Cagliari is Sardinia’s lively capital and a foretaste of Naples

We left Olbia reluctantly because we had such a nice time there. 

We were even able to see a local folk parade through the town when all the local groups parade in their unique traditional costumes.

From Olbia, we made our way south to Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, which we were told is a good foretaste of what we can expect to find in Naples.

Our route to Cagliari was down the west side of the island through Macomer and Oristano and along the E25 (SS13).

On the way, we stopped in the middle of nowhere at a coffee shop and I was blown away to find a beautiful long black marble coffee bar with two smartly dressed guys serving and using two of the most high-tech coffee making machines I have ever seen.

The coffee was amazing and I had a hard time believing that such quality was available out in the boonies; you would be hard pressed to find the same quality in downtown Vancouver.

In Cagliari, we started with a visit to the botanical garden where we spent a lot of time being introduced to native Sardinian plants as well as trees and shrubs that are widely used here.

Varieties of myrtle are popular along with evergreen oaks and various types of olive and pine as well as artemisia and salvia and rosemary plants, particularly prostrate, creeping rosemary. 

Some of the palm trees here are being devastated by a spider infestation that is causing a great deal of damage to their fronds.

Some of the trees have been stripped and pruned back in an effort to help them regenerate but the disease, believed to be caused by an insect, is not easy to control.

Elsewhere in the botanic garden, we found huge fig trees, one that is at least 100 years old, as well as some immense agave and towering tropical euphorbias.

In the town, we wandered around the old quarter and up to the 13th century cathedral and we also found some fabulous little restaurants and shops selling great olive oil with interesting flavours for using with fish or barbecue dishes or salads.

It was fun to wander around the town, but there is never enough time to see it all. The beaches here are supposed to be amazing and I never had time to get to the castle and the views over the city. Some of my group did and they tell me it was exceptional.

I enjoyed the street cafe and the buzz of the local activity. I was amazed at what a simple cafe gives you when you order an aperol spritz and a white wine: a plate full of delicious cheeses and olives and other snacks  . . . all for free. Amazing generousity. And the bill was still only 11 euros.

The rest of our time here was spent exploring the city and buying some gifts and preparing for our time in Naples and the gardens around there and on neighbouring islands of Ischia and Procida.

swhysall@hotmail.com

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