Alghero and the beautiful road south in Sardinia.

It’s funny how one chooses a place for one reason and find something wonderfully unexpected. Such is Alghero. The road south from Alghero is a classic ride well renowned across Europe. It’s also a beautiful seaside town with a Spanish old town.

This part of Sardinia saw themselves very much as Catalan, and the yellow and red striped colours of Catalonia were often seen. Even the beach umbrellas are in Catalan colours.

The old city is now has a seaside marina but is a beautiful example of a Spanish walled town.

A trattoria is a family run restaurant where the food is largely made by the family. At Trattoria da Mirko the family are also fisherman and make their of pasta. How could I resist the special of the day. Lobster on home made pasta!

The road south Alghero is just beautiful running over headlands and along the coast. The destination Dorgali in the mountains on the eastern side of the island for the next classic ride.

Enjoy some of the scenes of the road from Alghero to Dorgali and I’ll come back to Dorgali at the next blog.

Touring Northern UK on the mighty Breva II – a picture narrative

Went to England but not London

Went to Scotland but not Edinburgh

Didn’t do Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds

Touring a motorbike is on a different path

With strange admirers along the way

Crossing the Burway on the Welsh/English border

Started in Stoke

Made it to the top

Coast to coast

From Newcastle in the east

To Skye in the west

Past castles grand

And those that bare the scars of Britain’s violent history.

In search of monsters real or legend

In the highlands

And in the low

Went to England and didn’t do London

In Scotland missed Edinburgh

But saw a bit.

Mighty Breva II loaded and ready for the European adventure to come

Inverness and North Scotland

Inverness ancient trading city of the north

Vikings

Pictish

Roman

Scots

Romans

All have influenced this city

Inverness castle looms over the city

Destroyed and rebuilt a number of times

The Hanoverian garrison during the bloody Battle of Culloden that ended the Scottish uprising.

But I thing I was touched the by the Celtic Ray

At Hootananny where the beer and good craic flower

Inverness is the gateway to the very north of Scotland

The start and finish of the touring route the North Coast 500

It takes you the top of the British mainland

Dunnet Head the northern most point of mainland Britain

And the beautiful villages and dramatic coastline and history of North Scotland

Inverness’ Calladonian Canal opened a trading route into the northern highlands

Locks at the start of the Calladonian Canal stepping up to Loch Ness

So my rediscovery of the Celtic Ray stated in the old streets of Inverness.

Back on the Celtic Ray

Back in Glasgow

The light

The buildings have a new feel

Sight

Texture

I’ve been touched by the Celtic Ray (the Awen)

Harris Tweed Cap made on the Shetland Islands

‘Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Wales
I can hear the mothers’ voices calling
“Children, children, children”

Listen Jimmy! I want to go home.
Listen Jimmy! I want to go home.
I’ve been away from the Ray too long
I’ve been away from the Ray too long’ – words by Van Morrison

My heritage is Irish, my great grand parents migrating to Kalgoorlie in the 1890s

Part of the Irish diaspora.

But spending time in the north of Scotland has put me on the Celtic Ray

John O’Groats