There are many coves and sandy beaches around the island so on Saturday we went gunk-holing in the dinghy to discover what was nearby. Our marina seemed to be secluded but there were many people on the beach and boats anchored in Cala Spalmatore ("cala" means "beach"), which was just to the south of us.
On the Saturday night we went into the town of La Maddalena by taxi and discovered it is much larger than we expected, with about 15,000 people. The Italian Navy has a base there and until the end of September there are 24 (yes, 24!) US NATO bases on the island opposite the town. The taxi driver is very concerned about the effect on the economy once the US leaves.
The restaurants along the wide portside plaza were bustling with people but we chose, Sottovento, a quieter one in a side street because of the more interesting menu and ambiance. Wendy, Greg and I had a fabulous antipasto platter of Sardinian hams and cheeses and Geoff had a Sardinian version of the eggplant, tomato and mozzarella dish. The zuppa de pesce (fish stew) that Greg and I had for a main course and Wendy's homemade pasta with porcini mushrooms and Geoff's veal were also excellent. The most interesting new discovery was a paper thin wafer made from flour, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt which was served plain as nibbles with our pre-dinner Sardinian beers and then as a real delicacy we were served 2 pieces of these wafers sandwiched together with a soft cheese similar to fontina and heated in the oven. We also began our lessons on Sardinian wines by trying a bottle of white Vermentino, a grape variety mostly grown in the north of the mainland.
Monday August 30 we headed for our next stop, Marina di Portisco, on the north west coast in the area known as Costa Smeralda. Costa Smeralda (the Emerald Coast) was first developed in the 1960s by Karim Aga Khan and a small group of business men, who bought a huge area of the beautiful north west coast and established strict guidelines for the swish hotels and villas that have attracted the rich and famous ever since.
The natural beauty of the area is the biggest draw though. The granite mountains with strangely shaped boulders plunge into emerald waters with many inlets, coves and bays. As we motored past several islands on the way from Isola La Maddalena and Greg navigated our path down this stunning coast it was obvious why the Aga Khan and his mates cooked up their plan. Of course it was another glorious sunny day so we stopped for a swim in Cala di Volpe, with the emerald water temperature of 25 C, and noted the fabulous homes on the coastline and the incredible number of very large motor launches and yachts in the surrounding area.
We arrived at the marina about 5.00 pm, ready to enjoy the next few weeks in this extremely beautiful part of the world. Because we are racing in the Rolex Swan Cup, out of Yacht Club Costa Smeralda at Porto Cervo, from Sep 8-15 we need to be nearby for the previous week to prepare for the regatta. Marina di Portisco is only about 8 nautical miles south of Porto Cervo by sea and about 14 km south by road, placing us in a perfect place for the preparation.
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