European Honeymoon

Since originally brainstorming for our Honeymoon, a few big changes in thought have transformed it into a less strenuous but I think ultimately more rewarding and relaxing trip. I came to the realization that while it would be fantastic to tour through Bavaria, Austria and the Alps towards Venice, such a trip would also involve a huge amount of driving (in the days following the happiest and busiest days of our young lives), packing and unpacking, and non-stop touring. Additionally, while my Fiancée was definitely excited about the plan, I could tell something was missing...some romantic relaxation time on a beautiful beach.  Initially I looked at Lido as a possibility, but compared to what we have in the Caribbean, it just didn't seem to fit the bill, and felt more like what it would have been- a convenient compromise.

This frustration is what led me to begin researching around the Med for something that would match the vision that  I had in mind, without stretching the bank beyond reason. I've spent time on the Amalfi Coast and Italian Riviera, and love both, but since my Fiancée has never been to Europe I wanted to find a place that offered that same kind of beauty but also a new experience and adventure for both of us. Enter Sardinia.

How I had missed this huge Mediterranean island as an option amazes me, but I guess I'm not alone. Apparently Sardinia is just beginning to gain some popularity stateside, even though Europeans (especially Italians) have been flocking there for years. It has mountains, it has ruins, it has pricey resorts and cute B&B's. It has genuine old towns and villages and an interior where the old ways are still practiced and honored. And it has beaches- hundreds and hundreds of miles of what many seem to think are some of the best beaches in the Med and even throughout the world. After reading tons of reviews and sifting through numerous albums, I was pretty confident I'd found our beach destination. The best news was the option of cheap flights to and from Venice-Treviso to Sardinia.

So my new, and I think final plan is thus:

1) Fly into Venice and spend our first nights there- I'd like to do 4, optimally. I want enough time not only to see the main sights, but to really get lost in the city- wandering through the different sestiere and having time to visit Murano/Burano/Torcello if we wish.

2)Fly from Venice to Sardinia, landing in either Olbia or Alghero, renting a car, and driving to a small hotel or B&B in the vicinity of the Orosei Gulf. This should give us the freedom to explore the mountains and beaches of the island, and keep us within driving distance of most of the places I'd like us to visit. If some of the beaches in the north seem to be a bit too far for a relaxing day trip, perhaps I'll book a single night or two closer to those areas. In all, I'd like to spend about a week in Sardinia for a proper period of rest and exploration.

I'll add more specific details as I can, but with a little more than a year to go, this is where we are.