"The City of Sun" should be "The City of Adventure"

I had my official commune appointment this week – now Belgian authorities cannot deport me! All right, I am safe for I have dual citizenship for a little while! I’ll be receiving my Belgian ID card in about six weeks to prove my new residence. Talk about a legit souvenir!

My getaway weekend to the Italian island of Sardinia was a relaxing Mediterranean holiday that soon encountered unforeseen adventure.

This tripped marked my first RyanAir flight. Quite an entertaining experience - the flight attendants advertise items for purchase during the entire flight. Everything from phone cards and perfume to smokeless cigarettes and lottery tickets make its way through the cabin. Don't even try to nap, as you may miss out on an "exclusive deal from RyanAir!" This goes to show the wide arrays of marketing! And be sure to celebrate an on-time flight - flyers clap and holler their appreciation at landing!

We arrived to Cagliari, Sardinia, known as "The City of Sun", on Friday afternoon and began exploring the ancient city. First stop - the beach. Nothing beats putting your feet in the sand. Oddly enough, the beach was nearly deserted. Nevertheless, it made for perfect serenity. I wish all vacations could be on a private beach! Friday evening we stopped at a local pizzeria. Seemed to be a favorite with people my age. And delicious. Real Italian pizza... Yummy.

Saturday morning we awoke to our friendly B&B owner, Alberto. The charming gentleman had breakfast waiting for us on the terrace, with spectacular views overlooking the ports and mountains (I could get used to this)! Fortunately for us, the B&B is located just outside the center of Cagliari, so there is absolutely nothing blocking our scenery. The other guests staying here are from Madrid. They offered great travel advice and shared stories of their visits to the U.S. It made me smile when they said they loved California and Florida. Two of my favorite vacation spots as well!

We got an early start visiting the highlights of Cagliari - the botanical gardens, ancient Roman outdoor amphitheater, The Castello (the city’s ancient fortification), San Pancrazio Tower, Bastion of Saint Remy (there is an outdoor night club right on the top - imagine the city views!), and shopping district. The San Pancrazio Tower was by far my favorite and also the beginning of the adventure. It took a little peer pressure for me to reach the peak, as I am terrified of heights and open staircases. Put the two together and it's even worse! However, at the highest point in the city, there isn't much you can't see. I hope you enjoy the photos!

For the afternoon, we went to Villasimius, another beach about an hour from Cagliari. Here is where it gets interesting! Our bus driver spoke very little English so it was difficult to know exactly where we were in the coastline drive. At one point, he told us three more stops, and then at the third stop he said we missed it. We finally resolved to go to the next stop with a quiet beach, Cala di Sinzias, in a small town and take the next bus back to Villasimius (as buses don't run very often on the weekends). However, even that plan didn't work, as the bus driver stopped in the middle of an unknown street and said we missed our desired stop again and get off and walk. So at 4pm, in the middle of unknown Sardinia, we started walking. A sign said 2km to Cala di Sinzias and 20km to Villasimius. How many hours would it take to walk? Plus, the bugs were nearly eating us alive (I have 14 bites to prove it). And to top it all off, in fear of it getting wet at the beach, I left my Blackberry with VZW global navigation at the B&B. What luck!

We passed the Cala di Sinzias beach and decided to keep walking, since we did not see a bus stop. At least if we stayed on the road, another bus would have to pass us eventually (wishful thinking). After an hour of walking, a car passed us! Fortunately, two German ladies stopped asked if we needed directions (we must have looked pretty lost!). They were staying in Villasimius for a three week holiday and offered to drive us there! They were the kindest and most helpful women! But never did I think I'd hitchhike through Europe! Sorry Mom! At least there was a group of us =)

When we finally arrived to Villasimius, we realized our headaches, sore feet, bug bites, hitchhiking adventure was worth it! The golden sand, crystal-clear water and large, jagged cliffs became our home for the next three hours. We then ventured through the little village and arrived at our bus stop 40 minutes in advance - we were determined to arrive back to our B&B in Cagliari without anymore adventures! We practically cheered (and maybe some touchdown victory dances) as we saw the coach come in our direction! And finally at 10pm in the center of Cagliari, we thanked this bus driver for being more helpful than the last!

Now I'm back in Brussels, missing the 80 degree weather of the Mediterranean. For once though, I'm thankful that tomorrow's bus and metro to Ogilvy will be a simple ride and at least I know enough French to communicate with the drivers. =)