40:52.00N 08:23.1E Porto Torres

Ariel of Hamble
Jim and Valerie SHURVELL
Wed 20 Oct 2010 14:14

40:52.00N   08:23.1E   Porto Torres

 

We were up early to set off for Porto Torres as the weather forecast was stating the wind would blow later in the day.  As it was we motored out of the entrance missing the large rocks which are a little frightening in the swell for a few minutes.  The sails were up in no time with a reef in the main we tacked out to sea on our way to Porto Torres.  On the next tack it took us nearly to our destination and we only had to tack once more and with 18 ½ miles behind us we were in the entrance in a very good time.

Unfortunately, the marina is very small so we moored up to some old pontoons which were lying along the harbour wall.  The wall could be made very nice for visitors with a little thought. Later in the afternoon the marina gentleman arrived telling us we could not stay there and he showed Jim a spare space to move to.  After Frank, Sue and I disappeared to the train office he reappeared and asked Jim to move there now and he would help him.  Not an easy spot to move to due to shallow water but luckily we were there just in time to help him into the spot as we could see him disappearing as we arrived. The marina chap was just very helpful and obviously enjoyed his short journey on Ariel.

The wind blew all night long and the four of us did not get much sleep!!  It is due to blow until Wednesday we were told.  This is now becoming a weekend special every week for 4 to 5 nights as most of our guests will testify.  Frank and Sue left us on Saturday for their flight back to England.  It was sad to see them go as we had had a wonderful two weeks of sailing.

Porto Torres is located on a limestone headland on the north coast of Sardinia facing the Gulf of Asinara.  We had since learnt that school parties are taken out to the island of Asinara for school trips and stays to enjoy the turtle sanctuary among other activities like horse riding.  Porto Torres is one of the main harbours in summer time which connects Sardinia to the Italian mainland ports of Genoa and Civitavecchia, to Barcelona in Spain and to Marseille in Southern France and to Ajaccio and Propriano in Corsica.

Jim and I enjoyed a lovely Sunday walk along the coast line out of town where a great amount of time and money has been spent on gardens overlooking the sea in various spots. The beaches are shallow with transparent waters and around each corner is another little beach.

The town of Porto Torres was probably established by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. on the occasion of his stay in Sardinia.  The colony of Turris Lybisonis is authenticated by a complex of thermal buildings called Palazzo di Re Barbaro or King Barbaro Palace which stands out among the remains of the roman civilization dated between the beginning of the 11th and the end of the IVth century AD.  We were lucky enough to see the Roman Bridge that still stands today over the Rio Mannu which was built around the first century AD.  It is 135 metres in length and has seven arches.  There is a lot of digging going on and most of it under huge tents which we could not visit as it is closed to visitors for the winter months.

We have now been pinned to the pontoon for several days and with the winds blowing over 30 knots continuously we are here for at least another day or two. 

 

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