At first glance, Oristano didn’t look like much of a town but there were some beautiful piazzas, a small archeological museum, and some nice restaurants. The hotel, Mariano IV Palace, was well-worn but the hotel was comfortable enough, in a good location with free parking nearby and the staff members were very kind. We ate some good meals in Oristano including one at Ta Matete with grilled swordfish, vegetables and a delicious lasagna.
We left Oristano this morning and drove along the coastal road toward Alghero. The Sardinian countryside is dry and the rocky landscape is dotted with oleander, cactus, scrubby bushes, and olive trees.
The red Fiat rental car is zippy and does a good job on the curvy mountain roads – the driver (a.k.a. Larry)is doing an excellent job!
It was a 2-hour drive with little traffic on a Sunday morning. We arrived in Alghero just after 1:00. We dropped our luggage and walked toward the city center for lunch at Trattoria Maristella. Our pasta dishes were tasty…one, spaghetti with clams and olives and the other, fat shells filled with pecorino cheese, mint, and creamy mashed potatoes (yep, mashed potatoes) topped with a fresh tomato sauce. This stuffed pasta is called Culurgiones, a traditional dish from this region.
Meals are usually served with bread and a very thin, crispy flatbread called Pane Carasatu.
The sun has been intense and the afternoons hot. We took a walk into the city center – there is a nice promenade along the sea. We look forward to some longer walks in cooler temperatures. Alghero is a beautiful small city in a beautiful setting. It’s one of the prime tourist centers on the island.
Sunset is at 7:09 p.m. We arrived just in time to see the setting sun.
We’re looking forward to exploring this region for the next few days!