Adventurous Maite: Sardinia (Italy) 14-21th September 2013

MY FIRST TRIP TO SARDINIA

14th September (Saturday)

In September 2013 I visited Sardinia, my favourite Italian island :-) I had a really great time in this wonderful city with my Sardinian friends. The people I met there are still in my heart. Making friends with new people who have a great heart is something awesome

I kept studying Italian and I enrrolled in a one week intensive course at One World Cagliari. They looked for my accommodation: a shared flat in the centre of the city, five minutes on foot from the school.

The flight left from Manises 20 minutes late, but we got to Cagliari five minutes before the time that Ryanair had anticipated. The plane was full, mostly Italians!

At Manises Airport

Seats over the wing in the midplane region will provide the smoothest ride

During the flight

At the airport of Cagliari-Elmas Simona and her husband, Joseph, were waiting for me. Great friends who wanted to know in person. Also came another friend, Gabriele. And of course, we took the first pictures. MY FIRST PICTURES IN CAGLIARI !!!

Small but nice airport, illuminated with bulbs of different colors and cutting-edge structure

My dear friend Simona :-)

From the airport we went straight to the apartment in Via San Giacomo, in the center of Cagliari, where I stayed with Veronica, who works at the school where I did the course. As she was traveling outside Cagliari, a friend, Carlo, was waiting for me to give me the keys and to explain me some things about the house. Afterwards we parted and I went to dinner with Gabri, Simo and Joseph (Gabri invited us). The place chosen was the famous pizzeria Su Stentu (Corso Italia, 29, 09028 Sestu) where are served big and delicious pizzas!

Su Stentu is a vast place, with many tables and a very fast and friendly service where pizzas considered "normal" are really giants!!! We ordered four different pizzas for each one and I chose the "pizza sarda". I didn't eat the black olives (Gabri and Joseph ate them). I also tried the white pizza without oil of Simona (which had some salmon) and I could not finish mine! It was impossible to eat that huge piece pizza!

Gabri and his big pizza

Simona's pizza

I cannot believe my eyes! LOL

YUM YUM YUM...

Pizza Sarda... it was mine

Simona and me

Benvenuti a Su Stentu! Welcome to Su Stentu!

Again Simo and me

Simona pazza ragazza! xD

With Joseph

With Gabriele!

After dinner we went for a walk in the city center... We climbed the Bastion of Saint Remy or Saint Remy Rampart (Bastione di Saint Remy). Probably the most noticeable monument in Cagliari. It was built in white limestone at the end of the 19th century, after Cagliari ceased to be a military fortress and gradually its defensive walls were pulled down. It's the result of three fortified bastions which were then joined together

Going down, we stopped at Caffé di Candia (Via De Candia, 3) to drink. The atmosphere was good and we laugh a lot. We'll never forget the mystery of the bathroom xD. There were a lot of people entering and exiting the toilets. In the photo below you can see the detail of the door and a misterious man xD. Che ridere!!!

At the entrance of Caffè di Candia (in the Bastion)

Arriving home

A church near home

The flat was in the heart of Cagliari, just a 5 minute walk from the school and next to Via Garibaldi (the main street for shopping in Cagliari). By evening some of these streets are closed to traffic In order to avoid any unnecessary disturbance and nuisances to residents in the surrounding area. The "3Rs" concept - reduce, recycle, reuse was also consolidated. An example of civilized country, not like Spain.

In this area were living many immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Senegal, etc. but is hardworking and very quiet people, streets without troubles, without noises...absolute peace!!!

I came home and I met Veronica Altana, who was working as a receptionist and sometimes as a teacher at the school. I had her as a friend in FB for some weeks before going to Cagliari. She told me about her weekend trip to north of the island (Costa Esmeralda, etc.). She showed me several magets of the island and she asked me to chose one for me.

This is the magnet that Veronica gave me

After unpack, I spoke with Veronica and I went to bed. The apartment had two twin rooms, one of Vero and other mine. A bathroom, a living room with integrated kitchen and a mini balcony nice views. A good location at a great price. Definitely much cheaper than any hotel or Bed & Breakfast: :-)

15th September (Sunday)

My second day in Cagliari. I spoke with my mum via Skype. I liked this Italian mouse ^^

Then I went for a walk through the area (around Via Sonnino)

I found near the school a Chinese bazaar and there I bought the first souvenirs at a bargain price. Chinese stores in Cagliari were cheaper than in Spain. So I bought a cap of Sardinia, a pair of clocks (one white and one black with flag of i quattro mori), a tablecloth, a folder, a beach bag huge orange, etc.

I came home and I spoke again with my mom via Skype and I saw Dante through the webcam! So lovely my dear lion king :)

I had met with Simona at Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square), 2 minutes by foot from home, but because of the bad weather came Joseph with his car and we went to their home in Quartu Sant'Elena, situated 15 km East from Cagliari on the ancient Roman road

Fortunately it had stopped raining

Quartu Sant'Elena is the third biggest city of Sardinia with a population of 69.225 as of 2012. The city's name comes from its distance to Cagliari (Quartum miles, Latin for “four miles”), and from the passage there of St. Helena, mother of emperor Constantine

Already at home I met their sweet dogs: Billa and Maffi!

It was a gray, drizzly day!

They invited me to eat typical pasta with them at home. Here the food they cooked for me. The bread was traditional with oil and salt. To drink Coca-Cola zero and homemade tiramisu for dessert. All made in Italy :)

In the afternoon we didn't go to the sea because the weather was bad. So we decided to go to visit the shopping centres located between Quartu and Quartucciu, where there are also cinemas, recreation rooms, restaurants, etc.

Rain, rain, rain

Being a rainy day and Sunday ... it was full of young people. We went to the Shopping Centre Le Vele (Millennium) in Quartucciu. There were also cinemas, a Carrefour, etc.

OVIESSE C/O LE VELE
Via Delle Serre - Quartucciu

After buying two books of Italian at the library Giunti Al Punto (discounted the 15%) we went to Carrefour but there were so many people and we decided to go to Conad Quartu Sant'Elena where I bought white chocolate, cheese, Italian bread, two bags of chips, two Coca-Cola cans, Italian salami and a bag with 8 chocolate croissants. Healthy food xD

Before returning home (to my flat) we stopped at this bar-pizzeria where we they had pizzas to take in only five minutes. I ate a delicious pizza Margherita! And of course, ... another Coke Zero!