Going back to Sardinia

I'm heading back to Sardinia soon. My wife Valentina and I will spend the Easter holiday with my in-laws in Palermo, and immediately afterwards we'll be on the ferry to Sardinia. We'll spend almost a week with my good friend Francesco Muntoni in the Ogliastra region on the east coast of Sardinia. Valentina then returns to Denmark and I'll start thinking about finishing my circumnavigation of the island.

I feel so incredibly lucky going back. The Golfo di Orosei is the most beautiful place I have ever paddled, and it's going to be fantastic returning there.

Francesco Muntoni knows the area and he is going to be a brilliant guide, just like he has been to so many others. He runs Cardedu Kayak which organises guided tours in the area, including multi day trips with camping in the natural reserves in the area.

The photo is taken by Francesco's wife when we first met him by chance on the water in early October. From left to right: Wendy, myself, Francesco and his son.

Skim Kayaks

In spite of the journey being put on hold until April or May, Skim Kayaks has generously offered to continue to sponsor me for the remainder of the journey.

Foto by Alex Solbach

I've paddled the Skim Distance in Sardinia for four weeks in different conditions, and it is a brilliant expedition kayak. It is stable, fast and spacious. I consider myself lucky to be able to finish my journey in such a boat.

Weather conditions in Sardinia are very changeable, and in a couple of occasions I paddled in winds up to force 6 and waves of several meters, which is more than I have tried before, but I never felt unsafe or unstable in the Skim Distance.

The speed of the Skim Distance is incredible. I'm not the racing type, and I was astonished to discover that I could get a fully loaded Skim Distance to go at 10-11 km/h, and at 7-8 km/h sustained. It would be very interesting to see what a competitive and dedicated race paddler could get out of a Skim Distance.

The Skim Distance is also a surprisingly agile boat when unloaded. I've paddled it for two weeks in Venice in September, and in spite of its notable length it was very easy to get around, both in the smaller channels of the city, between the other boats and outside the city, in the lagoon.

My thanks to Skim Kayaks and to Göran Pehrson for their continued trust in me.

Future plans

Since my part of Kayak Island Quest got blown off course in late October, I have thought about what to do. I knew immediately that I wanted to finish the journey at some later time, the only problem was when and how.

When Wendy and I first started, my wish was to paddle around Sicily. Sicily has held a special place in my heart for over 15 years, since I first travelled there in 1992 and later during my studies and writing about the Sicilian mafia. Wendy wanted to paddle in Sardinia, so we joined the two projects under the name Kayak Island Quest.

My journey in Italy this autumn has been marred with bad luck since the very beginning. First I manage to lose all my personal and vehicle documents on my way through Germany towards Italy. That left me in Venice without wallet, passport, driver's licence, two credit cards, motorcycle registration papers and medical insurance papers. I only had one credit card left, my mobile phone and a group of paddlers to guide in Venice. Within a few days my last remaining credit card died too. At that point I started to feel a bit of stress.

The lack of personal documents kept me in Venice for much longer than anticipated, until the local Danish consulate issued a temporary passport and I had my last remaining credit card sent down to me. At that point I had missed our rendezvous in Palermo, and Wendy came to Venice instead. We then had loads of problems getting two kayaks transported to Civitavecchia on a rented car. The 600 km trip took five days, a prolonged encounter with the Bologna police, a fine, two rented cars and an unplanned day visit in Rome before we could board the ferry to Sardinia. In all expenses of over €800 just for that little journey.

Once in Civitavecchia Fortuna Mala lost her precision. My camera almost died on me, Wendy's Nokia Nseries Internet Tablet almost got stolen and our kayaks almost got crushed under a truckload of wood, but we did arrive unscathed and could start our kayak journey the same day with only a few hours delay.

