coghinas Lake.

We took a very brief lunch break at the town pub in Ozieri, where it seemed the local young 20 somethings were vastly unemployed, whittling the day away hanging out at the bar.



After lunch, as we approached Chiaramonti, I requested a detour from the GPS Route as we'd ran out of time to stop and sight see on Day 1 of the tour. We spent an hour hiking up the ruined castle overlooking the entire town and valley below, the view was stunning.







Heading west towards Sassari, which is only a stone's throw away from Porto Torres, we stopped at the outer suburbs to capture the ever present train tracks of the island, with a background of spinning windmills on top of lush green hills, it was a distinct postcard image for the Sardinia:

Team Alexes called an early night at Porto Torres, after riding in T-shirts and shorts (whatever clean pieces of laundry we had left by this point) around our hotel looking for an ATM and dinner.

The day's route!

 

[budman]

Awesome write up of a great adventure Alex!

 

[Mellowtonin]

Awesome write up of a great adventure Alex!

Merry Christmas and thank you Bud!

 

[Mellowtonin]

Day 12 & 13

We woke up at 0430 hours sharp, and were suited up and ready to leave the hotel in very short order. The ferry from Porto Torres to Barcelona sails only once a day, and we had been forewarned by IMT Bike to make sure we are physically at the ferry terminal by 6:00 AM for check-in.

Unfortunately neither one of the Alexes had mentioned our early checkout the previous night, as we were riding out of the parking lot we were greeted by a locked gate blocking us in. What's worse, there was no one to be found at the front desk or for that matter anywhere on the premises to get us out.

Thankfully, alemeno214 did some quick thinking on his feet, and used Google Translator to find the hotel emergency telephone number. After letting the phone ring for a good minute (the groundskeeper was obviously asleep), a very grumpy voice answered in Italian on the other end of the line. Somehow, without understanding what we were yelling in panic, the man eventually figured out from the security cameras to remotely open the automatic gate and let the two Americans go.

We made it to the docks at 0530 hours, with enough time to get coffee, croissants as well as chatting up a group of Spaniards from Zaragoza. Then it was off to get our tickets and line up for boarding. Fate would have that we ran into our acrobatic friend from Chile (he is the main attraction high-wire act alas cirque du soleil, performing for a living on cruise ships) who had arrived on the same ferry as us two weeks ago in Porto Torres. We traded stories and photos, and it was time to board.







As the return trip was a day time cruise, it felt twice as long since we were awake the whole time. It also didn't help that the entire cruise ship smelled like sweaty feet, I couldn't wait to get off the boat as we docked in Barcelona at 8:30PM, a full hour behind schedule. We tried calling IMT but they had already left the office for the day, we found our way back to where we had originally picked up the bike and decided to just park the rentals blocking their company garage/driveway for the night.

I said my goodbyes to alemeno214 since he was leaving later that night, and went back to my hotel to edit some footage. 9 days of actual riding in Sardinia, here's what it felt like to me:

[YOUTUBE]aXV-gG56byE[/YOUTUBE]

Day 13 was a bonus day which I used to explore the wonderful city of Barcelona by myself on foot and via the Hop On/Hop Off bus. I was absolutely blown away, touristy without every being over the top, the city had so much to see ~ both the history and the culture were positively overwhelming. The pictures should speak for themselves:

Delicious Jamón hanging at the supermarket!

Sighted at Plaça de Catalunya, if only we had lightweight exicting toys like these on the tour, instead of the boring GS appliance bikes!!

~I hope y'all had a great time reading this here ride report, enjoy your Winter Holidays and until next time~

 

[SFMCjohn]

~I hope y'all had a great time reading this here ride report, enjoy your Winter Holidays and until next time~

Wonderful rr ...

you have an artist’s eye for pics, totally jelly ... do you use a smart phone camera?

hope to see you soon ... arty

 

[budman]

And I thought you were done.

Wrap up vid gave me gooseys!

Also some sad because I know I will never get to share that adventure. So cool to see you guys living it.

 

[bikewanker]

That 9 days we were in Sardinia went by so fast!
Hopefully the boring teutonic appliances sufficed for the adventure.

 

[Mellowtonin]

you have an artist’s eye for pics, totally jelly ... do you use a smart phone camera?

Thank you John, making me blush
Yea~all of the pictures were taken from the camera on my state of the art iPhone 7
There were a lot of not so subtle post processing to stylize them using the Instagram APP.

And I thought you were done.

That's what she said

Wrap up vid gave me gooseys!

Also some sad because I know I will never get to share that adventure. So cool to see you guys living it.

Thanks man! It really wasn't that expensive, your maintenance/repair expenses on the Multi this year probably would've covered most if not all of it.

That 9 days we were in Sardinia went by so fast!
Hopefully the boring teutonic appliances sufficed for the adventure.

Chris! I still owe you a quick review on IMT Bike don't I? We reached out to them less than two weeks before the desired tour date. They were able to book 9 nights at 8 different hotels, as well as our ferry tickets within 3 days. We also had semi customized guide books (32 pages in PDF and printed spiral bound) including maps, days route, recommend restaurants...the whole shebang.

Total cost was 2580 euros per person, which included everything besides lunch/dinner/fuel and the flights to and from Barcelona. As you can see from the report, I think the views at the hotels easily made this worth it. The guys were also super chill when we returned the bikes (with scratches on the hard cases) 12 hours late since our ferry had an hour long delay and they closed up shop for the night already. There were no late fees or any dings on the security deposit, so that was super cool.

I do not however recommend the self guided Sardinia trip as we did starting from Barcelona, for two reasons:

1) It would've been much much better paying a little bit more to have a knowledgeable local guide on site, as I had with Moin over in Pakistan this year. However, for this particular trip neither of the Alexes wanted to be held back by "senior citizen" bikers, no offense guys not talking about you O.G. Barfer/ex-racers on here .

2) The ferry from Barcelona to Sardinia back took 2 days out of the 11 day trip, it would've made much more sense to fly into Cagliari (capital of Sardinia) and rent a bike from there instead.

I wouldn't hesitate for a second signing up for the Iberian Coast, Morocco, or the Portugal tour with IMTBike in the future though.