Sunday October 13 was a travel day. It started out well, as our hosts Andrea and Giovanna picked us up at 7:30 a.m. and took us to the train station. We caught the 8:00 a.m. ARST (regional) train to Sassari. We arrived on time at 8:40 a.m. We had tickets for the 10:22 a.m. Trenitalia train to Cagliari. We noticed on the departure board, there was no track listed for our train and the letters SOPP were beside the train number. We went over to the ticket office and just before we talked to the ticket agent, I saw a foreboding sign.
While at first we didn't recognize the word "sciopero", I got the sense that there were no trains between 9:00 p.m. Saturday October 12 until 8:59 p.m. on Sunday October 13. A quick check with Google Translate informed us that "sciopero" indeed meant "strike". We had just ducked being caught in a Port strike in Corsica (they settled after one day out on strike). This was a definite October surprise!
The ticket agent did not have any real suggestions for getting to Cagliari, but gave us the bus station address which was nearby. We already knew that there was not a direct bus to Cagliari but hoped we could get there with two busses. We walked over to the bus station which is really a huge lot with bays where the busses leave from. There is a small office, but it was closed on Sunday.
We went to talk to one of the bus drivers in one of the docks. He told us that he didn't think we could get to Cagliari by bus! Fortuitously, a young woman overheard our conversation and said that she had just checked schedules for another couple and there was a bus to Nuoro (where she was headed) and then a later bus from there to Cagliari. The bus from Sassari to Nuoro left at 10:00 a.m, so we did not have long to wait. There was a couple from Tokyo who were also trying to get to Cagliari from Sassari. We got to Nuoro at 11:45 a.m. and then took a look at the bus schedule. It appeared that the only afternoon bus left at 2:20 p.m. (later than the young woman had thought), but got in earlier than she had said. We were now due to arrive in Cagliari at 4:50 p.m.
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| The strike notice at the Sassari train station |
We had 2 1/2 hours to kill in Nuoro before the 2:20 bus. Most stores were closed on Sundays. We found a wonderful pastry store just down the street and the baker told us where there was an open coffee shop.
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| We bought a few treats here |
The small coffee bar had a few tables inside where some men were playing cards and having a glass of wine. The very nice server got our coffees (very good) and we had two excellent vegan cornetti. It was a beautiful sunny day in Nuoro, so the wait was not too bad.
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| Alonso outside the caffè |
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| Espresso and our cornetti |
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| A statue nearby--- Nuoro is actually a very pretty town in Central Sardinia. Population around 36,000. |
The bus at 2:20 p.m. was packed and there were too many people to fit on just one bus. Luckily, our bus driver called for a second bus and we left only about five minutes late. There were lots of students on the bus.
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| Lots of sheep in Sardinia-- great pecorino cheeses- view from the bus |
We finally got to Cagliari at 4:55 p..m. - pretty well on-time. All we can say is thank you to that woman that overheard our conversation with the bus driver in Sassari. The bus driver was not very helpful. We are not sure what our Plan B would have been. We arrived in Cagliari only three hours later than our original train time.
The weather was gorgeous. Blue sky and a high of 26C. We were only about a seven minute walk from our Airbnb. Giovanni, our host, met us in front of the apartment building. We are on the second floor and there is an elevator. He showed us around the apartment- gave us a map and a sheet of recommendations for restaurants, bakeries etc. Giovanni also had a few guidebooks, which are very helpful. It is a well equipped apartment with a small balcony.
There are four districts (Quartiere) in the Old Town. The Castello district- the medieval fortified Citadel where a number of museums are located and where there are great city views; the Marina district- which consist of narrow streets near the Port. Many restaurants are located in that district.
There is also the Stampace district-- which houses the Roman Amphitheatre and the Botanical garden and the buzzy Piazza Yenna. Stampace was Cagliari's medieval working class district. In the 14th century, when the Aragonese were in charge, the Sards were forbidden to enter the castle after nightfall. If caught they were thrown off the castle walls, with the benediction stai in pace (rest in peace), a phrase that over time gave rise to the neighbourhood's name- Stampace. Our Airbnb is located in this district.
Finally, there is the Villanova district, a 19th century district with boutiques, street art and some Art Nouveau architecture. The most ancient church in town is located there. The entire Centro Sorico (Old Town) is walkable (though there are also buses) but the city is quite hilly and can be challenging. We are very centrally located, just minutes from the Marina area and not far to the other Districts.
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| Outside our apartment building- very centrally located -easy to get to all the different districts |
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| Large bedroom |
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| Balcony area outside bedroom |
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| Bathroom |
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| Kitchen area |
We headed down to the Tourist office which is found in the imposing City Hall near the Port. Only about a seven minute walk from our apartment. Fortuitously, it was open until 8:00 p.m.
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| City Hall |
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| Marina at night |
It turned out the large department store, La Rinascente, was open until 9:00 p.m. Alonso checked out one of his favourite designers, Paul Smith, and couldn't resist the wonderful Teddy T-shirt.
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| Alonso couldn't resist |
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| Teddy Tee |
We continued to walk along the waterfront and then headed up through the Marina district to Piazza Yenne, which is in the Stampace district, not far from our apartment.
