Sardinia, then; in no particular order:
- The landscapes and topography are varied and extremely agreeable. Of the parts I've seen, most of the countryside has been rolling hills with lots of escarpments, and commonly covered in holm oak / cork oak woodland. This is interspersed with agricultural landscapes dominated by traditional, low-key arable / livestock management. Ley grasslands and totally unmanaged areas are vast. As a result, it's brilliant for wildlife. The mountains to the east are dramatic and picturesque. The wetlands to the west are somewhat like the Camargue, but without any concession (at all) to tourism. In all, human impact is comparatively low.
- The natural history interest is enormous. The flora is spectacularly and effortlessly Mediterranean and the Islands proximity to Africa means the birdlife is interesting to say the least. Species like the Barbary partridge (which I've - as mentioned - been privileged enough to encounter) do not ordinarily feature in Europe other than on this island. Butterflies and bugs are omnipresent and massively enchanting. Without even particularly trying, I've frequently spotted wild boar and been lucky enough to see Sardinian red deer. Altogether. the island is a dream in terms of its wildlife interest.
- The roads are a mixed bag. There are toll-free super-stradas that are mainly well surfaced and allow for swift progress. Thereafter it's a lottery. Some roads are full of potholes and quite literally crumbling over the edges of precipices: others are OK. I rely upon Open Street Map maps for navigation and with OSM, some 'tracks' here are like single-track roads, whilst some 'roads' are no more than sheep-droves that you could only take a tractor down.
- Communities are infrequently encountered but when they are tend to be extremely clustered. The norm seems to be to live on top of one another. That said, isolated farms are common, too.
- Driving through some towns is extremely challenging. Space is very limited and streets narrow. Very often I encountered 90° turns with poorly parked cars and overhanging verandas / guttering etc. On about three occasions, had I been in the truck, I would have been completely and utterly stuck. In a larger vehicle, pre-planning a route through or round towns would be imperative.
- Traffic out of towns is extremely light, even on the major roads and I didn't witness any aggressive driving at all. Away from the super-stradas and other larger roads, it's possible to drive for ages without even seeing another vehicle: or human. Bumbling about is easy and is a very relaxing and enjoyable experience.
- The people. Well, I haven't really seen many or interacted much at all. They just seem to keep an extremely low profile. In the rural areas I've spent most of my time in, I've occasionally seen and waved to farmers if they've been passing by whilst I've been scoping, and though they've been friendly and waved back, have pretty much nothinged me and just got in with their farming. There seems to be no animosity towards free-range gringos.
- Camping off formal sites (I didn't see any) has been a doddle. Pootle about, pick a spot, and there you go. Space is vast and open and people don't seem to move about much at all. With suitable choices. utter solitude can almost be guaranteed.
- Shepherd's and dogs. Well, there are some and the dogs are large. Some such dogs often seem to wander at will with semi-nomadic flocks. It was never a problem but I was a bit wary.
- Upland livestock. I mentioned before that the management of livestock in the mountains is perplexing. Cattle, pigs, goats, donkeys and sheep seem to have absolutely no restriction to movement and absolutely no indication that there's any attempt monitor them. They're all over, from high in the hills to lying on public roads. The system would seem to work for Sardinians, but it must be a nightmare gathering flocks and herds.
- Civic pride is pretty good (apart from round Sassari). There were occasional plastic bottles in ditches and such but on the whole it was way better than England.
- In all, I really like it. It's definitely very different to its neighbouring Corsica, particularly culturally.