“If you smile at me I will understand ‘cause that is something everybody everywhere does in the same language.” – from “Wooden Ships” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash
“Pilgrimage is necessary in some shape or other…We have to come to the end of a long journey and see that the stranger we meet there is no other than ourselves.” – Thomas Merton
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding”
“Getting out of the house” means getting out of your back yard, your comfort zone, your habitual kayaking venues. This June I got out of the house with a vengeance, traveling to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. There is nothing extreme about Sardinia, unless it is the beauty, happiness, and friendliness of the people. But for me, this trip was still Extreme. My kayak was not my usual Tsunami washdeck but a typical touring kayak complete with spray skirt. New equipment, new paddling companions, and a completely new kayaking environment, plus flying for a day and a half to get there. EXTREME!
The first day of kayaking our guide Claudio excused me from using my spray skirt. I love that man! As it turned out, the likelihood of tipping over or getting swamped was virtually nil. I have never paddled flatter waters. Nevertheless because of the unfamiliar nature of my equipment the first day I wasn’t very relaxed and consequently got sore muscles. No rudder and a paddle with blades offset at an angle I wasn’t used to required adaptation.
The only time I lost it was when I tried to get into my kayak by stepping into the boat when it wasn’t anchored to the beach. Normally I get into my kayak Tsunami style, taking the boat out past the break and then jumping in butt first, swinging my legs in after. But there was no break and Claudio showed me how to get into my kayak by standing in the cockpit, sitting on the coaming, sliding my legs in and lowering my butt in last. I’m not used to shoving off the shore with my paddle and I protect my shoulders (old rotator cuff injuries) so I wanted to get in while my boat had a little buoyancy. I pulled my boat out a ways and stepped in. As some of you may have discovered, it’s hard to stand on a tippy kayak while it’s afloat and as I lowered myself in the boat tipped over. Barbara: “What are you doing?” Me as I fall into the water in slow motion: “Falling over.”
I also did an inadvertent seal landing. On our third day out I was getting cocky and decided to cruise through a small opening in the rocks close to shore. I paddled briskly toward the narrow channel. As I approached I saw that the channel wasn’t as deep as I had thought. I could see rocks inches below the surface and only a tiny space in which to pass through. It turned out that though I could steer great on open water, in a narrow space without a rudder I couldn’t make the kayak turn as tightly as needed and instead of slipping through the slot I slid up onto a shoulder of rock in a neat little seal landing. I shoved off with a hard thrust of my paddle, but had my center of gravity been higher I probably would have flipped.
We had eight full days in Sardinia, six of which were supposed to be paddling days, but we ended up paddling only four because of weather, mostly wind but also thunderstorms. On our last day on the water, Claudio and I were waiting for the others and I was gazing out at Corsica in the distance. As I watched, I saw a massive white lightning bolt connect the black thunderclouds with the sea and we heard an ominous rumble. The thunder kept coming, and at Claudio’s behest we quit for the day. As it turned out that was our last day on the water because although the thunder and lightning departed, the winds came up and continued to blow for the next three days. We didn’t miss out on the features we were supposed to see though because we hiked those places instead.
Sardinia is very beautiful and learning new skills in a new kayak was fun. But what I really got out of the trip was how great the people are. I can’t say enough about how kind and friendly everyone was from the security folks at the airports to the people on the street, and most especially our guide Claudio and his lovely girlfriend Valentina who hung out with us some and cooked Barbara and me a delicious dinner on my last night in Sardinia. I spent my last day alone, strolling along the promenade to the white sandy beach, watching kids play foosball, watching adults play beach volleyball, listening to music, smiling at people and having every one of them smile back at me, buying cornettos and fresh squeezed orange juice at little snack shacks and drinking the local lager. Everyone seemed so chill. I thought to myself, “I really like this place!”
Despite the photo above (and we all know about surfers) in 9 nights and 10 days I didn’t get a negative vibe from a single Sardinian. The Italians too were fantastic. And may I say one of the great things about this vacation was that in spite of the veritable Lucullan feast complete with red and white wine we had every night, thanks to all the kayaking and hiking I didn’t gain a pound!
Please share your thoughts and comments by clicking below. And if you’re interested in traveling to Sardinia, contact Claudio Desiati at SardinianDiscovery.com. I highly recommend him!
Nancy, what an amazing adventure! How perfect it all was, including the stormy weather. It gave you an opportunity to explore the land as well. We adore Italy and have never been to a bad area or met anyone who wasn’t friendly and just appreciative of their life and sharing what they have with others. Glad you are home safe and sound!
Hey Alison, thanks for commenting! It was truly perfect. I just got back from another kayak adventure on Kauai and something I noticed about both trips is that when things don’t go according to plan people get edgy. I am happy to say that as you say the stormy weather actually contributed to the positivity of my experience in Sardinia and Kauai as well. Plus I think the clouds contributed to the beauty of the landscapes. It’s good to go with the flow.
Wow, what a trip! The kayaking, the rocky shores, the people, the towns, the history, and the food! I found myself going back to the photos of the food, especially the one with the shrimp, calamari, and lemon. Must be my Sicilian heritage…my mother’s mother came over from Messina when she was 14, and of course much of my mother’s (and aunts’) cooking was of Sicilian origin. (Growing up in an Italian neighborhood of Boston also molded my culinary tastes). I imagine Sardinian cuisine has to be very similar. Now I just have to convince my wife that we should go there for a vacation!
Hi Tony! I totally recommend a trip to Sardinia. Claudio could hook you up with all kinds of outdoor adventure. And Tsunami Ranger Deb Volturno is heading for Sicilia this fall. Maybe I can get her to do a post. Deb, you out there? 🙂
Yes, the food was amazing. Colorful and yummy! The wine is great as well. We tasted wine at a small winery one afternoon. All the wine, both red and white has an interesting flavor that I imagine comes from the unique qualities of the air and soil. Upon returning I was able to find Sardinian wine here in Ashland! And all the places we stayed were wonderful too.
Nancy,
What a great adventure! I love all the stunning scenery…from the rock formations to the Ancient Roman Columns to the beautiful water to the fabulous looking food. You are quite a good photographer. How nice to visit a place where the people were so gracious and kind. We will all have to get together soon so we can hear some of your favorite stories from your trip.
Hi Susan! Yes, it was great. Thanks for saying the photography is good – I am trying! I talked to Vickie yesterday and we’d like to get together with you and Katrina for a potluck at my place. She’s going to send out an email. We’ll talk soon 🙂
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for sharing your adventures. I have not been to Sardinia, so your blog really put a face on it as a destination. I am so glad that all of the travel arrangements that Bay World did for you worked out well and thank you for your business.
Thank you Ginger! I had some anxiety about flying to Sardinia and making all the connections but everything went so smoothly. You made my trip about as easy as I could imagine it.