Sardinia’s wild west

The journey continues northwards across Sardinia’s wild west. In the Iglesias region, over 2,000 years of mining history have transformed the landscape into a Swiss cheese. Similar to the Ruhr region, history is only just beginning to be converted into new jobs.

We visit the Nebida mine beneath rust-brown mountain slopes. We then continue on to Porto Flavia, an impressive piece of mining under Belgian management from the late 1920’s. Our Smurf enthusiastically trolls with us through deep, dark tunnels. The Galeria Henri in Buggeru is unfortunately closed.

We often look for our accommodation without doing much research. “Location fits, looks good” is usually enough for us. This often results in big surprises. On the last 30 kilometres to our destination for the day, we don’t see a single other car. The village of Ales is dreamily located in a remote green region of Sardinia that I have never visited before on any of my trips.

Sheep graze between carpets of yellow flowers. Two smoking grandpas sit in front of the only village pub. The Dadanca bed and breakfast is located in the even smaller neighbouring village of Zeppara. Operator Luca is a well-travelled treasure in his own right. In his grandma’s house, he celebrates hospitality and good jazz as a religion. The breakfast with its homemade orange marmalade, medlars and ricotta lemon cake is simply stunning.

The little one walks with us a full three and a half kilometres on her own two feet through the cork oak forest “Bosco di Fiaba” with its mythical creatures. Flowers, bees and dozens of birdsong sing a song of peace

Google Maps leads us along 12 kilometres of dirt tracks not to the planned waterfall, but to the 812-metre-high Monte Arci. As the only mountain in the wide surrounding area, the view is gigantic. however, 30 cm deep washouts, an approaching thunderstorm and the fear of a GPS tracker installed in the hire car mean that we have to turn back at some point.

The next restaurant, Abas in Ales, serves food at almost perverse prices. You can get an excellent two-course meal with water and top-quality wine for 20 euros. In the village pub next door, a large Ichnusa costs €2.50.

Mari Ermi, a good hour away, unfortunately only brings rain and no wind, and the Oristano shopping centre gives you the certainty that you can also pay a lot of money for dirty plastic. Google Maps adapts to the idiotically low speed limits. If you always drive at the speed limit, you will reach your destination in one and a half times the time.

We fly over lonely roads back to our sweet nowhere. This time we find the waterfall we were aiming for at Su Riu Is Alonis and enjoy an ice-cold shower. In the evening, four little owls sing us to sleep in perfectly harmonised thirds.