The demise of our partnership was just the icing on the cake after such a series of incidents :-)

Seen in a larger picture, the journey in Sardinia was probably the most beautiful and wonderful adventure I have ever been on. Sardinia has a coastline beyond belief, which no photo can render full justice. Paddling in crystal clear water, under towering mountain walls, in deep caves, along white sandy beaches, with flocks if little fish fluttering around the kayak, has all made it an unforgettable experience.

In any case, I'm not of a type that gives up easily, and I hate leaving things unfinished, so I will finish what I have started, sooner or later. It always was just a matter of when and how.

Naturally, there are many uncertainties in life, but I have decided to work towards a return to Sardinia in late April or early May to finish the circumnavigation of Sardinia. If possible, I will then continue to do the circumnavigation of Sicily. I expect to travel alone this time.

If I'm lucky, this will also allow me to participate in other kayak or paddling related events in Italy. I would dearly love to participate in the 34th Vogalonga in Venice on May 11, and in the Elba Mare Maratona on the island of Elba.

The journey continues...

Arrival in Sicily

Today the ferry arrived in Palermo, Sicily, 24 hours later than scheduled due to the rough seas. My friend Giacomo Della Gatta greeted me at the ferry and assisted in helping me with my Current Designs Solstice GTS kayak which paddled more than 900 km of Sardinian coastline. I appreciate the hospitality of Giacomo and his family and the support of Current Designs, who recognize that I am committed to achieving my goals safely. The logistics of this journey were simplified greatly through Giacomo's support. And through using sound judgement regarding my personal safety, this journey will continue when calmer seas will prevail. This journey is not over, this journey, like my ferry, is delayed:-)

Giacomo, an accomplished sea kayaker, has started a blog which is linked on his website.

For now, since my Sardinian circumnavigation is halted and since an unexpected change in circumstances has occurred, the continuation of "Kayak Island Quest-Sardinia/Sicily" will occur in May, 2008. Until then, I will be blogging at Kayak Wendy.

Ferry Delay in Cagliari

I know I've made the right decision to return in May to complete the circumnavigation, a mere 120 km remaining. Even my ferry boat to Palermo has not left dock. Why? The sea is too rough! I'm not surprised.

Thank you to Stefano Diano,local kayaker from Diana Canoe for assisting me in loading my kayak on the ferry from Cagliari to Palermo. He made my day with a simple gesture of kindness. Grazie.

So now, I'm exploring Cagliari, a beautiful city perched on a steep hillside with a labrynth of narrow, cobbled streets. I just go with the flow. The adventure continues, and will continue in May.

Last night was my first night in 1.5 months sleeping in a bed, in a cabin on the ferry for only 20 Euros for two nights! The feel of cotton sheets was divine.

Thank you to all who have helped me get this far in my journey.

Everything Happens for a Reason

I am a staunch believer that everything happens for a reason even if the reason is not clearly apparent initially. René's withdrawal was a blessing. I had two absolutely perfect days of solo paddling on calm water along striking scenery with caves, pinnacles, arches and dramatic capes to meet up with French kayaker Sylvain De Maio. Sylvain has a true joie de vivre spirit and has been an extraordinarily fun and reliable companion since meeting him so unexpectedly.

Both Sylvain and myself have decided to postpone the continuation of our journeys with some reluctance due to the prevailing, relentless, strong northwest winds which have blocked our progress at Portoscuso with no real respite predicted in the foreseeable future. This is November in Sardinia, and thus I plan, like Sylvain, to complete the last section of my Sardinian circumnavigation to Cagliari in May when more stable weather will hopefully prevail. I'm sure the reason will become apparent too why I am meant to return to complete my journey.

Familiar Places in Portoscuso

We have our favourite places here in Portoscuso. We visit the Mistral Café for accesing the internet, Su Strintu pizzeria/restaurant for dinner and il faro bar for cappucinos and hot chocolates. Hot chocolates here have the consistency of hot pudding. Alessandro (centre) works at the "il faro" bar and is an avid, talented kite surfer.