Nessun Dorma "Let no one sleep"

Very little in the way of sleep which kicks off a very long opera style last day in Sardinia. We'd been recommended via the blog in the links (a great read in itself BTW) to enjoy a sunrise, so alarm set for 5.30, and my word it did not disappoint. The oranges pre dawn and then the sun drifting above the med quite something to behold. Another bucket list ticked?

We were up then, which was sort of planned, but with so much to do today, I did not take advantage of the one hour of lower temperatures, Chrissi did the run today, I picked at water melons and whatever else needed eating up from our substantial shops.

Packed up and tidied up the Airbnb, couldn't lock it, but had to leave eventually to make the hours trip over to Cagliari. Driving been pretty easy on the trip so far, but did get a bit complicated when we hit the city; lots of trips around roundabouts and a few u turns. One actually took us right past the national stadium though, which brought back memories of Italia 90. England played all their group matches here (for reasons that perhaps relate to the late 1980s) but it always brings a warm glow from my pre university Summer, Linekers goals and those early games against Egypt, Holland and Ireland.

Now parking was the next hurdle, and after a bit of driving around we came across some wasteland near the harbour that seemed to be a parking lot of sorts. A little nervous to leave the car there, but risk and reward and all that, and it was free!

The walk up to the old town was around 20 minutes, up and up. Two particular features caught the eye.  A stairway up to the neoclassical Bastione di Saint Remy, with a set of balcony views across the city. And then the Cattedrale di Santa Maria, baroque been the main decor apparently, wiping out its original Gothic structure. I'm no church person but the art was impressive, and the santuario dei martiri under the alter a little bit of added exploration through underground rooms.

We wandered back down through the castle quarter, those tall appartments that almost touch each other across the street.

It was then back to the car, the gamble paid off, and we made the relatively short 20 minute journey to the airport where we found the drop off point for De Niro. He had some quite serious damage to the bodywork by a previous driver, so we were keen to ensure we didn't get lumbered with that.

All good, and it was onto departures and the last treat of the holiday. When booking the return flight the Club option was ludicrously cheap, like £30 more per person or something like that, so chance to give Carys a taste of how the other half live. (and how Chrissi and I always used to live in our travel days) Fast track at check in, fast track at immigration and then into the club lounge for complimentary goodness before we can stretch out in our spacious seats on the plane.  Fantastic meal, silver service, chicken curry that would befit any local pub and all manner of beer, olives, cheeses and mousse to accompany.

Very easy flight, straight through immigration and baggage.  Car returned to us with a short delay and a dashboard warning light ... back to reality, although nothing bad happened in the 2.5 hrs back from Gatwick,

-Carys-

We started our last day here really early, and I mean really early - 5.30 to be exact. This was to see the sunrise, and I'm glad we did as it was especially beautiful. A great way to finish the holiday, and appreciate our view for the last time. 

We spent the morning then packing up our things, which happened to be strewn quite widely across the house. We got everything together, did a final check of all the rooms, and said our goodbyes. After a little kerfuffle getting the door locked, we took the car, and did the journey back towards Cagliari. Once we'd parked up, we strolled towards the town in the boiling heat, which wasn't the most ideal of conditions unfortunately, but none the less, it was nice to get some steps in and see a more urban setting. We had a wander around the town, which was really pretty. The panoramic views from the Bastione di Saint Remy.

To cool off we had a drink and a magnum icecream - a new one I hadn't heard of before, with white chocolate and raspberry, and a coconut swirl middle I think. Then we did a little more sightseeing. I particularly enjoyed looking in the cathedral, which had such beautiful architecture and design - always my favourite in ancient cities.

 But it seemed the heat had defeated us a little, and we needed to head to the airport anyway. We checked in very easily, and took on our business class privileges my first time in a lounge etc. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but it felt wrong to be just going up and taking what you can from the fridges. It was great though.

 We made the most of our time there, and then went to the gate to board. Dad and I sat very front row, which felt a bit scary at first, but I settled into swiftly. The leg room was glorious, glad to be able to stretch out a little. Take off was smooth, and then the big surprise came, we were served a full meal. I wasn't expecting it, so had to ask for the vegetarian option (mushroom pasta) instead of the chicken curry I was initially given, but it was very nice. As mentioned, it all made me feel very fancy, and I enjoyed this flight much more than the one previous - I think I got a littler too comfortable with the luxury to be honest.

