Bari Sardo to Dorgali - Springtime Spin in Sardinia 2019 - CycleBlaze

May 21, 2019

Bari Sardo to Dorgali

I must start today’s entry by saying that I didn’t believe myself yesterday when I said we might need to reconsider how challenging the hills would be on Sardinia. Yesterday’s hills were the antipasti course. We found the hills today and I can say they were the primi, the scondi, the contorni  and dolci all rolled together.

We rode over the Genna Silana Pass at 1017m, after a 36km climb. Over the years we have ridden some long climbs but this one might just be the longest. All told, we climbed almost 1700m today. The weather cooperated beautifully and we were never too hot or too cold, nor did we get battered by the wind. There were so many incredible things to see today, I will tell the story mostly in photos. 

First off, a couple of doll pictures from our B&B. The B&B owner makes these using traditional Sardinian fibers, laces and objects. There must have been almost 50 different dolls on display throughout the B&B. She is working on a website so she can sell them outside of her small town.

Pair of Sardinian dolls.
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Traditional Sardinian doll.
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Kumquat tree at the Le Petunie B&B.
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Nearby Bari Sardo is the coastal community of Arbatax, a thriving tourist centre with a gorgeous beach, plenty of touristy services and a protected harbour with ferry services to the mainland as well as other islands. We headed there first thing to check it out. 

At the Arbatax harbour, looking towards today’s route.
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The water is crystal clear.
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After leaving Arbatax we passed through Tortoli and Lautzerai and were soon on our way up the mountain.
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The condition of the SS125 was excellent. Many twisties and curves made it a popular route with motorcycle riders. Not so much fun for cars, campers, and busses though.
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Baunei looked rather high up on the hill. Our route would pass right through it.
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Looking back down towards Arbatax.
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Baunei. Time for a panini already!
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Churches make good picnic spots.
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Soccer anyone? OK, as long as I don’t have to retrieve the ball.
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Long rock slide shelters protected the roadway.
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Up and up and up some more. A lot more!
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Looking back at a series of slide shelters we rode through.
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I spotted this Cytinus ruber at one of my rest spots. I actually thought it might be a piece of litter, but on closer inspection I discovered this amazing plant. Had to google it of course. This plant is parasitic on the rock rose which was growing everywhere in the alpine region.
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Wild cyclamens, growing at the same place as the cytinus above.
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White rock rose blanketed this section.
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Flowers along the way.
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Patty BarronAbsolutely! Dandelions are flowers! No question! 👍
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5 years ago
Check out the glorious conditions: mostly blue sky, mostly gentle winds from the rear and it was about 14-18 degrees, depending on the elevation.
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Photograph of the chief photographer.
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These grow in Victoria as shrubs. They are trees here, forming a good portion of the alpine forest. They’re called Corbezzola in Italian.
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Here, piggy piggy! They are hard to see but there are wild pigs of all sizes and colours running around down there.
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Looking down on a high plateau, home of more sheep and goats.
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More shelters on the way up.
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Inside the slide shelter is like a huge gallery.
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Ahhhhh, at last we arrived at the summit (1017m). It required 1700m of climbing all together to get here.
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Patty BarronWhat an amazing accomplishment, you two! Bravissimo!
( like doing the Malahat three times over!) yikes!
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View of Gorropu Canyon hiking trail and our road from Genna Silana summit. The views were unbelievable.
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At last, we could see the sea below us.
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The Gorropu Canyon is massive.
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It’s like an infinity road...it drops off an abyss into the unknown.
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After 17km of riding the downhill twisties at 40+ kmh, our destination Dorgali came into view.
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Streetscape of Dorgali. There is barely on straight wall in the town and many buildings are in rough shape. Yet, it is a modern and vibrant place.
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Dorgali’s streetsigns are all beautiful glazed tiles. House names and numbers are similar style.
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We had a short rest at our B&B, got cleaned up and headed out for an early 6:30 dinner at a fantastic pizzeria. We shared an ensalata mista, a pizza with mozza, mushrooms and sausage, and then a tiramisu. Of course, we were so hungry there are no pics of this memorable meal.

Well deserved artisan beers.
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Today's ride: 84 km (52 miles)
Total: 267 km (166 miles)

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Anne AnastasiouStill loving following your trip. It's great to get good weather and you can see where you are going and where you have been! So glad the weather is good for you. Those dolls are amazing! Great photos you guys. It is really capturing the feel. I'm getting itchy feet looking at your blog and thinking about our upcoming walk. It's so great to be out there enjoying all the sounds, smells and little details that you don't see from a car. Happy cycling. Love, Anne
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5 years ago
Scott AndersonI almost said something when you complained about the lack of hills, in Sardinia, but was confident you’d change your tune soon. This looks like a great ride, one we’d like to try some day. When we visited the island we just went up the west coast.
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5 years ago
Keith ClassenWell done! You haven’t wasted any time attacking those climbs. Great photos!
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5 years ago