Cagliari Day 2... Botanical Garden and Roman Ruins...

On our second full day in Cagliari, we decided to check out the Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico) and the Roman amphitheater.  We were forced 😋 to walk through the Chocolate Festival on our way, and difficult though it was, we made it to the Garden after walking about twenty minutes....  The Botanical Garden was beautiful, and provided us with an hour or so of leisurely strolling....





Misting devices in the trees...
There were book kiosks like this in the garden...

Great tree...
Happy couple...




After the Botanical Garden we walked steeply uphill to see the ruins of the Roman amphitheater.  It was fenced in, and required an admission fee to enter, which we were inclined not to pay, since we could take photos of it from the road....





We continued up the steep hill toward the north end of the old town and entered through Porta Cristina....


Approaching Porta Cristina....


Just inside the Old Town...

The Cathedral in the old town was amazing.  It had a remarkable crypt...



We made our way back to the B&B for a little rest before a wonderful dinner at Sa Domu Sarda....



Cagliari was a very pleasant surprise.  It is sophisticated and clean, historic but with modern conveniences, it has excellent and inexpensive restaurants, and friendly people.  We will be back.  Tomorrow Giovanni will drive us to the airport to pick up our rental car that we will have for the rest of our stay in Sardinia.  Cagliari was a great start to our Sardinian experience....

Touch any photo to enlarge....


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Castle on a Hill, with a Famous Resident.....

Image
While staying at the Baglio San Nicola, we took a short 20-minute drive to Naro to visit the one famous site there... the 12th century Chiaramonte castle.  The castle is at the very top of the village, and to get there you wind your way up narrow streets barely wide enough for one car.  Driving to the castle is not for the timid, but arrive there we did.  There was a great heart-shaped "Welcome to Naro" sign made out of stone visible from the parking area.  We didn't know what to expect, since there was not a lot of information available about the castle, but the big front door was open, so we walked in.....   Welcome to Naro... The castle was built in the 12th century... A very nice man met us and asked if we would like a tour, and of course we said yes.  He asked if we knew about Naro's famous resident, and of course we didn't.  Well.... we were told that Naro is the home of Piero Barone, one of the three young men who make up ...
Read more

Pienza, Montepulciano, and the Amazing Mr. Mazzetti....

Image
Our first day trip took us to the beautiful village of Pienza, just a few miles from Monticchiello.  Pienza is on the tourist map, but for good reason, it is so charming.  The old part of the village is pedestrian only, and the main street - Corso il Rossellino - is lined with exclusive stores.  These include several cheese shops, selling the famous pecorino di Pienza. View of Pienza approaching from Monticchiello.... The main Corso.... You can almost smell the cheese.... The via del Amore.... After Pienza we drove on to Montepulciano, about 10 miles away.  We wandered up the winding streets, heading toward the highest part of town.  Along the way we happened to see an open copper shop.  The proprietor, Mr. Mazzetti, invited us in, and what an experience that turned out to be!  What a lovely man.  He is quite famous for his copper work....among many other great achievements, he created the orb and cross that is on top of ...
Read more

Marsala... the Salt Flats and the Island of Mozia...

Image
The Marsala salt flats are quite a sight to see.... shallow salt water inlets with ancient windmills, and mounds of sea salt covered with terra cotta tiles.  A long time ago the windmills powered pumps that pushed the water out to sea so the salt could be harvested.  Now, the pumping is done by machine, but the area looks the same as it did a century ago.... Sea salt mound covered with terra cotta tiles... In the lagoon beyond the salt flats lies the Island of Mozia.  The island was settled in the 8th century B.C. by the Phoenicians as a trading post.  It was a fully developed city, surrounded by a stone wall.  Now, it has a museum and many archaeological sites, and is a great place for a nature walk. Boats to the island run every half hour.... Boat to the Island of Mozia... On the boat...  We walked the perimeter of the island on a beautiful, warm day, cooled by sea breezes.  Some things we saw on the island... ...
Read more