Deluge

The forecast said thunderstorms in the night and morning, and thunderstorms we got. The first came at 4 in the morning, and gave me a good idea about why some people find thunder scary. It was just overhead, lightning almost continually while a constant thunder rolled back and forth over the sky.

After the thunder came a downpour which has continued since, transforming most of the camping into muddy pools. Another thunderstorm passed in the early morning, around 7-8, and yet another as I’m writing this, at 11-12.

The current forecast promises more thunderstorms for the rest of the day, followed by light rain during the night. Friday should be clear and sunny, about 20° C and moderate winds. Saturday and Sunday will have scattered clouds but at that time I hope to be well clear of the Alghero area and more towards Bosa.

I’m a bit worried about my tent. Its an old Jack Wolfskin lightweight tent which has served me well for some 15 years, but it is a long time since it has taken this kind of weather. When the rain was at its worst this morning, it had accumulated quite a few drops of water on the inner tent, so the seams of the outer tent might be leaking. The inside of the tent has stayed nice and dry until now, but I have taken the precaution of leaving it empty except for my thermorest and my sleeping bag packed in a dry bag. If necessary I’ll bivy under a roof somewhere in the camping, since I have it all for myself.

There’s little I can do with a day like this, so I just hang around bars, writing emails, looking at weather forecasts and maps and drinking huge amounts of Italian coffee.

Two seconds ago I could enjoy the spectacle of an Ape aqua-planing across the church square here in Fertilia. For the uninitiated, an Ape is a three-wheeled micro-lorry with 50cc engine, hence legally a scooter here in Italy, so they’re often driven by elderly people without a driver’s license. Does wonders for traffic safety.