We have noticed that the Sardinian flag, like the Corsican flag, has severed heads. We found out that the flag is composed of the cross of St. George, also a symbol of the Crusaders fighting in the Holy Land, and four severed Moors' heads. There are a number of theories about the meaning of the four heads but they convey an era in Sardinia of bloody conflicts between Islam and Christianity. In 1720, the Savoys superimposed their Savoy coat-of-arms on the Four Moors who they blindfolded and turned to the left. The latest revision of the flag, dated 2005, raised the bands above the eyes and has the heads facing right.
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| Tee shirt with the Sardinian flag |
Piazza Yenne was very busy on a warm Sunday evening. Lots of restaurants and bars.
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| On Piazza Yenne |
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| Lots of choice where to eat |
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| We decided to eat at Etoma, which was up a quieter side street |
Pizzas in Sardinia are awesome. There are usually about 10-15 choices of toppings. Of course, they all have cheese, except for the Marinara, which I order. The crusts are light and thin on the bottom.
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| Alonso had a pizza with anchovies, capers, basil and fior di latte cheese and tomato sauce |
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| Marinara and a Spritz for me |
We have found the price of food in Sardinia lower than in Corsica. My pizza was just seven euros and Alonso's was 10 euros.
We passed a number of restaurants serving appetizers piled high-- the concept was great, but it looked like a lot of bread with bits of cheese, charcuterie and small bites of pizza. Lots of kids eating at these places.
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| Appetizers piled high |
We were both very tired from a stressful trip. But as they say, all's well that ends well!
Monday October 14 was another beautiful day. Sun and a high of 26C.
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| View from our balcony- lots of buildings have trees on the top level |
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| Breakfast on the deck. Alonso makes our espresso in our Nanopresso (travel espresso maker) |
We headed out to the San Benedetto Mercado, about a 30 minute walk north. It is located just outside the Old Town. We walked through some of the Villanova district to get there.
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| We walked through Piazza Yenne again-- Statue of Carlo Felice (1765-1831) erected in 1869. He was Sardinia's king from 1821 until his death in 1931. He is posing as an ancient Roman. |
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Loved this box of "Good Hair Day Pasta" in a specialty shop.
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We stopped to pick up a cornetto at Caffè Pasticceria Tramer, which dates to 1857.
We passed an amazing Art Nouveau building in mint condition.
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| Fabulous details |
The market was only a few streets away. It is an old-fashioned market in a large building. Of course, because it was Monday, there were no open fishmongers, and the market was not at full speed.
Outside of the Market
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| Fruit and Veg |
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| Salumeria-- we got some charcuterie here |
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| Bread shop |
We wandered through the market and couldn't resist a serving of fried mix fish at a family stand.
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| Server |
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| Our frito mista-- shrimps, squid, small white fish and vegetables |
We then headed back the way we came. We wanted to have a coffee and a light bite at Antico Caffè, which is located in Constitution Square. Apparently D.H. Lawrence and Sardinian Nobel Prize writer Grazia Deledda (1871-1936) once frequented this grand caffè which opened its doors in 1855.
Antico Caffè
The Caffè is across from the amazing Bastione di Saint Remy (Bastion of Saint Remy). This is the city's most spectacular piazza. The vast neoclassical structure with its monumental stairway and panoramic terrace was built into the city's medieval walls between 1899 and 1902. The Terrace has amazing views over Cagliari's rooftops to the sea and distant mountains.
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| Bastione di Saint Remy |
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| We sat at outdoor tables across from the Caffè with an amazing view of the Bastione |
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| Alonso with his macchiato- I had a freddo (cold coffee) |
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| In Sardinia, there is always flat bread in their bread baskets (sometimes it tastes like cardboard, other times when it is salted, it is quite nice). |
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| Having lunch across from Bastione di Saint Remy- Salad Niçoise |
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| Inside of Antico Caffè |
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| Corner view of Caffè and beautiful building on the left |
After lunch, it was time to climb the stairway to reach the Terrace of the Bastione di Saint Remy.
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| First look from the stairway-- Antico Caffè has the green awning on the left- we sat across the road at their outdoor seating for lunch. |
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| View from the Terrace |
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| Moi |
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| Enjoying the sun in Cagliari |
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Panorama
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| Gorgeous building-- just beside the Antico Caffè |
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| The Marina and Sea in the distance |
We took an elevator down from the viewing level and then found a lovely narrow garden to walk through under the walls.
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| Looking up at the citadel |
There was a sign with information about the sculptures in the garden. Pinuccio Sciola (1942-2016) was a very important contemporary Sardinian sculptors. There were a number of his pieces in the garden.
We headed back to the apartment and then decided to go for a walk in the Marina area before having dinner at the apartment. We passed the ruins of the oldest church inside Cagliari's city walls. Santa Lucia dates to 1119. They are still working on excavations.
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| It is fenced off-- but an amazing structure just in the middle of the Marina District |
We wandered through the narrow streets of the Marina area. There are mainly restaurants and bars in this district- very few shops except a wonderful pastry shop and one good Sardinian specialties shop. There are a number of tacky tourist shops in this area--- many more than Alghero. The restaurants were just starting to open at 7:30 p.m. Sardinians tend to eat later than Corsicans and Parisians.
We headed back to the apartment for a light dinner. More exploration on Tuesday.
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