Olbia to Alghero

After a very short night of sleep after a bit of excessive reunion celebrations, it was a very sleep day yesterday until we touched down in Sardinia  with such a bump that all kids started screaming and woke me up!

The cheap hotel I had in Olbia was comfortable and clean but a good 20- minute walk to town through a not so attractive area. I felt safe though. It was worth it though, as there were some lovely nooks and crannies in town and , of course, excellent food and drink. I could not believe how many German tourists there were. A huge cruise ship was in. The pandemic is not an issue here, it seems.

I am not quite sure what this bar was offering?

Thanks to the long walk to the hotel and back, I slept like a log. I am certainly not a 30-degree plus person and I am thankful nobody I knew saw me in such a sweaty mess!
What I thought would be a very straightforward direct bus trip of 2.5 hours to Alghero today turned out to be a great opportunity to use my Italian. Thankfully I know some or I would have had an even more eventful day.

The taxi arrived surprisingly punctually, meaning I arrived twenty minutes early for the bus to Alghero. I was left in the middle of a massive carpark, with no shade or seat, to wait for supposedly twenty minutes. No bus! Some not so helpful German tourists stopped to tell me their stories of cancellations, strikes, wrong bus stops, etc, which were far from reassuring! 

A tour bus eventually arrived and dropped off dozens of miserable-looking visitors to Olbia. The driver didn't look much happier. I summoned up the courage to ask him if he could phone the bus company and explained the problem. I used Italian and was proud to get my message across. He softened a little and a little later told me that the bus was returning to pick me up. The driver hadn't been told I had a booking.

The bus arrived, one hour later than expected. The driver was very pleasant and offered no apology. Obviously this is a common occurrence. After waiting so long I was quite keen to find a toilet but this was not in his plans, so we took off along what seemed horrendously bumpy roads - they probably weren't! What fabulous scenery to take my mind off other things! Inland are so many jagged mountains with farmland on the slopes.

We were dropped off outside Alghero and although I had a map, I stupidly asked locals for help - all good language practice, but after half an hour I realised people did not have the slightest idea about their city, which is really maze- like!

At last, in themidday sun and dragging my 18 kilo suitcase along cobbled streets, I was there. One last hurdle awaited me - two flights of steep stairs to my second floor flat! Oh yay!

It's a lovely, cool flat only metres from the cathedral, which nobody seemed to be able to direct me to.  After a very long introduction as to how to use the gas cooker, TV, wifi, etc, none of which worked immediately for her, and  all in rapid Italian, I wandered out to find milk for my tea at the supermarkets which Margherita, my hostess, thought might be open. Two hours and one incredible wildberry sorbet later I passed a shop about to close and the lady must have felt sorry for me and sold me some milk. I told her in my best Italian that British couldn't cope without tea, usually with milk.

Fantastic, I was ready for my tea. The gas didn't work, so up another flight of stairs I went for help! Wow, what an effort for a cuppa. It tasted soooo good though. 

It is a quirky flat with fantastic ceiling and very unusual kitchen sink and deco

I fulfilled a longterm dream of hanging my washing above the street. To be honest I was terrified I would fall, not at all worried about the dripping washing. Yes, that is it, my shorts and top in front of the magnificent cathedral.

Now here I am outside the cathedral drinking the most wonderful Aperol Spritz along with some tasty Sardinian Aperitivo treats.

 It's a perfect place to watch  people go by and to meet a lovely cat lady who comes daily to feed up to 15 cats. Guess where I will be tomorrow? I will buy some treats for her furry friends. 

I think this is going to be a very special week in this historic city. It is really very pretty and a maze of little cobbled streets with the most extraordinary art work

And vibrant shopping areas, beautifuuly decorated

More to follow over the next days. So exhausted now. School tomorrow!