38
JULY 2015
Sardinia is an island for drivingwith thewindows down andbreathing
deep. The sharp aromatic scents of wild rosemary, myrtle and lavender
fill the air as youbreeze along its quiet country roads. The rocky scrub
that lies between the huge ranges of spinymountains is blanketedwith
gnarledpine trees. Themotorways are fringedwithbrilliant pink and
yellow flowered shrubswavingwildly in thewind. Even the airport at
Olbia is plantedwith lavender as soon as you exit the terminal building.
And ifmemories aremost powerfully triggeredby your sense of smell,
then Sardiniawill linger in themind long after youhave departed this
richly storied island. From its ancient civilisations to its status as a colony
of theRoman Empire, to 1950s playgroundof the rich and famous,
Sardinia’s history is as intriguing as it is colourful.
Lying to the southof Corsica and thewest of Sicily, there is awildness
to the island that is entrancing, as huge swathes of itwill never be tamed
simply because of themountains that dominate the landscape. The
windscreenof the chunky red Fiat 500X I amdriving constantly frames
a viewof dramatic peaks that resemble the supine humps of sleeping
dinosaurs – spectacularly steepnarrow ridges of white-tipped granite.
The 500X is the ample new sibling of themuch-loved, fun-sized retro
Cinquecento, but eschews all signs of vintage styling inside andout.
Interiors arematt blackwith state-of-the art climate control andmedia
technology, bucket-shaped seats and a speedometer that pushes an
upper limit of 220km/hour. It feels like Fiat took the original and added
muscles and snarly front-end styling. I like it; it feels solid, substantial
and safe, which is not something youmight necessarily feel in a
Cinquecentowith a juggernaut bearing downon youon the
autostrada
.
Todaywe are driving south towards the townof Olienawhichnestles
in the shadowof themightyGennargentumountains, but decide first to
swing north fromOlbia to explore theworld-famous Costa Smeralda, the
area that drewmovie stars andmillionaireswhen theAgaKhan colonised it
in the 1950s, attracting affluent tourists to the island in glamorousdroves.
To the southof Pittulongu, the bijoux city beach, lies the spectacular
rumpof rock that is Tavolara Island. Sardinian folklore deems it legendary
on account of thewild goatswith gold teeth that once thrived there.
Today it is popular with yachties and scuba divers lured to the rock by
Ulysses’ Bow, a natural arch, and theGrotta del Papa (the Pope’s Cave),
accessible only by the sea and famous for its ancient cave paintings.
The roadwinds around the craggy coastline offering glimpses of
secluded inlets haloedbywhite sands that edge the turquoisewaters.
Aparadise for sailors, huge pleasure cruisers and tall-masted yachts dot
the horizon. Safe harbour formanyof these elegant craft is the super-chic
PortoRotondo, an immaculatemarinawith a gleamingNew-England style
yacht club. Next stop is chi-chi PortoCervo, wherewe are bemused to
find aRolls Royce showroom in the centre of this tiny village.Wemotor
on round the coast, and turn inland anduphill, hugging the road and
screeching roundhairpinbends, to themountain-top village of San
ONTHEROAD
{Olbia }
Between themountainsand thesea
WORDS: JANEWRIGHT; ILLUSTRATION:MARYANNECOOKE
Performance
Muscular, souped-up, fast
Engine
Diesel 1.6Multijet 120HP
Acceleration/topspeed
0-100km/h
in9.8 seconds; 185km/h
Consumption
69l/100km
Price
€24,800
Anhour andahalf fromOlbia, thewhitewashed,
blue-shuttered
SuGologone
offers 70 rooms and
suites, a turquoise swimmingpool, a spa, three
restaurants, abakery, several sun terraces, craft
shops andanarts centre. From€105per person
per night half board.
sugologone.it
Fiat
500x
Cross
Plus
Where
tostay
