Mediterranean Cruise Day IV.

5-4-16 ALGHERO, SARDINIA, ITALY: We cruised overnight and through the morning headed eastward leaving Spain behind and entering Sardinia and Italy, specifically at Alghero, in the northwest corner of the island. The planned Zodiac trip to Neptune’s grotto, a big cave eroded out of the limestone bed rock by sea action and rain, had to be cancelled because of sea conditions. We opted to send the afternoon walking around Alghero, dropping our gracias for grazie.

The city is on the edge of the sea with a long sea wall extending into the bay to create a sheltered harbor. The sea wall was part of the town’s fortifications. They display old cannons and catapults inside the wall. There are also lots of outdoor cafés and restaurants along the street just inside the wall.

Extensive beds of a purple succulent flower grow on and out of the wall. In one spot, in front of a restaurant, the beds cover the whole front yard and were visible from the ship. We saw lots of churches, entered a few. We shopped for earrings, Judy, gelato, both of us, T-shirts, Judy, and walked the narrow streets and broad avenues and the harbor.

At about 5 PM we Zodiaced back to the ship, and soon set out for Corsica. In the old days before the Euro we would have had to change our dollars for pesetas, then liras, and then francs.


Alghero, Sardinia from the sea.

Walls and flowers,

A chance to buy some red.

Tiled dome.

Under the dome.

Sea wall and purple succulent.

The town folks must feel quite secure with defensive machines like this catapult.

Two forts and the old town.

Is that too much purple? This yard was visible from the ship.

Gelatateria,

The oldest parts of the wall need work.