Passing time in Oristano, Sardegnia
By Joanne Lane I am sitting on a bench in Oristano, Sardegnia waiting for a tiny tourist information booth to open so I can find out why I am here. A white dog with horrible sores on its face has befriended me and barks at any scooters passing by. An old man on the bench next to me is feeding the pigeons. The phone in the public booth rings periodically for no reason. Apparently this is the main piazza although I can see no difference between it and the last five, except for the dog, the man and his pigeons and the closed information office. All the others were completely deserted. I walked here from the bus station, it was supposed to be a straight road but maybe Sardegnians have a different understanding of this concept. All the twists and turns, piazzas and narrow streets lost me. In the end I only found it because I heard the dog and saw people staggering out of the only open bar I had seen with too much Sardegnian Mirto (wine) in their bellies. Besides I have begun to realise that nothing is ever straightforward here in Sardegnia. But that is part of its beauty. And most visitors here would not have it any other way. Sardegnia is not on the main tourist route through Italy and so tourism is limited mainly to August when hordes of holidaying Italians come from the mainland. In other periods it is a quiet place that is never governed by what happens in other parts of Italy. This is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and has been colonised and invaded by so many groups, that its identity is quite different. They have had the Greeks, Phoenicians, Spanish and Italian groups like the Romans, Pisans and Genoese. The Sardegnians however are proud of their separate identity, which is almost like another country with different traditions, culture, food and a different concept of time. Time seems to be a vague concept only adhered to by buses that actually are fairly punctual. Although really public transport is a nightmare. It is not unusual to arrive at the bus station and find the five buses to your destination departed well before dawn and none coincide with any other connection you wish to make. Trains are almost non-existent. However as with most things in Sardegnia, what appears difficult is often worth the inconvenience. For all its inadequacies public transport is always an entertaining experience. The bus and train conductors are helpful souls but they do not speak English and have no idea about their colleague`s services. But they will happily spend an hour discussing the intracies of life and culture in Sardegnia or act as a taxi service while you try and find accommodation. In one small town a group of men carrying loaves of bread, blocks of cheese and a clear yellow liquid surrounded our bus. They thrust a glass of the liquid at our driver and cheered while he drank it. All the passengers thought it was wonderful, even the fluttering nun sitting next to me. Moments like this happen every day. Sardegnian people are amazingly friendly after sometimes what seems to be initial coldness. Shop keepers joke with you while they sell you cheese and bread, tourist information ladies discuss their children, young people escort lost travellers and elderly ladies in bars seem to like offering free accommodation. Of course none of the guidebooks write about this, although in fact there is little mention of it at all so it is really all guess work till you get here. That is why I am still sitting here in this piazza. Besides once you get over its quirks, Sardegnia is actually a delightful place filled with Nuraghic ruins, pristine coastal environments, lovely beaches, mountainous ranges, interesting culture and food and wild life like donkeys, griffons and flamingos. One of these colonies of flamingos is supposed to be near Oristano. There is also the ancient town of Tharros, just outside Oristano, which was first established by the Phoenicians. Hence the reason I am sitting here still, although the white dog has now deserted me for a shady corner beside the bank. Oristano is obviously a very quiet place as my two hours on this bench can prove, although at other times it is brimming with festivities like during the Sa Sartiglia. This festival has masked, costumed riders who parade through town then participate in a tournament where they must pierce the centre of a silver star with their swords while riding at full speed. The only vehicles going past now are a few cars that occasionally wander through the red light and a man in a purple shirt that goes sprinting past. The movement is so sudden that the old man on the bench across the road wakes up. A lady appears with milk for the dog and a man in a taxi man pulls up and explains how it lives in the square. A family eating gelati come over as he pats it affectionately. Things are obviously starting to awaken again after the almost religiously observed siesta. Sardegnia is quiet but not without its intricacies and abnormalities. The kind of place where public phones ring in a sleepy piazza for no reason. Where a dog barks. Where 4.30pm comes and goes and still the tourist information booth does not open. I am still waiting for it to open. I have a feeling I will be a long time waiting. WHERE TO GO
The coastal areas of Sardegnia are lovely, particularly the white beach and caves around Cala di Luna, the fishing villages on the peninsula jutting out from Oristano, and the northern sections just outside Alghero. The inland Nuoro province is a different taste to Sardegnia with more remote areas, more traditional ways of life and amazing scenery. Calgiari, the capital in the south, also deserves a day or two. GETTING AROUND
Train and bus conductors are generally helpful but they do not speak English as a rule and as transport is not centralised they may not know of other connections. Tourist information is the same. They can only give you the schedules of events, transport and accommodation in their immediate vicinity. Do some research before you come. WHEN TO GO
Summer in Sardegnia is hot, dry and full of holidaying Italians. The beaches are best now but for hiking inland or more pleasant weather and a chance to see some of Sardegnia`s wildlife, come at Easter time or in September. Most festivals however are held in summer during August. WHERE TO STAY
Sardegnia does not have a lot of budget options. There are only two or three hostels but there are plenty of camping sites and campervans can park almost anywhere. Sleeping on beaches is generally okay in summer if you pick a secluded spot. Local tourist information will have a list of agriturismo`s and hotels. GETTING THERE
The airports at Cagliari, Olbi, Alghero and Arbatax-Tortoli link Sardinia with major Italian and European cities. Air New Zealand does not fly direct to Italy but Qantas does. Alitalia is the major Italian airline. The island is also accessible by ferry from Genoa, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Fiumicinio, Naples, Palermo, Trapani, Bonifacio (Corsica) and Tunisia and also Toulon and Marseile in France. In Sardinia the ports include Olbia, Golfo Aranci, Palau, Porto Torres, Arbata and Cagliari. The main ferry company is Tirrenia - http://www.tirrenia.it
Other lines include Moby - http://www.mobylines.it (Livorno-Olbia, Sardinia-Corsica), Sardinia Ferries - www.corsicaferries.com (Livorno/Civitavecchia-Golfo Aranci).
The Italian state railway runs a cheaper service between Civitavecchia and Golfo Aranci. Most of the ferry routes take at least 10 hours. BOOK HERE |
