Night location: Cagliari, Italy

After an early morning flight, we arrived in Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. Sardinia has been on our bucket list for some time now. Due to approximately 70% of the hotels/restaurants/shops closing in early October, we always planned to come here for our first Long Service Leave trip! We were just a little bit excited then when we spotted the aquamarine coastline out of our tiny aeroplane window.

Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th Century BC, Cagliari has been a significant Mediterranean trading port from antiquity into the modern era. It has a bit of a gritty feel and is clearly a working city rather than one set up for tourists. We walked from our hotel down to the pedestrianised Corso Vittorio Emanuele II that is a long, wide street lined with small entrances to an array of restaurants, wine bars and shops most of which were closed due to it being Sunday. From here we passed through the lively Piazza Yenne and continued through the main shopping strip of the city.

One of Cagliari's most famous sights is Il Castello that looms above the city from its Pisan fortifications. We had been advised to use an elevator to ascend to the high fortifications but alas the lift was in a derelict condition surrounded by scaffolding. Amber consulted her map and pointed out that there was a second elevator further up the hill so we set off, only to find this one was also kaput. Having walked up so far, we decided to press on and as it turned out we were able to enter through a complex gate system without too much difficulty.

The Castello region is a labyrinth of tiny cobbled laneways and a mixture of palazzos, churches and other dwellings. We enjoyed some refreshments before visiting the 13th Century Cattedrale di Santa Maria which boasts some beautiful baroque decor and bright fresco covered ceilings. From here we made our way back up to the Archaeological Museum which was excellent. It displays artefacts spanning millennia including impressive giant sandstone Nuraghic sculptures of archers, boxers and warriors dating to the 8th and 9th centuries BC.

On our way back down we walked past a 2nd century AD Roman amphitheatre that was carved into a natural crevice of rock. In its heyday it held crowds of up to 10000 people but today was eerily vacant.

For dinner we ate at a restaurant that specialised in traditional Sardinian cuisine. Our favourite was the Culurgiones which are the Sardinian version of ravioli, stuffed with potato, mint and pecorino cheese, served with a sauce of your choosing. A close second was the house cheesecake with fresh ricotta and berries. Unlike many cheesecakes this one was light and fluffy. Delicious!