20 days Holiday in Europe

It’s been a while since Frode and I took a proper holiday just for ourselves.

We’ve had holidays, but since COVID, whenever we had time off, we always visited family to make up for the time we couldn’t see them during lockdown.

So this time, we decided to do something just for us — and randomly picked Sardinia, Italy.

The criteria were quite simple: good food, good weather, a good beach, and somewhere we’d never been before.

We’ve done quite a bit of Italy during our Round the World trip in 2014 (Rome, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Venice, and Milan...).

I also visited Firenze, Naples, and Capri with my mom back in 2012 — but Sardinia was a first for both of us!

And since it’s in Europe, we also decided to visit Frode’s family at the beginning of the holiday: five days in Norway, then the rest in Italy.

Our Itinerary:

1. Stavanger, Norway – 5 days

2. Pisa & Livorno – 2 days

3. Palau – 2 days

4. Castelsardo – 3 days

5. Bosa – 1 day

6. Cagliari – 2 days

7. London – 1 day

Travel Map

1. Stavanger, Norway 

A short visit to Frode’s hometown, catching up with friends and family, and enjoying delicious Norwegian food.

Too short — but quality time with family!

Walking around the lake

>> More on Stavanger, Norway visit

2. Pisa & Livorno 

First time visiting Pisa for both of us.

We spent a day exploring Pisa and climbed the Tower of Pisa.

The next day, we took the train to Livorno, spent the day there, and in the evening caught an overnight ferry to Sardinia.

Boarding the ferry

>> More on Pisa & Livorno

3. Palau 

After arriving in Olbia and picking up our rental car, we drove up to Palau — a lively summer resort town and gateway to the stunning La Maddalena Archipelago.

Palau is known for its beautiful beaches, crystal-clear waters, and unique rock formations — including the iconic Bear Rock (which we didn't visit!).

While staying in Palau, we also did a day trip to Aggius and Tempio Pausania.

Piattaforma di Panoramica

More on Olbia to Palau 
 

4. Castelsardo 

Castelsardo is a beautiful medieval town perched on a rocky promontory on Sardinia’s northern coast, overlooking the Gulf of Asinara.

It’s known for its well-preserved historic centre, narrow cobbled streets, and stunning sea views.

We found a great Airbnb and stayed for four days — loved it!

While based in Castelsardo, we did a day trip to Spiaggia della Pelosetta, Alghero, and Sassari!

View from our balcony

More on our stay in Castelsardo. 

5. Bosa 

We spent one night in Bosa — a lovely town on Sardinia’s western coast, nestled along the Temo River.

It’s famous for its colourful houses and scenic riverfront.

Such a pretty place! 

View of the town from Scale al castello

More on Bosa

6. Cagliari 

Cagliari is Sardinia’s capital, located on the island’s southern coast. This was our last stop before flying out.

We stayed for two days, explored the old town on foot, met lots of local cats, and ate plenty of traditional Sardinian food.

Small streets of Cagliari

More on Cagliari

7. London 

We stayed in London for one night before catching our 30+ hour flight back to Sydney, Australia.

Managed to catch up with friends and I even squeezed in some shopping!

Dinner in London :-)

We had such an amazing time!!

Sardinia is a beautiful place and we could have easily spent a few months there...
We didn’t love the coperto in Italy, but we loved everything else!

Now it’s time to get back to work (boo!) — and start planning the next holiday. :-)

Recharged!