TUESDAY, 19th SEPTEMBER : In CAGLIARI

What happened to Monday?  Well, not a lot I'm afraid.  The coughing persisted and along came the sneezing accompanied by the runny nose and the misery, so we didn't do much at all.  We did go out a couple of times, in the morning we walked to the bakery/cafe we visited a couple of days ago and on the way back, stopped at another little cafe for coffee and a small cake each. There was another cruise ship in port so we avoided the crowds as much as possible and sought refuge from the throng and the afternoon heat in our air conditioned room.  We wandered out a couple of times for some fresh air and in the evening, strolled up to the piazza for a meal.  

Half an hour after taking this photo, the restaurant was full as were all the others in the vicinity.  We thought that Monday might be a quiet night....wrong!!

With the aid of paracetamol and lozenges, the coughing and sneezing have eased somewhat, which is a relief as we'll be flying back to Frankfurt tomorrow and I don't wish to be coughing and sneezing on the plane.

We didn't venture out this morning until 10 o'clock, for a breakfast of granola, yoghurt and fresh fruit which was delicious, then strolled along the 'front' to our little cafe for coffee (no cake).

There is another cruise ship in port today so lots of people once again but by staying away from the more popular places, we can avoid the crowds.  We've been out and about a couple of times, had a snack and cold drinks at an Indian restaurant close by, a very good restaurant with reasonable prices and a lovely lady owner.

The Costa Toscana was scheduled to sail out of Cagliari at 4p.m. so we decided to stroll down to watch it leave

but it didn't and it didn't look like leaving so after about half an hour of waiting, we gave up as the sun had decided to emerge from the clouds, there was no shade available and it became quite hot.  Back at the hotel we sorted out our bags for the flight tomorrow which didn't take long and we will shortly go out again in search of food.

We've enjoyed our stay in Cagliari, it's a shame I have been under the weather for the last few days.  Our hotel is in the old town, is small and old but comfortable, airconditioned and it has a lift.  It is situated close to several cafes and restaurants so we've been spoiled for choices.  The back streets in Cagliari are narrow lanes, are closed to most traffic and because the rubbish trucks are too large to fit through, the cafe owners take their rubbish to the truck (which parks in one of the wider streets) each morning.  The buildings in this area are very old, very close together so if you lived here you'd need to get along with your neighbours.  

Cagliari has been an experience....we're glad we came!

 SUNDAY, 17th SEPTEMBER : In CAGLIARI

My coughing woke us both several times through the night, consequently we felt like something the cat dragged in this morning and so decided to be kind to the old legs and take another bus ride instead of a long walk.  This time to the Botanic Gardens.  First we called into a little cafe we'd been to a couple of days ago for coffee and a bite to eat, then caught the bus up the hill 

Another, shorter bus ride took us halfway down the hill to the gardens, we paid our 4 euros each to enter and wandered around for a while in the shade of the many trees.  The gardens are well laid out with plants and trees from all over the world, lots of shade and plenty of benches for sitting and resting, but sadly, the gardens are in need of some t.l.c. as many of them are deceased or barely surviving.

This one's from Down Under!

There's a pleasant fountain 

with a pond with a water lily and several large Koi, which delighted the littlies who were visiting

and this tree has rather attractive fungi attached

A cool and quiet oasis in the middle of the city, hopefully it will receive the care it needs.

We found a little pub nearby and stopped for cool drinks and a snack in an area we hadn't previously visited and spent an hour or so relaxing in the shade .

After a couple of hours back at the hotel, we strolled down to the port and ambled around admiring the many yachts docked there, Mike choosing the ones he'd like to buy when I win lotto!  A lovely way to end a slow and lazy day.

 SATURDAY, 16th SEPTEMBER : In CAGLIARI

We seem to be adapting to the Italian way of life, not moving until 9 o'clock this morning.  It was an easy walk 

through a well cared for garden

negotiating our way around the diggings along the foreshore

to a cafe near the port for a late breakfast, 

followed  by a wander along a dock where a few people were fishing.  

We stayed a while and watched a ferry sail in and back into the ferry dock, took a few photos and then walked up another street to catch a circular route bus.  It was entertaining, a small bus with seating for only ten or twelve people and we drove through narrow lanes at speed, past some of the sights we saw a couple of days ago.  The bus drivers here are highly skilled, they have to be to negotiate the narrow streets and sharp turns.

After our ride we found the gelataria and bought delicious ice creams, then retreated once again to the hotel for an afternoon siesta.  The hottest part of the day is usually mid to late afternoon, not a good time to be walking about.

We ventured out again in the early evening, along with the masses.  The cafes and restaurants were mostly full, with families, young people, old people and tourists, all intent on having a good time.  We didn't stay out late, opting for an early night.

The banging of drums and chanting, they were enjoying themselves

The girls were out for a hens' night

Which cafe shall we choose?

This one's showing a soccer match, involving Italy, on television.

 FRIDAY, 15th SEPTEMBER : In CAGLIARI

I woke this morning with a raspy throat, an annoyance at any time, especially so when one is on holidays!

Our elder son commented today that we don't put enough photos of ourselves on the blog (that's because neither of us likes being photographed) but we've taken a couple, even tried a selfie which we've not as yet been successful at mastering.

Here is Mike

This is me

and this is us!

We decided to visit the Santa Chiara Indoor Markets this morning, perhaps get something to eat there but were disappointed to find that there was only a fish stall and a fruit/vegetable stand open so went around the corner to a small cafe for our coffee and snack.

We then walked down the street 

to the bus station, and caught a bus to Poetta Beach, the closest beach to Cagliari.  The bus was crowded, the beach was adorned with tanned bodies of all shapes and sizes, Mike went in for a swim, I paddled.

It's a very long beach with plenty of room for a great many more people and I imagine the crowds flock there on the weekends.

After cold crinks at the cafe on the edge of the beach

we bussed back into town, had a bite to eat and retreated to the hotel for a couple of hours to rest as my throat was getting the better of me.

Later in the afternoon, we wandered around to La Rinascente Department Store 

to see if it is any different from Myers, David Jones etc.....it isn't - but it's air conditioned and has a restaurant/food court (closed) on the 6th floor

with a view of the port

Back at ground level, we crossed the road in search of a cafe and found a wedding instead!  We had to stop and watch proceedings

The wedding car!

The Bride and Groom

managed to squeeze into the car

and to the cheers of family & friends (and a few bystanders) they said arrivederci!

We found a cafe which is not difficult, there are plenty of them, and stopped for beer and coffee, enjoying the breeze wafting in

I bought a Sardinia cap to replace the Hunter Valley cap which I lost, it was made in China which probably explains why the cross is white when it should be red, as it is on the official Sardinia flag.   It keeps the sun of my face and is company for Mike's Germany cap!

We shared an excellent pizza for dinner, accompanied by an equally excellent glass of wine and a beer

and as we were paying the bill, spotted a procession at the end of the street so followed it to see what was happening.

We still don't know what it was all about, there was a large group of men dressed in white and a smaller group of women dressed in black, four men were carrying a statue of the Madonna with a couple of priests following, there was singing and then they all moved up the steps into the church, followed by several members of the public.  

We called it a day then and walked home via a gelateria to buy an ice cream to soothe my throat (that's my excuse!)