Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Yesterday, Thursday, April 26th, we arrived in Cagliari on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, a part of Italy, for a 1/2 day visit.  The island, with a current population of 1.5 million, has long been a Mediterranean crossroads and reflects the fact that many civilizations have left their mark on it.  Cagliari, the capital carved from limestone, for example, includes the so-called Castello District which is home to a Roman amphitheater and the subterranean Cathedral of St. Mary, a Pisan relic.  The population of Cagliari is 150,000.

About one-fifth of Sardinia's land is used for agriculture, earning it the reputation as Italy's other farmland.  Its primary crops include tomatoes, artichokes, citrus fruits and olives.  Lush vineyards blanket its hillsides.  And cork oak trees are abundant, convenient for bottling wine and olive oil.

The official language of Sardinia is Italian though the local language of Sardo is widely spoken.  Our guide explained that, despite being a part of Italy for a very long time now, Sardinians spoke no Italian at all until the arrival of radio and television on the island.

Our docking position afforded us these views of the port area.

      

Janis and I signed up for what was essentially a walking tour but started off as a bus tour out of the secure port, past the harbor, across the city to its coastal lagoons that host a variety of bird life, past its beach area, up onto a scenic plateau and through some residential neighborhoods.  It was an overcast day with temperatures slightly below 70 degrees.

There were several sailboats tied up in the harbor across from which is a row of elegant buildings.

The city was heavily bombed by the Allies during WWII.  As a consequence, several areas have been rebuilt and much of its current housing is quite modern and looks to be of good quality.

        

Our first stop was the Bonaria church.  Beautiful inside and out.  Pope Francis visited this church soon after his election.

      

We then drove out to the lagoon area and, in a beach neighborhood we passed on the way, we saw a number of people exercising in different ways.

                                    

The lagoons used to be used to draw off salt from the salt water and market it.  That is no longer done.  In fact, the lagoons are now a protected bird preserve.  The kind of bird we saw repeatedly as we drove through was the pink flamingo.  We also saw a brown flamingo that hadn't yet changed color, as well as other birds.

        

We then drove up to a promentory for a photo stop.  Great views from there.

  

Following this we headed for Cagliari's Castello District, or Old Town, where we began what became a fairly long walk in and out of small squares and other appealing spaces.  In places, restoration work was underway.

                                                                                                   

We also came to an open area with these views down to the sea.

      

Along the way we toured the 13th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria del Castello where we explored the main church as well as beautiful small chapels in the subterranean sanctuary.

                                  

During our walk we saw several examples of residential housing in this old neighborhood.

                                                                                                     

By 12:30 we were back on the ship, well in advance of the 2 p.m. onboard deadline for an early afternoon sailaway.  A nice place and a nice visit, but not awe inspiring.

                                    

Our next destination:  Algiers