Cagliari, Sardinia

We arrived on the island of Sardinia today, and spent the morning in its capital, Cagliari (whose name is accented on the first syllable: KAHL-ya-ree). This is a beautiful place with an illustrious history. It was founded in historical times by the Carthaginians, yet like so many places in Europe, the remains of Neolithic settlements abound. For 400 years it was owned by the Aragonese kingdom, which became part of Spain. Since the early nineteenth century it has been part of Italy. It is a lovely island with wonderful wine and cheese. One claim to fame is that per capita Sardinia has more people over 100 years of age than anywhere else in the world. It is unpretentious. Sardinia has its struggles with a youth unemployment rate of about 40%. Land here is cheap. In fact, one small town is selling homes for one Euro, if you will employ local labor to renovate the building. Still, this place is charming.Read more