February 23, 2007

*meanders dreamily through blog innocently whistling*

alghero

Ryanair and the Sardinian Tourist Board would like to invite north-west writers on a long weekend press trip from Liverpool JLA to Alghero in Sardinia.

The dates are Friday March 2 to Monday March 5.

Is it Italy or Spain? Alghero is actually Italian but it has lots of Spanish and especially Catalan influences including the nickname Barcelonetta, "Little Barcelona". Indeed, all the street signs are bilingual.

One of the two large islands that lie off the western coast of Italy, Sardinia is much less explored than its southern neighbour Sicily. At its northern tip it gazes just a few miles across the water to the French island of Corsica. DH Lawrence visited in the early 1920s and found it "lost between Europe and Africa and belonging to nowhere".

Sardinia - and Alghero in particular - is blessed with wonderfully clean beaches and year-round warm weather; it tends not to drop below 15o - bliss!

Alghero is one of those places that the Italians have been happy to keep to themselves. Tucked away on the north-western coast, this fishing port remains unspoilt and mostly devoid of the package holiday crowds. It's a busy, thriving town, with fetes, carnivals and events throughout the year, and the locals actually seem pleased to see you.

The landscape of this stunning island is incredibly varied, from white sandy beaches on the coast to the mountainous terrain in the central parts of the island. From cities like Cagliari in the south to Alghero in the north, you'll find a varied array of architecture and culture.

In the region of Nuoro, at the heart of Sardinia, you will find villages and towns 800 metres above sea level that have been completely untouched by the course of time. In the north-east of the island lies the famous Costa Smerelda, "the emerald coast", playground of the rich and famous. The island is also peppered with a vast array of archaeological remains including the Nuraghes, strange stone tepee-like structures, which are among some of the oldest constructions known to man.

The numerous invaders who made life miserable for the Sards all left their mark on the cuisine. Sardinian food today is a mix of Phoenician, Carthaginian, Spanish, Byzantine and Italian influences. So the hearty rustic food that is at the heart of the cuisine - wild boar, lamb and kid, spit-roasted pig with myrtle, suckling pig scented with myrtle - is complemented with aubergines, artichokes, couscous and nougat. Sardinia is famous for its sausages, excellent bread and for the pungent, salty percorino sardo cheese. Seafood is often excellent. There is a local version of caviar in bottarga (dried and salted grey mullet eggs, served with celery), and dogfish (gattucio di mare), sea urchins and octopus also grace the menu.

Famous the world over, the beaches of Sardinia are truly something that must be seen to be believed. With crystal-clear waters and white sand that runs for miles, Sardinia is a touch of paradise in the Mediterranean. It has always traditionally been a place of holiday for Italians and a very well kept secret due to its lack of connectivity to the rest of Europe. But now Ryanair has changed all that with its flights from Liverpool!

Here's the itinerary put together by our Sardinian partners.

FRIDAY 2 MARCH 2007

15.00 Check-in at Liverpool JLA for flight for Alghero
16.40 Departure of flight
20.20 Arrival at Alghero
20.40 Transfer to the Hotel
21.30 Dinner

SATURDAY 3 MARCH 2007

09.00 Departure from the Hotel
09.30 Visit of Nuraghe Palmavera;
10.30 Visit of Capo Caccia
11.00 Visit of the Grotte di Nettuno across la Escala del Cabirol (If the weather is nice); *otherwise: visit to Oasi faunistica Arca di Noè (079.94.90.60 / Ente foreste 079.20.18.200);
13.00 Lunch
14.00 visit of the craftsman laboratory of Marogna coral manufacturing in Via Don Minzioni (079.95.10.82);
20.30 Dinner to a typical restaurant

SUNDAY 4 MARCH 2007

09.00 Departure from respectives Hotels to visit: Bell Tower, Santa Maria Chatedral Church and Diocesan Museum of sacred art; Then there will be a visit to S. Francesco Cloister and Church, Palazzo Albis, Palazzo del Pou Salit e Palazzo Machin; Visit of Porta Terra overlook and Multimedia Museum of Territorio Museo;
12.30 lunch in the Saint Mandra Agritourism;
16.00 free afternoon
20.30 Dinner

MONDAY 5 MARCH 2007

09.00 Departure from the Hotel
09.30 Visit of Anghelu Ruju Necropolis;
10.30 Visit of Sella & Mosca museum and wine estate;
12.30 Lunch
14.00 free afternoon
18.30 Transfer from the Hotel to Alghero airport
19.00 Check -in for flight back to Liverpool
21.05 Departure of flight
22.55 Arrival at Liverpool JLA