ARCHITECTURE + AIRBORNE European Travels: SARDEGNA, ITALIA

It was April and PJ and I were looking for some sun and sand. We decided on a trip to beautiful Sardegna [informazioni qui], an island off of the west coast of Italy. We made Cagliari our home base and stayed at a nice apartment that we found on AirBnB right in the center of town. The weather was a little less than ideal, at least for the beach, but we did manage to spend a half-day lounging during our last day on the island.

CAGLIARI

We rented a Fiat 500 [what else would you drive, that is under six figures, while in Italia?] and drove from the airport to the apartment. Our first day was spent exploring Cagliari. There are many shops and a nice port, but with all the rain we spent a good chunk of the day in various restaurants and bars. We did manage to explore many of the "must see" sights of the city as well. The old town is a "must see" as it is filled with churches, monuments, shopping, museums, and restaurants. The view from up there is great as well!

There are 2 towers from the 19th century still standing on either side of the city gates. They are called Torre Di San Pancrazio and Torre Dell’Elefante and were constructed at different times in the beginning of the 14^th C. They were built to guard the north entrance and the harbor district.

Another great sight in the old town is the Cathedral. It was built by the Pisans and Aragonese and was later restored during the 1930’s. The bell tower is original to the Cathedral.

The old city in general is a great place to wonder and get lost. Sights are wedged into nooks and crannies down every narrow street [making it quite hard to take good photos, allora!], but great to experience first hand.

Cagliari isn’t just made up of the old town though. There is a lively area of restaurants, cafes, bars, and shopping located between the old town and il mare!

view from our apartment

BOSA

I don’t really know how I found the town of Bosa, but I thought it would make for a nice stop on our way to Alghero. It was a colorful town tucked away on a hill along the fiume Temo. Bosa is known for its coral as well as fabrics, oil and wine.

The drive

PJ and I spent some time wondering through the woven maze-like streets while making our way up the hill. The shops in the area had fresh produce and the homes were colorful and vibrant.

Bosa marina is a quick drive down the street and that is where we ate lunch [Ristorante Chelo]. It was a little early in the beach season for the Italians so we had the place to ourselves. Our seats were prime and we had a beautiful view onto the beach and the Terre del Porto!

ALGHERO

Alghero [informazioni qui] is a beautiful town on the northwestern side of Sardegna. It is more of a quaint, walled city right on the Mediterranean Sea. It was fortified in the 1100’s and changed hands from the Genoses Doria family to the Aragonese and to the Catalan people, which heavily influenced the architecture of the city. Walking through the city, one can see gothic Catalan architecture around every corner!

It was the perfect town to sit and have a glass of local wine while exploring the walls and small streets.

The drive

Our Fiat 500

SPIAGGIA DI PORTO GIUNCO and the surrounding area

Our last morning we decided to hit the beach. It was the first truly beautiful day on the island and we headed off to a beach about an hour outside of the city in Villasimius [informazioni qui]. The reviews sounded perfect so off we went. We drove over rolling hills and traveled along the coast. Once there, we again realized how early it was for the beach season for the Italiani. The restaurant and bar had not been set up yet, but that didn’t stop me from lying on the soft sand [PJ wasn’t quite as into it]. The water was crystal clear and some of the bluest I have ever seen. The beach was a little tricky to find, but well worth it.