 Once landing, we got our bags back, collected our car, and made our way back home. Now feeling very sleepy, we're signing off for another holiday. I've had a brilliant week and have been grateful for the experience! Until next time. 

On the Chaise Longue

 

And that was the day really, one way or another.  Woke with a stinker of a hangover, the aperol spritz can go as one of my 50 for the 50th but can cross that off the list for good!  

With our last full day on this Island it was time for those who needed it to pay their respects to the sun gods.  Lets go with Sol, the Romans, no surprise, also former occupants of these parts.

Just picking up on one other historical point, the name costa rei is a shortened version of costa dei rei, the coast of criminals, linking back to that prison we saw a couple of days back.  Crime rate pretty low here these days though, can heartily recommend.

I did get out for a run later and hotter than it should have been, which meant also shorter, but did end up with a few hundred yards on the shoreline getting my feet wet as the tide swept in and out.

A taste for the sea meant I did then hire a kayak for an hour to ride the waves a bit and take a view of the coastline from a different angle.

Spent the rest of the afternoon up on high, reading and having a drink or 2. The Peroni also brewed out in Sardinia so that's back on the menu, although Ichnusa been brewed since 1912, a big year for the Swans, means its not getting overlooked. The lunchtime menu consisited of using up all manner of cheese, frankfurters and salad we have accumulated over the last few days, breakkfast has gone a similar way too. Surprisingly tasty, and water melons may become a more common feature of my diet and hydration plans.

Started new book 'Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing' , 2 older chaps still looking for adventure and a laugh, so proving more fuel to my life in the old dog aspirations.

This more conventional day ended with a lovely final family walk into Costa Rei to seek a bit of seafood on my part, not really done much on the dining front on this trip.  We found the 7th best restaurant (out of 22) as reviewed by Trip Advisor 

Quite a nice terrace to enjoy food, the Med not too far away, and far better service than last night, if not perfect.  Went for a bottle of local wine, it had the name of those old archaelogical ruins we explored a few days back, but was dry and crisp and probably more recently fermented!  For starter I had baby octupi in a rich, spicy, tomato sauce, all very lively, they did look like they might start swimming away, but I chewed faster.  For main and turning this into a Finding Nemo sequel a deliciously rich and lightly battered swordfish with crispy fries. The dessert was quite something though, Ciocamisu, white and dark chocolate mousse, cookie biscuits, and a real treat to end the meal.

Had eaten enough seafood to swim back, but sadly it was all uphill, so a final workout of the day, and a few last moments in our lovely home away from home.

(Carys)

I had another nice lie in today - as it seems, that's what this holiday is sort of about; getting some rest. I don't think I got up until around 10am, had a slow breakfast and decided today would be a proper beach day. So after getting ready, we headed down, and mum and I bought a pair of sunbeds and parasol for the day in one of the beachclub areas - the one attatched to the bar we'd been visiting for the past few days. From then on we just did a lot of chilling. I went in the sea 3 times - my last feeling quite sad as I said goodbye to the gorgeous temperature of the water, and how crystal clear it was. That i will definitley miss. Between these ocean visits, I spent a lot of time under the parasol, but even so have ended up quite sunburnt. I had some icecream, and lots of fantas, so felt very refreshed. All in all, it was lovely to have a very relaxed day, just enjoying the beauty of the beach as we come to the end of our holiday. 

When the resting had run its course, we came back up to the house, showered and got ready to go for food. I'd say we've had a good split between eating in and eating out, and that variety is what makes each so enjoyable - always doing something a bit different. Today was a 3 course meal - mine being a sardinian vegetable pie, mozarella and tomato pizza (of course), and same as dad, cocciomisu, which was so delicious, but very rich, so wish it has been slightly smaller so I could appreciate it more. Regardless, a very nice meal. We climbed the steps home for the last time, as we rest for our final day tomorrow, before heading home in the evening.