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I really had no idea what to expect. Virtualtourist was no help either since there were no specific tips about the place; so I arrived with no preconceptions.
What I found was a busy little town; a modern (by Italian standards) place that service a broader community up north.
I walked around bits of it when I first arrived and then tried to get a meal here another time and walked around some more.
I have to say it failed to inspire me greatly. While things were neat and tidy and it was a good place to go shopping, there were no great historical buildings and only one natural feature worth looking at.
Written Dec 15, 2009
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In Australia we'd call it bush bashing; i.e. taking off in virgin bush and finding your own way.
So it was that on a back road between Arzachena and Cannigione I went up a side street, pulled up and headed off. The weather wasn't kind, light rain fell now and then and the wind was annoying at times but I had a time opportunity so I was taking it.
My aim was to get to a specific gap set on a hillside but, in the end, I never made it. I found myself stuck in thick scrub, luckily with old trails here and there, taking whatever route seemed practical.
In the end I saw some different rocks and also came across some covered stone fences. These are interesting because they date back to a time when there were no fences but when Sardinia was invaded a coouple of centuries ago people were told that they had to have boundaries or else.
Sadly, many of the rocks came from the Nuraghi sites and small stone fences popped up everywhere and you'll often come across them unexpectedly like I did.
Written Dec 15, 2009
Favorite thing: What Arzachena is a good place for is the Nuraghi, the ancient civilization that had over 4,000 villages scattered harmoniously across the island. There's a centre, with tourist information next door, located just a couple of kilometres south of the town.
Here you can get a map to the sites (two are right next to the centre) and tickets to see the attractions.
Fondest memory: Initially, I simply followed a whim and headed off into the countryside; this before I had even been to the centre. First I came across what they call a giant's tomb around here. What they are is a communal burial site where the bodies were interred in a common grave.
That was interesting, though I had to leap a fence to get there as the apparently now defunct ticket site was closed.
I then pushed on up the road. More sites were indicated.
Updated Dec 15, 2009
Favorite thing: Mauro is a man with a passion. His passion is Sardegna, his love is history. Mauro could talk for the whole day about it without ever getting bored. Mauro brings things to life, as do all people who speak with passion. In fact, he could talk all day and you wouldn't get bored either.
How lucky was I that I mentioned, as an aside, that I did a bit of freelance journalism. From that moment on we had his undivided attention.
Fondest memory: Prisgiona is a site near Arzachena but it's not easy to find. It's on a short dirt road on a small hill and it's reshaping some of the ways that the Nuraghe civilization operated.
The first hut was unearthed in 1959 but it was 15 years before the main tower (pic 3) came to light. There are over 100 circular buildings (pic 2) known and the site was only opened in June 2008.
Mauro explained how they who made the decisions for the community used to meet in a roundhouse and he even showed us the exact building but, of course, as a first time visitor it's the towers that grab your attention. They are, after all, 2,500 to 3,500 years old.
The head archeologist, who Mauro insisted I mention, is Angela Antona and, apparently, she's even more enthusiastic than he is. I found that hard to believe.
Written Dec 15, 2009
Favorite thing: Sardinia has rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. By the time you leave you'll be rocked out. However, some stand out a lot more than others and this is one such formation. It sits tucked away on the hill that Arzachena is sited on but the signposting will point you towards it.
Tucked down a back lane it's worth a look (I went there twice), not only for the rock itself but there's a nice overview of the area from here.
Updated Dec 15, 2009
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