The Trip to Sardegna - Cagliari

A Happy Communism to Everyone, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Not so much time in Cagliari, as we had to get across from Carloforte and the ferry was to be leaving at 18.00.

Still, enough time to wander around the streets of the old town, overlooking the sea down to the busy harbour and sea front. Albeit after a delicious strawberry cocktail at Quasimodo's cafe, a very stylish place where a Contessa was holding court on the table next door.

This was on one of the seven hills (there are always seven) upon which Cagliari is built.. and in fact you get the best views of the hills when the ferry pulls out of the harbour and draws away into the Mediterranean.

Lunch was at one of very very many characteristic sea food restaurants on the streets set back a bit from the sea front. Long dark rooms, full of groups and families having a long Sunday lunch of anchovies, mussels, prawns, scampi, fried berad, octopus and squid and even fish. Mmmm.....

The sea front is bordered by the Via Roma, with its cool, tall baroque arcades, along which all of Cagliari life is to be found, either shopping or sitting outside one of the bars. It was here that we came across a newspaper stand, sisplaying a Berlusconi paper wishing everyone a Happy Communism, this being the reaction to the fact that Bertinotti, the leader of the Unreconstructed Communist Party had been given a position as Leader of teh House, with the idea being that an ex-Communist D'Alema might have his name put forward as the next President of Italy. B's choice appears to be old mafia-friend or old frind-of-mafia, none other than that weasel Andreotti. Shameless. I only suppose that by putting up someone with arguably as bad or worse a record as himself, B was trying to make himself look good.

There was a slight bit of time to go up to the massive citadel complex at the top of one of the hills, for a view back down over the town. Definitely a place to return to. A real city, and then with flamingo-filled nature reserves and a beautiful long beach, within a stone's throw.

It was time to say goodbye to the little people, after what was too short a visit.